In the new film You Should Have Left, Amanda Seyfried plays Susanna, a young actress who is the wife of Theo Conroy (Bacon). In an effort to repair their relationship, Theo and Susanna book a vacation at a stunning, remote modern home in the Welsh countryside for themselves and their six-year-old daughter, Ella (Avery Essex). What at first seems like a perfect retreat distorts into a perfect nightmare when Theo’s grasp on reality begins to unravel and he suspects that a sinister force within the house knows more than he or Susanna has revealed, even to each other. Screen Rant got to talk to Amanda Seyfried about her role in this film, why was playing an actress interesting to her, and how she prepared for a big scene with her young co-star Avery Essex.
Hi Amanda! How are you doing?
Amanda Seyfried: I’m good, how are you?
Good...good. First off fantastic job on the film
Amanda Seyfried: Thanks.
You’re welcome. So one of the things that I found fascinating when I read up on the making of the film...you one of the things that interested you about the role was that you were playing the part of an actress. What exactly about that was so interesting to you?
Amanda Seyfried: I think when you can hit a little too close to home it can get kinda...weird. Like a parallel universe. I’m playing somebody talking about the same things that I’ve talked to my husband about. Having to call certain...the production office. Even as specific as something like...checking your call sheet. Something we do every day when we’re working on set. To be playing somebody who's going through the same thing is weird. Like my actual assistant, my actual assistant played my assistant in the movie (Laughs) it was of course on purpose. You know when things hit close to home, I can see that as a challenge...it’s fun...kinda DANGEROUS.
You had plenty of scenes with Avery Essex who plays your daughter in the film, but there is one scene in particular that I think is a very challenging and emotional scene. It’s the one with you and Avery in the woods. You two talking on the tree. How did you two prepare for that scene in particular?
Amanda Seyfried: Well...we did it in bits and pieces with David, cus we were sitting on a branch...and each...the thing about that story...to tell that to a kid...it felt disjointed as I was doing it...we would stop and start. Stop and start. Because each...David needed something very specific from me. Avery was just really taking it all in...and then asking some questions. It was my job to change the tone of each answer in order to have some kind of effect for the audience but also to be doing it in a “responsible” way...if that exists for your seven-year-old to understand and to not be scared by. So as hard as it was...much harder for a parent to explain that to their kid...it was still pretty challenging to try to get the tone right. For the purposes of the story...to make it seem like it was an ok thing to do.
Sure...so my last question. This film is so close and intimate, and I know that it was a very small cast and crew. What's the best thing about working a cast and crew of this size?
Amanda Seyfried: There's a focus that is hard to find and hard to maintain when you're on a set especially as things keep going on as you get further and further into the shooting of it. The smaller things are...I think the more productive things can be sometimes. And it is such a small story, mostly in one confined space that we powered through. Like we had a laser beam focus. Which was really nice. And also...it always feels good to feel...like a family. Always. You always kind of create that anyway without trying, but this was just a lot easier.
Awesome! Thank you so much it was a pleasure talking to you.
You Should Have Left is now available on-demand.