‘She's just flawed': Amanda Seyfried opens up about her personal connection to complex role in ‘Long Bright River'
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Amanda Seyfried says the decision to play Mickey Fitzpatrick, a police officer in the new Peacock limited series Long Bright River, stemmed from a combination of personal and creative motivations.
"The way Mickey's written is somebody who's in flux. She's in a constant internal struggle because she's trying to get through her days and life keeps coming at her. She's just flawed. Her generational trauma has manifested in so many ways to try to keep her safe," Seyfried explains. "I want to portray that because I think it's realistic and necessary to talk about certain things that she's struggling with."
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The series, from showrunner Nikki Toscano based on the bestselling novel by Liz Moore, debuted all eight episodes on March 13. Set in Philadelphia, Long Bright River blends crime thriller with a deeply emotional family story. Seyfried's character, Mickey, is a beat cop who must track down a killer preying on vulnerable women while simultaneously searching for her estranged sister, Kacey, played by Ashleigh Cummings.
Amanda Seyfried and Nicholas Pinnock in Long Bright River (Photo: Peacock) - Credit: David Holloway/PEACOCK
David Holloway/PEACOCK
For Seyfried, the role resonated on multiple levels, particularly as a mother of two. "It shows somebody who's just got the world on her shoulders. And I think we all kind of feel that way. As moms specifically, I want to continue portraying moms because it's never easy. No matter how much help you have, there's always levels of distress or levels of discomfort or levels of chronic fear and frustration."
The setting also held personal meaning. 'I grew up near Philly. I felt like I had some kind of responsibility to portray somebody who cares about her neighborhood and her community because I love Philly,' she says. 'It's given me beautiful memories from childhood — the Franklin Institute and school trips to all the museums and parks. I've had some formative moments, incredible big moments of my adolescence in Philly.'
Although Long Bright River is built around a police investigation, Seyfried emphasizes the show goes far beyond procedural drama. "It's not a cop show at all. I mean, yes, I play a beat cop, that's how I make my money. But I'm a mom and I'm trying to keep my kid fed."
To prepare for the role, Seyfried joined real officers on a ride-along — an experience she describes as eye-opening and intense. 'I wore the bulletproof vest and I was behind the bulletproof glass but it's just unpredictable. I have so much respect for cops because they are putting their lives on the line and they're putting themselves in situations that can go from zero to 60 in a second.'
Amanda Seyfried and Ashleigh Cummings (Photo: Peacock) - Credit: David Holloway/PEACOCK
David Holloway/PEACOCK
Seyfried has steadily built a versatile career across film and television, beginning with breakout roles in Mean Girls and Big Love, and continuing with standout performances in Les Misérables, Mamma Mia!, and Mank. In 2022, she won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series for her portrayal of Elizabeth Holmes in Hulu's The Dropout, a role that also earned her a Golden Globe.
In addition to starring, Seyfried also serves as a producer on Long Bright River, which was helmed entirely by female directors—an experience she calls groundbreaking. 'This show is about a woman and her relationship with her sister. For us to all be steering it together was — it was the first of its kind for me. It was a sisterhood. Nobody was hired because of their gender. They were hired because they were the best people for the job and they happen to be women,' she says. 'I would work with all of them again in a heartbeat.'
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