The Dropout: Amanda Seyfried explains why she did not meet with real-life Elizabeth Holmes ahead of role

‘Mean Girls’ star plays the disgraced entrepreneur in new Disney Plus series

Amanda Seyfried has shed some light on why she did not meet with disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes before playing her in The Dropout.

The recently released series stars Seyfried as biotechnology entrepreneur Holmes.

In January 2022, Holmes was found guilty on three counts of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud by misleading investors. The 38-year-old currently awaits sentencing.

According to Hulu, “the series will explore what caused the world’s youngest self-made female billionaire, once heralded as ‘the next Steve Jobs,’ to lose everything in the blink of an eye”.

Seyfried opened up about her role during a recent appearance on Good Morning America.

“I was never too concerned with us being on the wrong path because of all the research and [show creator] Liz Meriwether at the helm,” she said.

“This is our version of the story, and then real life is happening,” Seyfried continued. “And you’re like – you want to be involved but you don’t want to be too involved because you want to be able to serve the story.”

The actor – who received her first Oscar nomination last year for her role in Mank – added that she was excited to play a real person “who exists”.

(REUTERS)

“Being able to absorb the footage and mimic somebody and try to embody somebody that actually... there’s a template out there, is very exciting,” she said.

Seyfried concluded: “I hate to say that because it’s a real person with real consequences and a real life – and I wish her well – I just, as an actor, very specifically, it was thrilling.”

You can find an extensive rundown on what is fact and what is fiction in The Dropout here.

The first three episodes of The Dropout are available to watch on Disney Plus on Friday (4 March). The next episode will arrive on Thursday 10 March.