Amanda Michelle Seyfried born December 3, 1985) is an American actress, singer-songwriter and former child model. She began her career as a child model when she was 11 and at 15 she began her career as an actress, starting off with uncredited roles and moving on to recurring roles on As the World Turns and All My Children. In 2004, Seyfried made her film debut in Mean Girls playing Karen Smith, the ditziest of the so-called "Plastics". Her subsequent roles as a supporting character were in independent films like Nine Lives (2005) and Alpha Dog (2006). She also had a recurring role in the UPN TV show Veronica Mars (2004â€"2006). Between 2006 and 2010, she landed a lead role on HBO's popular television series Big Love. After that, Seyfried appeared in her breakthrough and first leading role as Sophie Sheridan in the 2008 musical feature film Mamma Mia!. Other recent appearances include successful leading roles in Jennifer's Body (2009), Chloe (2010), Dear John (2010), Letters to Juliet (2010), and Red Riding Hood (2011)
Seyfried was born in Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania on December 3, 1985. Her mother, Ann (née Sander), is an occupational therapist, and her father, Jack, is a pharmacist. Seyfried has an older sister, Jennifer Seyfried, who is a musician in the Philadelphia organ-driven rock band Love City.She has German ancestry.Seyfried graduated in 2003 from Allentown's William Allen High School. 
During Seyfried's time modeling, she appeared in print ads for clothing companies including Limited Too with Leighton Meester.She stopped modeling when she was seventeen.Seyfried took voice lessons, studied opera, and trained with a Broadway coach while still a t! een. She began acting as an uncredited extra in the daytime drama television series Guiding Light. In 2000 until 2001, she portrayed the recurring character Lucy Montgomery on the television show As the World Turns.From 2002 to 2003, Seyfried played the recurring role of Joni Stafford on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) broadcasted show, All My Children 
In 2003, Seyfried auditioned to play the role of Regina George in Mean Girls; the role eventually went to Rachel McAdams. While she was initially considered to play the lead role of Cady Heron, played by Lindsay Lohan, the producers of the film decided that Seyfried should play Karen Smith, Regina's dim-witted "Plastic" friend and sidekick.The film was a box-office success, earning over $129 million in its theatrical run. Seyfried's performance in the! film earned her, along with Lohan, Chabert and McAdams, an MTV Movie Award in the category of "Best On-Screen Team".Seyfried auditioned to play the title character on UPN's television series Veronica Mars.The role eventually went to Kristen Bell, and Seyfried portrayed the title character's murdered best friend, Lilly Kane. Her character was only shown in flashbacks. The creator, Rob Thomas felt that Seyfried's portrayal as Lilly Kane was outstanding that he used her more times in the show than he initially planned in the first season. Seyfried appeared in ten episodes from 2004â€"2005. 
In 2005, Seyfried played the lead character, Samantha, a role written by director Rodrigo Garcia specifically for her, in one of the nine parts in the film Nine Lives, comprising nine short films with different themes and an ensemble cast.For her performance in the film, Seyfried, along with her film's other female leads, won an award from the Locarno International Film Festival, for Best Actress The same year she played supporting character Mou! se in the independent film, American Gun.In 2006 Seyfried appeared in five episodes on Wildfire as Rebecca and had lead role as Chrissy in the short film titled Gypsies, Tramps & Thieves, by writer-director Andrea Janakas. Seyfried also contributed a minor role as Julie Beckley in Alpha Dog. From 2004 to 2006, Seyfried made multiple guest appearances on television series, including House, M.D., Justice, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, American Dad! and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. 
Seyfried's profile gained prominence due to her role in the highly acclaimed HBO drama television series, Big Love. The series centers on a fictional fundamentalist Mormon family, in which Seyfried plays Sarah Henrickson, Bill and Barb's first daughter, who struggles with her family's polygamous faith.Big Love premiered in the United States on March 12, 2006. In December 2009, HBO confirmed that Seyfried would return for the show's f! ourth season, but that it would be her last, as Seyfried wished to focus on her film career and upcoming projects. Following Big Love, Seyfried had a supporting role as Zoe in the 2008 horror drama film Solstice, and she co-starred alongside Meryl Streep in Mamma Mia!, a romantic comedy film adaptation of the 1999 musical of the same name.Mamma Mia! was Seyfried's first leading role. The film was the fifth highest grossing film of 2008[16] and, as of March 2010, is the 49th highest grossing film of all time. Her musical performance in Mamma Mia! was released on the film's soundtrack, for which she recorded five songs. As part of promotion for both the film and its soundtrack, Seyfried recorded a music video of the song, entitled "Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)".
In March 2008, Seyfried was cast in the comedy horror film Jennifer's Body.In the film Seyfried was cast as Anita "Needy" Lesnicki, the title character's best friend. The film, which premiered at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival and was released to theaters on September 18, 2009, received mixed reviews from critics. The same year she was cast in the comedy-drama independent film Boogie Woogie. She played Paige Oppenheimer, one ! of the lead roles in the ensemble movie. The movie was originally shown on June 26, 2009 at Edinburgh International Film Festival and was officially show in US theaters April 25, 2010. On February 22, 2009, Seyfried presented an award and performed at the 2009 Annual 81st Academy Awards ceremony.In early March 2009, director Zack Snyder had tapped Seyfried to portray the lead role, Baby Doll, in Sucker Punch, but Seyfried had to drop out of the film due to scheduling conflicts with Big Love Seyfried starred alongside Channing Tatum in Dear John, the film adaptat
