The Testament of Ann Lee: Amanda Seyfried Reflects on Awards Season

As the party sat down to a delectable candlelit dinner of Caesar salad, burrata with pistachio pesto caponata, petit filet, and Branzino, the conversation turned to Seyfried’s last Golden Globe win in 2023 for The Dropout—a ceremony she missed. “How things change…” she reflected. “We really shoveled ourselves out of the pandemic in a way that, as a society, means we’re fully back in operation. I missed out on taking to the stage with that Golden Globes win, and that meant a lot to me.” But the fact that she’s facing into the same moment again feels bigger now, somehow. “I think it’s down to the fact that I’m older, and I put more of myself into this specific character,” she said. “I’m really enjoying this.”

The film itself—The Testament of Ann Lee—has emerged as something of an underdog this awards season. “People are watching this movie which Mona made with $10 million in 34 days,” Seyfried said, gesturing to the Norwegian director across the room. Shot on 70mm, it boasts what audiences have praised as “extraordinary imagery” and an “electrifying” score that reimagines traditional Shaker hymns. The film still has a European press tour ahead, and then there’s the Oscars looming ahead in March. “The way I see it, is I have nothing to lose now. I can’t control anything. So you just have to count your f*cking chickens,” Seyfried philosophized, before adding gleefully: “And you know what? I’ve got 19 chickens at home.”

As dessert arrived, Fastvold raised a glass. “Amanda is my dear friend and my forever muse. It’s very rare that, as a director, you get to work with someone who just decides to fall trustfully into your arms. This movie is different and it’s bold, strange, and challenging—and just like Amanda, it’s also freaking fun and exciting.”

Hours from now, Seyfried will make her way to the Golden Globes. Then back to the farm, back to real life, back to those 19 chickens. In the meantime, she was savoring every minute—surrounded by the people who matter most, wearing Tiffany, and counting her blessings.