Happy Sad Confused - Amanda Seyfried

Episode Date: March 20, 2025

Amanda Seyfried is more than just that girl in MEAN GIRLS or that singing heroine in MAMMA MIA, or the even the Hollywood legend in MANK. No, Seyfried keeps pushing into new areas and her latest, LONG BRIGHT RIVER, shows yet another side of this huge talent. Here she talks to Josh about all of it including why she passed on a giant Marvel role and why missing out on WICKED had a big silver lining. UPCOMING EVENT! Nathan Lane -- March 20th in New York -- Tickets here Paul Feig -- April 6th in Miami -- ⁠Tickets here!⁠ C2E2 events in Chicago April 12th -- ⁠Tickets here⁠! SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! Quince -- Go to Quince.com/happysadco for 365 day returns and free shipping! Check out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Happy Sad Confused patreon here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! We've got discount codes to live events, merch, early access, exclusive episodes, video versions of the podcast, and more! To watch episodes of Happy Sad Confused, subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Josh's youtube channel here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Amex Platinum, you have access to over 1,400 airport lounges worldwide. So your experience before takeoff is a taste of what's to come. That's the powerful backing of Amex. Conditions apply. The twisted tale of Amanda Knox is an eight-episode Hulu Original Limited series that blends gripping pacing with emotional complexity, offering a dramatized look as it revisits the wrongful conviction of Amanda Knox. the tragic murder of Meredith Kircher and the relentless media storm that followed.

The twisted tale of Amanda Knox is now streaming only on Disney Plus. Most importantly, a food that makes you confused. You don't get it. There's our screen grab, by the way. Good. How about blue cheese? No, I do like blue cheese. Sorry. I like the strong. I like the fragrance, the odor, the strength. The mold? Yeah, I like eating mold.

That's my thing. That's what it is. Don't ruin this for me, Amanda. It would be like eating poop for me. I just don't get it. Prepare your ears, humans. Happy, sad, confused begins now. Hey, guys, it's Josh with another edition of Happy, Sad, Confused.

And a first-time guest on the podcast today, Amanda Seifred joins me the very talented Academy Award nominee Emmy winning star of Mama Mia of Mank. And of course, her new series that she was on to promote today, Long Bright River. Amanda Sefer, the main event on Happy Second Fused today, it's a fun one. The usual

hello's reminders to all of you, folks, if you're new to Happy SAC Infused, where have you been? We've been doing this for 11 years. We do one or two of these a week with the best in the business, actors, filmmakers. We try to deliver great conversations. week in and week out. I hope you guys enjoy what I do. If you haven't subscribed yet to the YouTube channel, do me a favor, do me a solid, hit that subscribe button. And if you want to see

more of what we do, go over to Patreon. Patreon.com slash happy, say it confused, early access, merch, autographed posters, all the cool bits and bobs. That's where you'll find all the information about everything that I do over there. Reminders, lots of events coming up. I'm going to run it down very quickly. If you do want to see me in person, there are a lot of opportunities. March 20th, New York City. And all this, by the way, all this information is in the show notes. March 20th, New York City. Nathan Lane, icon of stage and screen, symphony space, New York City. April 6th in Miami, Florida, at the Miami Film Festival, we're screening another simple favor. Yes, the sequel to a simple favor, followed by a live happy, happy, sad, confused event with Paul Feig. That's going to be fun.

And speaking of fun, April 12th, if you happen to be near or around Chicago, come on out to C2E2. This is the big kind of like New York, it's the same folks to do New York Comic-Con, big convention. And as if you needed a reason, I'm going to give you four. In one day, I'm going to be moderating conversations with John Boyega, Peter Weller, Nancy Travis, if you're a Robocop fan, some of the stars of Once Upon a Time, and a reunion of the Breakfast Club, the entire main cast. all five of them together in one room, which has happened like almost never. And it's, by the way, it's the 40th anniversary of the Breakfast Club. Can you tell I'm excited? I'm excited.

Okay. So that's the way to see me live. Information in the show notes. You know what to do. All right. Back to Amanda Seifred. Main event coming up at you right now. We all know and love Amanda Seifred.

She's never done the podcast, which was surprising. But not only a great actor, but a really, you know, unique, fun person to talk to, and I've always experienced that, just doing the small things I've done with her over the years. But it was a real treat to get the extended chat today. Of course, she came to prominence in Mean Girls over 20 years ago now, crazy. And I love that she loves Mean Girls still and loves that experience and loves what it has become. We talk about that. And also her journey through, you know, mixing up her career right from the start, doing dramas, doing musicals, of course, the phenomenally successful Mamma Mia films in Le Maiz.

We talk about some of the auditions, the famous parts that she almost did. Did you know that she almost, she was in fact offered to play the Zoe Saldanya character in Guardians of the Galaxy? Yeah, she was almost Gamora and other really interesting stories from her. She's very candid about kind of the roads almost traveled and how she's cool with where it all ended up. And she should be because she has done so much work, especially in recent years, by the way, winning the Emmy for the dropout, amazing as Elizabeth Holmes, getting the Academy Award nominations in David Fincher's Mank. And now front and center as a cop in Long Bright River,

truly a change of pace of her. But again, expect the unexpected with Amanda Seifred. She does like to mix it up. This is a new series on Peacock. It's tough stuff, but stuff worth watching. It's a cop show, but also kind of a portrait of the opioid crisis that we're all, you know, living through, particularly in America. And as always, Amanda delivers a fantastic performance. So this is a fun one. I hope you guys enjoyed as much as I did. Here is me and the one and only, Amanda Seifred. Enjoy.

Amanda Seifred, you're on the podcast. We've never done this. We've never done the official podcast. How is this possible? Actually true. Yeah. Because I've never seen you in your house. Welcome.

Someday in person, but for now this will have to do. There's always red curtains around you, right? I try to. I try to keep curtains around me at all times. But today for you... I don't know. I don't know why. That's Twin Peaks.

We're going to get to Twin Peaks. You're thinking of the red room. No. Congratulations on all things. We're going to talk along Bright River. And since we have the luxury of time, a whole other host of things. But, yeah, it's good to see you, as always. congrats. First of all, a lot of good things the last few years in your career. When did you know

you made it when you got the Emmy Love, the Oscar nom, or when people stopped butchering your last name? What's the, what's the marker? The butchering is still. It's still going? But honestly, I care not. You've let go of it's not phonetically. It's not, it's spelled in a way that's It's not, it's not, it's not intuitive, which is fine. But I, I think, I know, I knew I had made it to a new kind of sphere in that I felt less scared of my place in the industry. Because, you know, things are pleading. Things are, you know, they're like a, it's, everything's like a wave. You know, nothing. The good thing is, you know, nothing. You know, nothing. stays static. Nothing is static. And it's just like, that's always been something I reminded

myself of. I mean, I knew I had gotten to a new sphere when I was in Mamma Mia. And when Mamma Mia was huge and I was getting more opportunities from that. And over the years, you know, the opportunities still were still there, but they're different. And they evolve as you evolve. And all depending on the choices you make, but also the fact that you are evolving and getting older. and are attracted to different things. So I'm lucky that I can, I still have a lot of opportunities. And now it feels like I've solidified some kind of place in that people trust me as an actor and respect me as an actor. And although I didn't need it, it does, it does feel great.

Well, and by now the body of work speaks for itself and the variety. And you will get to that. But like, you know, coming off of Mean Girls, I know that was important to you right from the start. Like, you were self-aware enough to know if I'm going to be around for a while, I can't be one thing. And I have to immediately kind of show off my range. And that's hard. Hollywood doesn't, like, make it very easy. Yeah.

It didn't used to. I mean, for sure, when I was starting out, things were very different dynamics between execs and younger actors or actors in general was just a little bit different in a lot of ways. and I also was young and I just wanted to please people and get work. Right. Well, that's not unique in your industry for any young person, A, and any performer, B, and also tied to gender, not to stereotype, but there is that.

I mean, that's kind of part and parcel. So to break out of that is like, that's a mind shift. That's a major mind shift. Sure. And it's taken me a long time to feel finally like, I'm not, I don't have to raise myself to anyone's expectations, exact wives or director-wise or anybody, any powerful person in this industry. You know, my work, right, speaks for itself, but I also know what I want and what's,

what feels good and what doesn't. And I can, I have boundaries now. Hey, how about that? I'm about that. 10 years, that's fine. Okay, I'm going to be a little random at the start before we get into Long Bright River. I really enjoyed your appearance on Fallon. Well done.

Did Cameron Crow immediately come calling after you to your Joni Mitchell? Because he's doing that biopic. You know that. So I hear. If that doesn't get his attention, I mean. He already, I think he already knew that I, it's, it would, it's, yeah, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know him.

I don't know him. But I know a lot of people who do. And I know he's close with her. and I've known about this biopic for years. And I think it's amazing. I mean, this is the only, this is like the story we want to see. And Joni is so alive and thriving right now. And it's amazing.

I mean, she's an icon. And so many people have learned her music. So many people know her. Another actress I worked with years ago, oh my God, she's a spitting image of Joni. and she sings and plays beautifully. But I didn't know that there was an actual cast, and I definitely wasn't planning on being in any part of it.

So I know it's been flooded, but that's okay. There are a lot of us can do that. You know, we can all. Including Merrill, apparently. Apparently Merrill might be the one to do. I truly did not even know that. So last week, but I had so much space during the pandemic to learn things I wanted to learn. And I did.

And it was like, it's just a brain exercise too. When you get older, you want to learn a new instrument. And there's a lot of inspiration for that in her, and specifically her blue album. So any fan of Jonies knows that she wrote a lot of songs on The Dulcimer. And so, like, I just had time to do so many different things. It was just a luxury, really. And then I put myself out there. I didn't plan on it, but it was prompted during the pre-interview for Fallon.

You know, you learn to play the English horn for Long Bright River. How was that? I was like, eh. Not my choice. You know, not my ideal. Like chosen instrument, sure. But I'm good at picking up instruments. I'm very musical.

I've started playing the piano 107. She was like, what are the instruments do you play? And I told her the clarinet, which is why English horn came a little easier to me. When I was six, I'm sorry, in sixth grade. And then I taught myself guitar from 18. And then the dulcimer during the pandemic. And the banjo for a short film I did for a friend of mine. I learned a song on the banjo and that was fun.

But like, just give me an instrument. And I'll, you know, if there's some inspiration behind it, I'll totally learn to play it. I just need some time because, you know, my brain is a little older than it used to be. And it is a language. but it's a language that's in my body already and it's so fun but that was

that moment for me was unprecedented. I'd never gotten so much, so much attention so quickly for something that came so organically and it felt really freeing to do it. But then there's this added pressure of like

Cameron Crow is making a movie. It's like, yeah, that's not. Right, that's not why I did it. That's not what it is. It never even came as a thought. And I appreciate that. I think it's so cool. I mean, people have come out of the woodwork to say, wow, how beautiful. But

the journey of like learning it was extra special and like sharing it was just like a cherry on top of the whole experience. And I, you know, now I think I'm going to practice a little more than I used to.

Something else in recent times I want to hit on. You did get, I mentioned I was just joking about the Red Room. David Lynch, you did get a chance to work with David Lynch. I can't believe that. They were auditioning people without giving them any scripts. They were just talking to them in a room.

And I remember going to the Valley in L.A. 2015 and sitting in front of a camera and just being interviewed. And that's how he chose his actors. And I got the call on my sister's wedding day. and it was just one of the best calls that I've ever received from my agent because you know as you're getting as you come up in the business any call from your agent could be like good or bad and I remember getting the call and it being really good and you don't have that many opportunities now I'm like it's different you know I don't audition as much but auditioning for something or interviewing for something and then getting it was and it being David Lynch somebody who's changed the lives of so many people inspired the careers of so many filmmakers and actors and musicians. Like, he is the most charming individual, the most intuitive director, generous and sensitive. Oh, my God.

This guy is. His brain worked like nobody else's. He's single. There's no comp for David Lynch. That's why it's such a loss. Oh, God. Yeah. like a ripple like just a giant crash it was it was a crazy and and it you know yes he he had been

sick and he was much older but but his brain never stopped and and it felt like such a loss for so many just fan you didn't need to know him to feel the loss so I I man we need to keep honoring him because he there was nobody else like like yeah he's an enigma well and in all sides I'll just add like from my perspective too like folks that like have you know journalists or people that just love film i mean i i interviewed him a couple times i interviewed him during the pandemic and i'll never forget like him on this zoom screen in front of me saying hey buddy like it was like it's like the greatest sound i've ever heard in my life i still oh my god it's chill's just thinking about it like stick with you because it's always but also we have so much video footage of him yeah

telling us things inspiring us and like little anecdotes and it's just what It's like he knew we would need it. We have weather reports for the rest of time we could watch. Yes, that's a gift. Oh, this is it. The day you finally ask for that big promotion. You're in front of your mirror with your Starbucks coffee. Be confident.

Assertive. Remember eye contact. But also remember to blink. Smile, but not too much. that's weird. What if you aren't any good at your job? What if they dim out you instead? Okay, don't be silly, you're smart, you're driven,

you're going to be late if you keep talking to the mirror. This promotion is yours. Go get them. Starbucks, it's never just coffee. Oh, hi, buddy. Who's the best? You are. I wish I could spend all day with you instead. Uh, Dave, you're off mute.

Hey, happens to the best of us. Enjoy some goldfish cheddar crackers. Goldfish have short memories. Be like goldfish. All right, so let's do some not heavy lifting because it's for a good cause. This series is excellent. Congratulations on Long Bright River. Talk to me a little bit about, okay, so where were you at?

Because obviously you've had some nice successes in television, notably drop out in recent years. Were you looking for another series? How did this one kind of enter your world? You know, it was right after the strike, and I remember maybe just being January just after the new year. And I was kind of chilling at the farm in the dead of winter. And Catherine Pope, who produced the dropout, texted me about Long Bright River. She produced this as well. And she's like, I think I have something that you might like.

And I listened to the book right away in two days. and it was great. It was unique because we were talking about the opioid epidemic in a completely new way from a completely realistic perspective from somebody who's clearly had a lived experience and was writing in a very sensitive way, in a very respectful way and a responsible way. And I don't know, I don't, I want to play a cop.

so everything about it kind of leapt out at me before I even read the scripts because the book was so good I was just like I think I'm in and it's also Philly and I know Philly I know I didn't know Kensington though and now I know Kensington and I honestly we all all the people I think who've read the book I mean I really like to take a survey I wonder how many people feel like they've come away from the book kind of knowing Kensington because It's not an easy place to drive through. It's not an easy place to work or to live in a lot of ways. But because it's so marginalized the community, because it's so many unhoused people, so many substance use disorders, so many sex workers who, you know, live and work together. And it seems like a place that's, I mean, it is a place that's been marginalized and feared and avoided. and the cops are always trying to clean it up but it's actually like thriving in a lot of ways

because they all protect each other and the humanity within that is of something to take note of like to remember that that we are all so closely connected more than we think and it's one or two choices that separates me from them

so it's like we try not to we try to take the otherness away if that's even a way to say it or Liz did and Nikki Tuscano who's the showrunner creator of the show she and Liz Moore just who wrote the book just sat for years

writing the show to try to translate it into a TV show because we knew that it was people were so receptive to the book and love the book so much and I think it's because it felt like we were all kind of trying to find

ways to connect and feel human and feel this connectedness in this community. And I think she just drew it out beautifully. But then again, it was like the responsibility of playing Mickey was not lost on me. Like the challenge of that was like something I was looking for. It's such a drawn-out answer. But man, I'm always looking for something that's going to kick me into a different drive.

Yeah. Well, when you said, I mean, you said, like, I wanted to play a cop. It's like, you know, Amanda Seiford is probably not on the list of like obvious, get me that. She's, she's my cop. So is it about like, is it about that? Like, can I imagine myself doing that? Can I imagine myself how much can I push myself? For the first time I could when I listen to that book, because she's a human being with this very specific set of circumstances.

She's a single mother. I know what it's like to be a mother. She works her ass off. She's balancing way too many things. She has a very dysfunctional relationship with her sister who is suffering from addiction and is missing. And there's all these things that make her a human being. And she also happens to be a cop. And that's one who realized I could tackle that.

Right. That's when I could wrap my head. That's not the defining characteristic of who she is. It's part of her, but it's. And then, of course, Amanda, like, was like, I don't want to put on a cop uniform. I want the belt. I want the resin gun. I want to walk.

I want to feel what it feels like to wear that uniform because there's a lot of power in that. And people miss the power all the time. They abuse it. God, they just don't, they don't care. And then there are so many cops who are working so hard to ensure that people are safe and feel safe and have space to evolve.

because that's what we built so many people and cops and we make so many judgments about this community in Kensington especially and it's just like when did we stop giving them space to be human beings and to relate to each other so that's like another giant message in this I don't want to be away from my kids five nights a week unless I'm doing something that I think

is teaching me and reminding a lot of people of the very important aspects of being human and the responsibility that we have to each other. Like, there's no point. Plus, you also got to earn a new skill and you got to recite

previously on Long Bright River. That's a moment. You get to do kind of like the voiceover recap. That's exciting. I don't even remember doing it. Unless it's an Amanda Seifred AI. Definitely me.

I just. Man, things get so fuzzy. It's so funny. Sort of recent, but also it felt like it was 10 years ago. Because it all, like, being away, being out of my family, dynamic, into this singular, like, living in a tiny apartment and going to work and being at work for 15 hours a day. It's like, it's a different zone.

It's a different, it's a different, I mean, measure time differently. It's just a different rhythm. Everything's, and I'm used to it. I'm, I can adapt very quickly, but, but it's, it's, it's, it must be so different, you know, when you're 22, you can disappear and you can like, you're, you're, you can be the most selfish, whatever human being and like, turn off every other part of your life. And for those of us, our ages now, it's like, there's a lot more that's attached to us. And, and priorities shift. Yeah. And, and it's, I like, I, I like it. I've never felt more grounded, more able to go off and work and not lose myself because I have like a real stake in the ground up at the farm with my kids.

I mean, not to say that they don't come to the city. Right. Not to say that we haven't been at the American Girl doll. So we're a lot recently. But we do, but there's like, there's just, I live up. I'm there right now, you know, my soul lives. up there and then I'm working and I'm like talking about things I love and it's great but that's what happens is nice all right since we have the luxury of a little time we're going to do some amanda

deciphered greatest hits a little background since we've never had that chat um talk to me about 11 12 year old Amanda or there are Leonardo decapria posters on every wall of the of the childhood bedroom what's the obsession level one wall leo one wall abercrombie and fitch models um and then one wall like random cutouts of dancers in a 17 magazine and who was a teen YM and there's another people, teen people or something. That existed, sure. Yeah. Yeah, it was all different things.

But Leo only inhabited like one wall and everything was very specific. Like everything had to be framed in a certain way. It was very specific. Well, that was, I mean, that was Romeo and. Juliet followed immediately by Titanic. If you were not a Leo fan, you were not a sentient human being. You weren't alive, obviously. Have you ever gone up for a Leo project or a Baz Luhrman project?

Gatsby. Gatsby. Yeah, that makes sense. There were like a bunch of us who ended up auditioning with Leo on like we had a, Baz had like an amazing setup. It felt like, he does the full on. Yeah, I know. Yeah.

That's nice for director. People don't do that anymore. I think that the screen test, the chemistry read is so fun. It was so fun. And you know what? When I don't get a role, it never really hits me that hard because I never expect to get it. So if I do, I'm really happy. But if I don't, I'm like, I got pretty far.

And also, everybody, everything works out. Yeah. It'd be one thing if you were like one away from a career, but you're doing good. You're doing quite well. Yeah. I feel like it totally worked out. Yeah. I don't know what there is left to be said about me and girls except.

I'm curious, like, how much of the love of that is now tied to the experience of making it versus what it's become and how it feels almost like it's bigger in the zeitgeist than maybe it was 20 years ago in a weird way? I truly think the experience of making it has nothing to do with how well it did for sure. I think the experience for me is very specific because I had never been in a number. a movie before. I had never been on a set like that before. And I was working with people who had. So for me, it was just everything was new. Craft service table was new. The catered lunches was new. The costumes were so specific and gorgeous and fun. And, you know, everything about it was just new. The slate, the, you name it. The relationships were new. You know, the going out on the weekend and we all just got along so beautifully and it was so like unadulterated fun I was 17 and

Lacey and I would like watch movies and her hotel room and listen to Dido and her trailer like it was so everybody was so nice and like if nothing ever happened in that movie it would never have had an effect on an impact on my memory of shooting that right and then it becomes a forever moment a moment locked in time a timeless film like timeless humor

yeah until the day you die a 14 year old girl will come up to you every day and quote you as if it just came out the day before I hope they quote it on my grave because that and that's that's an organic

moment that's an organic it was it was a in in in many ways it was just a perfect movie yeah really and people relate to it still and it really um it connected us and and and it continues to and and i will always be excited to talk to talk about it like today i did some social stuff for kelly clarks and and it was a you know based on one of the things that i one of the famous quotes and I love it. I will any day, you know, honor that movie or what it did for me just as a person. And then you related to, you know, subsequent experiences, which you've always been very candid and talking about sort of like, you know, that period where in retrospect, or maybe even in

the moment, it sounds like you knew you weren't being treated as well as you should. You were being objectified or not given the voice that you needed. I'm curious, like, I don't know, when did you start to feel like you had a little? I mean, we kind of talked about this at the very outset, but like when you felt like you, you could speak up. You could, you could kind of like, if something felt wrong, you could say it on set or in an audition room for that matter. My God, it was maybe too recent. It was too recent that I felt that, yeah, I think it was a couple of years, three, about three years ago. was just so uncomfortable in certain dynamics.

And I was a producer as well. And I was the leader of the speaking up party. I felt like it was my job. I felt like we had just gotten through a giant movement. everything had really shifted in Hollywood for the better but there's still people that hadn't gotten the memo

and there were a bunch of times that I had to just say what was actually happening and not worrying about how people were going to be how people were going to respond it was just this is wrong right

and or I'm uncomfortable or this is this is this is the moment where we say no we're not right because because the easiest thing to do and the reason why it's been perpetuated these practices is the easiest thing to do is kind of suck it up and like okay I'll take it this is the shitty but I can deal with it and unfortunately that's and that's the thing like it took me until I was you know one of the leaders of the show right not just as an executive producer but as the lead of the show it's just like this is my show this is this is not

going to be happening on my set these people shouldn't fear going to work and we're made to be uncomfortable at work and we're not we have zero tolerance policy and I'm not going to tell somebody else that I'm just going to say it and you know what it was really it felt really empowering I mean since I have had moments where I've had to say to other people I don't feel comfortable can you please pass this on

because of the certain dynamics between certain people and and that's like more political and you have to be you have to try to find some way to be diplomatic in order to get things done but it's all it's based on you know circumstances and it changes all the time but man it took me a long time and now I'm just like I don't I'm a mom what I would I do if it was my kid like you know I mean yeah why don't it take that long why can't I just it doesn't matter it's fine I'm not going to be resentful. I mean, regretful. I'm just, I much prefer the state I'm in now. coming back for, made just for you at Starbucks.

Are you looking for a movie review show where the critic is at the top of his or her game, meticulously breaking down and explaining exactly why a film does or does not work? Well, good luck with the search. Because we're having fun here on Adam does movies. Each and every week, I hit the big blockbusters, I cover the streamers, and I even toss in some movie news for fun. Check out the show on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, on YouTube. And hopefully, we can do movies together.

you gave a lot of Jennifer's body fans a lot of hope recently you know that you got us all very excited it's not based on so there's no like like Diablo Karen are you talking like what where what's happening I said to my friend she was like my sister was like is this Jennifer's bodies are really happening and she was like no and I was like she thought I was making it up. But I was like, no, no, it really is. Like, I was texting with one of our producers about it. Because it sounded like, it's true. Like, it sounded like I was like, oh, yeah, Jennifer's body's happening too. Mama Mia, Jennifer's body. But you really, no, really, it's like, it's something that has been in the works for a while. And I don't know when

schedules will align, but it's not something that it, that is, it's not based on nothing. It's based on a lot of appreciation for the movie and wanting to get back to get the band back together. And I respect that because it was really fun too. That experience was so fun. So how much of the band are we talking about? Is Megan Diablo Karin? Better be.

I don't know for sure. The package deal? Better be a package deal. It's not like we're trying to. That's very exciting. But it's like, wouldn't it be amazing. It would be amazing. It's like it was just a very good experience.

And it's always nice to enhance it, you know? Yeah. And as you know, that was one that like kind of, I think the marketing kind of confused people. It was just, yeah, yeah. I feel like I was part. We covered it to the integrated MTV, but we probably covered it in the wrong way. but no you didn't it was very musical you know um the it was very musical i remember didn't some 41 or somebody come to the premiere

when it surprised me like oh my god i forget what i don't know i don't know who was but i remember the premiere very well and it was so long so wait speaking of megan and speaking of auditions i did want to run through and it seems like you're cool with talking about the things that almost happened. Did you actually go up for Transformers? Did you go for Megan Fox's role in Transformers? No, that's a lie. I don't think I don't think I even knew about it. Okay. I don't know what year that was. It's like it all depends on what year it was and then I can tell you if I would have been like 2007, I want to say, 2006, seven. No, definitely not. Okay. Okay. And you've you've talked about Guardians and Gamora. I'm curious like, did you know from the second you walked in the room that this was not for you or was it only through kind of the process like

as it sunk in like this i can't yeah because i was very um i was really scared of the idea of being a stuck and painted a different color um because of of the amount of time that the X-Men people had been. Because I was working out with the same trainer that trained a bunch of people who were doing X-Men. I remember Jennifer's talking to me after each film, that makeup process she talked a lot about. So that's literally.

I said to my agents, I was like, okay, it was a really giant opportunity. I just met James like in person it was wonderful he's wonderful um apparently someone said

that he didn't remember it or wasn't true and I was like oh wait a second I was like it's definitely true and I was definitely definitely got the offer for it and I definitely milled

over it for like yeah a couple days but um I don't know I I I didn't want to live in London for six months

other year, for whatever reason. There was another movie that I really wanted to do with Seth McFarland called A Million Ways to Die in the West. Right. It felt like a really good opportunity. I didn't want to be blue. But let's also remember being a part of a Marvel movie, the first Marvel movie that bombs ain't good for your career.

Right. I thought that because this was about a talking tree and a talking raccoon, that it was going to be Marble's first bomb and that Chris Pratt and I would never work again. It, well, I was wrong. I was wrong. But that logic tracks. That line of thinking is not insane. I was just being smart.

Yes. Not brave. And you know what? James Gunn is a genius and he's fun and he makes, he's a wonderful filmmaker and he can actually make anything work. But I was way too scared. I was at a precarious moment in my career and I didn't want to, I didn't want to suffer for the work.

And I think, I'm sitting there for four and a half hours every morning and every night just seem like it wasn't going to be fun. I just didn't want to do it because I had done some green screen stuff and it wasn't my cup of tea. And I don't regret anything that I, any decision that I made. I made it from myself in the moment that I made it. It was good for me then and it's good for me now. And I also think the people that make, you know, Zoe and Chris and everybody who's part of that movie are having the best time. It worked for them.

And I love that. And I love that I was able to, you know, stay with my gut. The only other one in that realm I want to mention, I mean, I think of Zach Snyder in that world. And I know you were going to do sucker punch. That didn't. That was a big love thing, as I recall, right? That was. Yes, it was big love.

It was big love. The gift and the curse of an ongoing series, I know, yes. But then I mean, my heart was in big love. My heart was at big love. And also, I will say now I hate stunts. So I might have been miserable in that. And that would have been intense. The girls, I wanted that relationship with them.

I wanted to like go to camp with them. Right. Did he also talk to you about Lois Lane and Superman? Did I read that right? No, okay. That's not true. When did Superman happen? when um when zacked in man of steel

Henry Cavill yeah who played Loisling Amy Adams you lived a lot of life if you can't remember there's a lot of men of steals there's fair there are there a lot of Superman a lot of Spider-Men

I'm sure there's another Superman just around the corner there is a James Gunn he did it I actually saw that trailer and I was like yeah I'm going to watch that And I didn't know it was James Gunn. I love it. Well, that's James Gun. That's the James Gun for you. Nice.

That's him. Your musical track record is very impressive. You're basically three for three for musicals. Lay Mizz and the two Mamma Mia films. Like you've made a gazillion dollars for Universal. I mean, I personally haven't. Well, you're the star of two of those and a very key factor in the third. That's true.

And you're doing a much different kind of one. You did a much different kind of one. I'm a big brutalist fan, and I know Mona and Brady's next baby is going to, I would imagine it's going to be pretty special. What was, what can we look forward to in a different kind of a musical, I would say, I would anticipate. In terms of like finding new experiences and new characters, this one takes the cake. It's, it's Mona's passion project for sure. And I love how I work. I worked with her before as a director. She directed the crowded room and she directed episode four of Long Bright River. Oh, nice. Okay. No, it was great. And I've, man, I think she's

really special and I love working with her. I love the way she communicates with me. I love how honest I can be with her. I just, she's like a sister in a lot of ways. Like I just posted a video the other day while it was her birthday and it's i was just going back through the shooting of anne lee in budapest and it's just she was taking my hair out with my makeup artist like just after a long day's work and she's covered in mud and it was it was grueling it was a grueling shoot but it was also unbelievably indulgent for me i was you know the clothes came off the the the the shields came off. There was in no way could I have even felt a slight bit of embarrassment because I had to go full in and I was dancing and singing and giving birth. Like it was, I don't, without saying

too much, it's an experience that you, you, no one's ever gotten because Mona's never done this before. And she created this whole world. And I'm really lucky to have been able to like really stretch for this really different challenge than Long Bright River but still as challenging and it's just this Amelia Perez the genre is like

bring back the musical I'm just like this is perfect timing for Anne Lee because people are receptive to it you know they've never seen anything like it they don't most people don't know much about Anne Lee I sure but she's the leader of the Shaker movement

and the Shaker movement they didn't have children. They, there were no children. They were, you had to be celibate. Let's talk about that. You know? I have a family will much of the last quarter of the year. Yeah, I mean, and talking about one door closing, another opening. I mean, honestly, and I know Wicked was something you really wanted. You were open about that. But like, you do Wicked. Maybe Ann Lee doesn't happen. Like, I don't know. I don't know if that, both of those make sense. I think everything worked out. Yeah. I think I was just such a fan. I, really did. I mean, I credit Wicked for getting me, for being so committed to my vocal technique

with my voice coach, Liz Kaplan. I mean, I knew that movie was happening because Mamma Mia ended up taking Wicked Slot, Sol Universal. So Mama Mia, too, ended up happening. They were trying to make both movies and they were just scheduling them because they're all in London and a lot of the same people I imagined um and so when mama me a two happened I was like oh wicket's going to get pushed this might work for me you know timing wise so I you know I knew wicked was coming so I was able to really prepare and I'm telling you I've never felt that solid in my voice than I did at the auditions and that's kind of the that's kind of what I got out of it I do again think everything happens for a reason I mean that's beautiful we listen to define grab

every day. I'm glad it's not ruined for you. I'm glad it's still a happy thing. Oh, my God. It's funny, though, like, I also got to sing with Cynthia. And, like, that was a moment in itself. I'm sure. Okay, they're wrapping me, I promise.

This is the last, this is the rapid fire. This is how we have. The vibration of that woman's voice. Oh, next level. Okay, happy, sad, confused, profoundly random questions. This is rapid fire, because I know you got to run. Here we go. Dogs or cats.

I need to see Finn one of these days in person What do you collect Yorn Do you have a favorite video game of all time Ever play a game? Oh Sonic the Hitchuk What's the wallpaper on your phone?

My three kids Finn Last actor you were mistaken for? Oh, it wasn't Dakota Fanning this time. It was something else, someone else, but Dakota Fanning. Okay. What's the worst noted director has ever given you? Be bigger.

And in honor of happy second fuse, an actor who makes you happy, always you see them on screen, you're happier. Oh, oh, a little bit, ooh, okay. imagine who makes me happy on screen um at uh coolie hon good one good

a movie that makes you sad fried green tomatoes and finally most importantly a food that makes you confused you don't get it a food that makes me confused yeah um

there's our screen grab by the way good Um, how about, uh, blue cheese? What kind of cheese? Blue cheese. Okay, got it. I got you. Okay.

Ending up. That's for you too. No, I like, I do like blue cheese. Sorry. I like the strong. I like the, I like the fragrance, the odor, the strength. Yeah, I like the bold stuff. Yeah.

I'm a bold man. The mold? Yeah, I like eating mold. That's my thing. That's what it is. Don't ruin this for me, Amanda. Oh, yeah. I know it.

No, I'm not, I can, I know it is, but I compartmentalize. It's, it would be like eating poop for me. I just don't get it. To be continued, next podcast, okay? We'll get into this. It's really good to see you. Hopefully next time in person. Congratulations.

Long Bright River. It's on Peacock. You know, you watch Southern Charm and then go right into Long Bright River. It's a perfect double feature on Peacock. I think it is. Isn't all all those Bravo reality, no? Oh, Peacock bought Bravo? Where's Disney?

It's good to see. I'm not talking about it. No, it's difficult, but I know that peacock is easy. It is easy. No excuses, folks. Yeah. All right. It's good to see as always.

Thank you. And so ends another edition of happy, sad, confused. Remember to review, rate, and subscribe to this show on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm a big podcast person. I'm Daisy Ridley, and I definitely wasn't pressured to do this by Josh. Are you looking for a movie review show where the critic is at the top of his or her game, meticulously breaking down and explaining exactly why a film does or does not.

work? Well good luck with the search. Because we're having fun here on Adam does movies. I talk to you like we just got done seeing a movie together, giving you the pros and cons, and I'm digging in the trenches, in the mud and muck, on streaming services, telling you which films are worth your time. Each and every week, I hit the big blockbusters, I cover the streamers, and I even toss in some movie news for fun. Because this show is Adam does movies. I'm obviously Adam, I probably should have led with that. But perhaps I have led you to check up to check out the show on Spotify, on Apple Podcasts, on YouTube. And hopefully, we can do movies together.

Hoo-hoo-hoo! Hot.