Amanda Michelle Seyfried was born December 3rd, 1985 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. She began modeling in her hometown at age eleven for Image International Agency, and eventually signed a modeling contract with Wilhelmina Models in New York.
She started her acting career in As the World Turns in the year 2000, and in 2002 moved on to another popular daytime drama, All My Children. She later tried out for the lead role on the UPN network's television series Veronica Mars (2004), but the role was given to Kristen Bell, while Amanda was offered the smaller part of Veronica's best friend Lilly Kane. Lilly was originally intended to be a minor character, but Amanda's portrayal was so popular that she was brought back for several more shows.
While her early success was on television, Amanda didn't limit herself to the small screen. In 2004 she played Karen Smith in Mean Girls (2004), then demonstrated that she could not only act, but also sing, in the lead role of Sophie in the movie production of the musical Mamma Mia! (2008).
Amanda Seyfried continues to play major roles in both television and films, including Sarah Hendrickson in the HBO hit series Big Love, and Needy in the horror flick Jennifer's Body. She has also done work as a voice actress for the 2010 film Marmaduke.
