Amanda Seyfried is campaigning

As Sarah and I have been saying for a few weeks now, the acting category nominations for Oscar are nowhere near locked. In the Best Actress race, yes, there are frontrunners, but in that final spot, maybe even the two remaining spots, it could go a number of different ways.

As mentioned in today’s intro, Rose Byrne is currently challenging Jessie Buckley as the favourite, at least at the moment, with multiple critics and film board wins so those two seem like they’re in the lead. Given how well Sentimental Value has been received, Renate Reinsve is probably firmly in third. Up until last week, Cynthia Erivo was right there with her but she was snubbed by Critics Choice so now some are wondering what that might mean as more and more nominations are announced. For the possibly fourth and fifth spots then it’s really anybody’s guess. Which is why everyone is making a final push before the holiday break. Because we’re entering into a critical period.

The Screen Actors Guild nomination voting begins on Monday. Producers Guild nomination voting begins on Thursday. And Golden Globe awards voting begins on Friday. The actresses on the cusp, then, are still campaigning hard. That includes Kate Hudson for her performance in Song Sung Blue who, for whatever reason, seems to have an outsized amount of support from the trades, and also Amanda Seyfried whose campaign feels a lot more… organic. 

Amanda’s performance in The Testament of Ann Lee broke out of the Venice Film Festival at the beginning of September and she’s been steadily picking up buzz ever since. The bonus too is that she’s currently promoting The Housemaid, a BookTok favourite. And everyone I know who’s seen the film at early screenings loves it. The movie is counterprogramming at the holiday box office, and I’m predicting that when it opens on December 19, it will take over social media. People will meme the sh-t out of this film – Paul Feig is the director, so think about the camp factor, not quite like A Simple Favor, but kinda sorta because it’s two women being c-nty to each other but also being c-nty together. This will benefit Amanda’s Oscar campaign much more than Sydney Sweeney’s. It’s an opportunity, once again, to show her range with two features that are dramatically different in the spotlight. 

Speaking of Sydney though, that’s the quote from Amanda’s Who What Wear new cover story getting the most play, because Sydney is such a heatscore. But it’s not the most interesting part of the interview. The title of the piece by Tyler McCall is “Amanda Seyfried Is the Queen of Keeping It Real” and she does, by doubling down on a comment and subsequent post she made on Instagram. And remember, she’s doing this while actively campaigning for an Oscar. Which she also transparently acknowledges. 

Amanda is already an Oscar nominee in the supporting actress category for Mank, which happened during lockdown. This, then, is her first time on the campaign trail, properly. And she’s happy to do it. 

"I will campaign myself because there's a seat at the table for me, and I want to stay there. Nothing is owed to me, and nothing is promised," she says. "I'm talking about a movie that I'm incredibly proud of and all that I got to do."

I love this answer. I love this entire interview. And I loooooove the styling. Look at this cover shot, the framing of it, the boldness of that blue and the way the logo works like a crown above her head with corresponding wings on both sides. Also her hair, fluffy and soft and big and wild… 

The hair is hairing all through the spread. 

Every single outfit is perfect on her. And she is totally working it – in the photo shoot but, yes, also on the campaign circuit. 

Attached – Amanda in New York yesterday.