Amanda Seyfried names the films she regrets most
(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)
In Hollywood they advise never to work with animals or children. If the cast of the 2012 film were forced to come up with a third example of industry failure, Les Miserables, without hesitation, I would offer to sing live. Director Tom Hooper decided to bring some emotional realism to the musical and do away with the lip-syncing to the pre-recorded, polished tracks that made audiences terrified of Hugh Jackman’s vocals. While female leads Anne Hathaway and Amanda Seyfried performed better, most concluded that Hooper’s live-singing venture was a mistake and meant that the emotional story of poverty, morality and redemption was undermined by awkward musical interludes that were rather funny , than sharp.
Critics responded favorably to Seyfried, who played Cosette, the adopted daughter of Jean Valjean (Jackman). She was in a good position, considering that she had previously acted in and sung in Mamma Mia. She probably had some of the heaviest material, and if not the heaviest, then definitely the highest notes. Seyfried reflected on the role during an appearance on Diversity “Actors about Actors” and directly came to the conclusion that he was “very weak.”
“I had a lot of moments where I just felt complete regret,” she admitted. “I wish I could redo Les Miserables entirely because of the live singing aspect; “I still have nightmares about it.” While Seyfried criticized her voice more than Hooper’s artistic choices, it clearly left her ensemble cast exceptionally vulnerable. To some extent it achieved its goals.
Tent Hooper NPR that the story, based on Victor Hugo’s 1862 novel, is about “the suffering of real people.” Audiences around the world have seen it brought to life in song since 1985, and it remains the second longest-running musical in the world. Taking a cue from the previous theatrical adaptation, Hooper felt that allowing the actors to perform live would give them a certain amount of power on set.
“If you sing to music, you have given up one of the most powerful means of actor communication—control of time and the world,” he reasoned. “It’s not conducive to getting into a raw, emotional place.” When Seyfried was getting into that emotional place, she relied on Jackman, who she said gave her the confidence to sing on set.
“I just remember (Jackman) being so warm and he knew I was suffering and just felt like he was there for me,” she said. “When you trust your partner like that, even if you feel like crap, something real happens and I can talk the talk.”
Although the singing element was terrible, this did not deter Seyfried from similar roles. In fact, she is more ready for them than ever. “Ever since Les Mis, I’ve been working hard on strengthening my voice and having some stamina, working on my vibrato, which was completely lost,” she said.
Adding: “From a technical point of view, I was very unhappy with my singing.”
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