Amanda Seyfried initially declined the offer to portray Elizabeth Holmes in the upcoming Hulu series The Dropout. The series will revolve around Holmes, the founder of Theranos, who was found guilty of fraud and conspiracy charges last month. Holmes' rise as an entrepreneur in the biotechnology industry, whose company had a $10 billion valuation in 2013, will be included in the series as well as Holmes' and Theranos' eventual downfall. Theranos was investigated in 2015 and eventually charged in 2018 with fraud due to the company making false claims regarding its medical technology that it touted as being able to run a plethora of medical tests from only a few drops of blood.

Although Holmes and Theranos garnered quite a bit of attention from media outlets after the 11 charges of fraud were announced, there has not been much information directly related to Holmes' personality. Kate McKinnon was initially slated to play the role of Holmes but decided not to take the role due to the location and schedule of the shoot requiring her to be away from her family. After McKinnon was no longer set to play Holmes, the offer was extended to Seyfried while she was in Savannah, Georgia.

Related: The Inventor: Biggest Reveals from HBO's Theranos Documentary

According to THR, Seyfried revealed that she was isolated in the basement of a Savannah townhouse due to having Covid when she received the offer to play Holmes. The idea of having to travel to the West Coast to shoot the series as well as all the difficulties that accompany portraying real-life figures initially caused Seyfried to believe that she was going to turn down the role. However, after further examination, the challenge and uniqueness of the role are what eventually made her decide to take it on. Another reason why Seyfried became interested in the opportunity to play Holmes was because it was a chance to probe why a "fall from grace" story is so fascinating. A full quote from Seyfried can be read below:

"It's really going to be difficult. It's a huge challenge. But I can't believe that I get a challenge like this."

"This is not just about showing all the points where this woman made bad choices. We're investigating why we love a fall from grace, why we want to watch train wrecks."

Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes in The Dropout

One of the reasons that Seyfried knew the role would be a particular challenge is that she would have to do an immense amount of research in studying Holmes' life and interaction with the media in order to even begin to get a sense of her as a person. Another difficulty Seyfried noted was that Holmes has a characteristically deep voice which Seyfried knew she would be physically incapable of reproducing. However, from the trailer that was released, Seyfried's voice is deepened somewhat from her usual pitch. Focusing more heavily on other physical mannerisms of Holmes' as well as the emotional motivation for her actions may provide a stronger performance than someone constantly straining to do a perfect vocal impression.

Seyfried has certainly demonstrated a range in her acting over her career, from her performance in the musical-comedy Mamma Mia! to her Oscar-nominated performance in David Fincher's most recent drama, Mank. Seyfried's due diligence that she describes in reviewing as much footage of Holmes as she could to prepare for the role along with the real-life story that is still fresh in the minds of the public could create a potentially compelling series. The Dropout also boasts several A-list actors in its supporting cast, including Laurie Metcalf (Lady Bird), Stephen Fry (V for Vendetta), Utkarsh Ambudkar (Pitch Perfect), and Michaela Watkins (Casual), to name a few. Whether Seyfried's decision to take the role of Holmes and her effort to capture the essence of the puzzling figure, will pay off is something viewers will have to judge for themselves on March 3 when The Dropout premieres on Hulu. 

More: Twin Peaks: Did Amanda Seyfried's Becky Die?

Sources: THR