For Amanda Seyfried, nothing matters more than family. While the Emmy Award winner and Academy Award nominee values her career, of course, she’s the first to admit that family always comes first.
When agreeing to take part in Apple TV+’s gripping 10-episode limited series, The Crowded Room, Amanda had one thing contracted in; a vacation with her husband and two children.
“I was like, if I do the show, I have to get out for two weeks too,” she recalls, laughing as she chats with marie claire Australia during her press tour for the series.
“I have rules now – I have to be with my family,” she says. “I can’t spend more than five days away from them. My family’s everything. My career is also important, but I’ll sacrifice my career not the other way around.”
The Crowded Room is her first starring role since taking on medical fraudster Elizabeth Holmes for The Dropout, which earned her the Best Actress in a Limited Series at the 2022 Emmys.
The psychological thriller sees her take on the role of Rya Goodwin, a curious interrogator who works with Tom Holland’s character Danny Sullivan, a man who is arrested following his involvement in a shooting in New York City in 1979.
As Danny’s life story slowly unfolds, elements of the mysterious past that shaped him are revealed, as are the twists and turns that will lead him to a life-altering revelation.
Amanda’s husband Thomas Sadoski guest stars as Matty Doyle, a New York City police detective who is working the case. Their two kids, six-year-old Nina and two-year-old Thomas, also joined them on set, making it a full-on family affair.
“We had a childcare issue and we brought both kids to set and it was a nightmare,” Amanda laughs as she remembers, “but we did it. We did it because we’re working parents and we figured it out.”
“I definitely had some good help… It was just a nice vibe. The whole thing was great. And it was just nice to have family – my husband always tells me if I’m doing a good job.”
Amanda and Thomas have been married since March 2017, after meeting on the set of their first film, The Way We Get By in 2009, before announcing they were an item in 2016.
Working with Thomas this time around certainly made the experience much more enjoyable for Amanda, blending work and family life almost seamlessly.
“I have much clearer boundaries than I ever have, which is nice,” she says.
The Crowded Room was also shot in New York City, where Amanda currently resides with her husband, their two kids, and their beloved dog Finn, an Australian Shepherd who also made his way on set.
“I didn’t need to unwind. My character wasn’t like Tom’s character – he was playing a character of a lifetime. And for me it was hard, but it wasn’t that hard. I didn’t want it to end, that’s for sure.”
Where to watch The Crowded Room in Australia
The Crowded Room makes its global debut on Apple TV+ with the first three episodes of its ten-episode season on June 9, 2023.
From there, one new episode will drop weekly every Friday through July 28, so you’ll want to sign up here to watch it now.
Stream The Crowded Room on Apple TV+ with a 7-day free trial. Subscribe here.
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