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In what might have been her costliest career call yet, Amanda Seyfried revealed she turned down a chance to play Gamora on Guardians of the Galaxy fearing it would ruin her acting career. The actress has been open about her decision to turn down the role of Gamora in the Marvel movie after receiving the offer years back. She recently went into detail about her major career decision, explaining why she made it and how she felt about her choices over a decade later.
Appearing on Josh Horowitz’s podcast Happy, Sad, Confused this week, Amanda Seyfried went candid about her near-brush with Marvel stardom on Guardians of the Galaxy. She recalled meeting with GOTG director James Gunn, describing him and the experience as “wonderful.” Seyfriend admitted to milling over the offer for a couple of days after receiving it, before finally settling on a decision.
Why Seyfried Turned Down Marvel Role
Explaining her reasoning behind declining the role of Gamora on Guardians of the Galaxy, Amanda Seyfried admitted she dreaded the idea of “being stuck and painted a different color.” She revealed that her trainer at the time had worked with actors in X-Men movies, making her aware of the amount of time and effort such a makeover required.
Another reason that influenced her decision was the movie’s filming location, England. Seyfriend admitted she did not want to spend “six months out of the year” living in London. Hence, she favored a seemingly less demanding movie, Seth MacFarlane’s A Million Ways to Die In the West, filmed primarily in Santa Fe and Jemez Pueblo, both in New Mexico. She added,
“But let’s also remember being a part of Marvel movie, the first Marvel movie that bombs, ain’t good for your career. I thought that because this was about a talking tree and a talking racoon, it was going to be Marvel’s first bomb and that Chris Pratt and I would never work again. It was wrong.”
She attributed her fear of career ruin to being at a precarious moment in her career, making her unwilling to “suffer for the work.” Despite realizing now how wrong she was about the movies’ prospects, Amanda Seyfried admitted she had no regrets about any of her decisions, knowing she made them in her best interest, making them good for her at the time. She went on to praise Zoe Saldana’s portrayal of Gimora, as well as other actors in the Marvel trilogy.
Amanda Seyfried’s Admission Sparks Zoe Saldana Comparison
Fans have since reacted to Seyfield’s candid revelation with shock and disbelief. Many pointed out that Seyfield’s decision to turn down the part was definitely the best one, as no one could have played Gamora better than Zoe Saldana. These opinions quickly morphed into a heated comparison between the two talented actresses, in their capacity as the fictional character, Gimora. One Redditor wrote,
“No offense to her because I think sheโs a great actress but she would not have suited Gamora anyway.”
A second shared,
“She could have been good, she’s got that wide-eyed alien look to her. But I think considering the physicality of the role Saldana was ultimately a better choice.”
A third Reddit user chimed in,
“Zoe was a much better casting. So, Iโm glad she got the role (no offense to any Amanda fans out there).”
I don’t see her as Gamora at all. I kind of assumed she’d be Mantis with her kind of spacey/ditzy persona she sometimes plays,” wrote a fourth.
Some netizens launched direct verbal attacks on Amanda Seyfried, slamming the actress for turning down the career-defining opportunity. While some believed the decision only proved her “stupid” lacking “foresight,” and “not tough enough” others questioned her ability to make the right choices, also insisting GOTG would have flopped if she had been on it with such poor judgment. One such comment read,
“So not only does she sing like a bird that swallowed a vibrator, she has bad taste. Got it.”
Another fired,
“The craziest part of this is looking at every job she has accepted since thenโฆ she might need to get her gut checked.”
The first installment of the GOTG premiered on August 1, 2014, in the United States, quickly garnering an impressive audience. While the major stars of the MCU film have skyrocketed to superstardom in the last decade, Amanda Seyfried has also done well for herself in her Hollywood sojourn. Since 2014, the 39-year-old has snagged notable roles in movies like Ted 2, A Million Ways to Die in the West, First Reformed, Mank, and 2022’s The Dropout which earned her a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy Award. She also earned a spot on Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World that same year. Surley a different path than what she would have encountered with GOTG under her belt, but a successful one nonetheless.
