Amanda Seyfried has revealed why she moved away from Hollywood.
In a recent interview with Forbes, the 38-year-old actor recalled how she first started looking for a new home 10 years ago. She noted that while she was living in New York City during her home search, she ultimately found a farm in the Catskills that was the perfect spot for her.
“I moved upstate long before I had a family. Staying here was the best decision for privacy, peace and nature. It offers a more balanced life than the city does,” she said, noting that the move was “essential for [her] mental health.”
The Mean Girls alum lives in upstate New York with her husband Thomas Sadoski, who she married in 2017, and their two children: Nina, seven, and Thomas, four.
Seyfried told Forbes that because her upstate house is a “peaceful place to call home,” it’s easier for her to acclimate to “the faster lifestyle of the city, the high-energy of press events and life on set,” which is required for her career.
She admitted that there was a “learning curve” to living on her farm at first, specifically because she had to take care of so many different animals. However, she still finds the experience “exhilarating” and said it gives her “so much purpose.”
According to Seyfriend, she decided to live in the Catskills region of New York because she wanted her children to learn about treating animals with kindness, supporting local farms, and being mindful of the produce they eat.
“I can see them learning what a responsibility and treat it is to care for pets, even at their young ages,” she explained. “I think all pets give us purpose. And because they do so much to enrich our lives, we are responsible for theirs – which includes managing their health and wellness.”
The A-lister acknowledged that when she leaves the small town and goes to star-studded events with her famous friends, it feels like a fun and brief vacation for her. “The next day I’ll be home and even happier in my boots in the mud feeding the animals,” she added.
In addition to their dog Finn, Seyfried and her family own multiple chickens, goats, and a donkey on their farm, according to the New York Times.
She previously shared how living on a farm has shaped her parenting techniques. During an interview with People last month, the Jennifer’s Body star said having farm animals makes it easier for her to discuss the topic of death with her children.
“What I’ve learned living on a farm is that I’ve been exposed to a lot of death, and it’s helped me shape my relationship with it,” she said. “And I am almost positive that my kids will have a healthier understanding and appreciation for life and death because of the farm.”
Seyfried emphasized that it’s important for her family to have these open conversations as Finn grows older.
“They know he’s an old man, and my daughter especially, she knows that things die, but you get a chunk of time with them, you respect them, you love them, you give them the best life they can have, and then they go, and you remember them,” she explained. “It’s just like it’s the most positive spin that you can have.”
