Amanda Seyfried recently discussed her exit from Big Love, sharing the role Mamma Mia! played in her decision. As of now, Seyfriend is one of Hollywood's most established performers. However, the HBO drama, which aired from 2006-2011, played a big role in her success. On Big Love, she starred as Sarah Henrickson and appeared in 44 episodes total. Sarah was the oldest daughter of Bill (Bill Paxton), a polygamist, and his first wife, Barb (Jeanne Tripplehorn). Big Love was critically acclaimed throughout its run, earning nominations and some wins at multiple awards shows. Seyfried left the series after season 4 in order to focus on her movie career.
Her decision came after the release of Mamma Mia!, the successful musical comedy that netted a sequel in 2018. Seyfried's Sophie was arguably the first movie's most important character, as the film centers around her search for her father. Following Mamma Mia!, Seyfried starred in movies like Jennifer's Body, Les Misérables, and The Art of Racing in the Rain. She currently stars in David Fincher's Mank, which is in limited theatrical release now and debuts on Netflix this week.
While promoting the movie, Seyfried spoke with Collider. She took a moment to explain the reasoning behind her decision to leave Big Love in 2009, discussing how the success of Mamma Mia! played a role:
I had gotten Mamma Mia! and I had shot Mamma Mia! with the same people that produced Big Love, Playtone. There was just not enough work to make it make sense. The story wasn’t about me, and that’s fine. It was always an ensemble and mostly surrounded the wives. Those are the meaty parts. Not to say that I didn’t have some fantastic writing and some fantastic scenes and storylines. Big Love is really important to me and important for my career. But by the end, it was just like, ‘I can’t hold babies anymore. I have to capitalize on this moment!’
Considering the popularity of Mamma Mia!, Seyfried's decision makes a lot of sense. While Big Love was well-known, a major blockbuster is a different beast entirely. It made a wider audience aware of Seyfried as an actor, which provided leverage in her pursuit of more movie roles. Over a decade after Seyfried's exit from Big Love, it seems like she made the right decision. It could be argued she's Big Love's most well-known cast member, and that may not be the case if she chose to stay on the show.
Hollywood is very much a "strike while the iron's hot" business, so timing is important. Countless other actors have faced a similar decision with their own careers, complicated by loyalty to a show that gave them their start. Seyfried already had a few notable roles to her name before Big Love, so she wasn't in the exact same position as others. However, there's no doubt it had a positive effect on her career. Luckily, it sounds like Seyfried looks back on Big Love fondly, but doesn't regret her decision to leave the show after Mamma Mia!.
Source: Collider