As a successful actress known for roles in hit films like Mamma Mia! and Mean Girls, Amanda Seyfried has lived the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. But a few years ago, the 38-year-old made a bold decision—she traded Tinseltown for a quieter life on a farm in Upstate New York. And according to Seyfried, it’s been the “best decision” she’s ever made.
“I moved upstate long before I had a family,” Seyfried recently told Forbes. “Staying here was the best decision for privacy, peace, and nature. It offers a more balanced life than the city does.” The actress added that the change of pace has been “essential” for her mental health.
While Seyfried still loves her acting career, the farm life has provided her with a much-needed escape from the “faster lifestyle of the city, the high energy of press events, and life on set.” Now, when she heads back to the city for work, she sees it as a fun getaway, knowing “the next day I’ll be home and even happier in my boots in the mud feeding the animals.”
Seyfried’s farm in the Catskills region is home to a variety of animals, including horses, chickens, cats, goats, donkeys, and ducks—not to mention her 15-year-old dog, Finn. And although there was a “learning curve” at first, Seyfried says caring for the animals has been the “most exhilarating” experience, giving her “so much purpose.”
The move has also allowed Seyfried to find a healthier work-life balance. Director Paul Feig’s adaptation of The Housemaid will feature the actress next, and she told Forbes that her rural retreat allows her to “acclimate to the faster lifestyle of the city” while working.
It’s a change of pace that other A-list celebrities have also sought out. Recently, Jason Segel shared that he moved from Los Angeles to Ojai, California, because he “realized that art is supposed to be a reflection of what you’re going through, and I actually wasn’t going through much life-wise.”
The star of How I Met Your Mother continued, “I moved to a little country town, and I started to ask myself questions like, ‘What do you actually like?'” What are you actually thinking about right now? Who do you aspire to be as a performer and artist?
For Seyfried, her farm in Upstate New York has provided the perfect canvas for those kinds of reflections. And now, as a mom of two, she’s thrilled to be able to give her children, Nina (7) and Thomas (4), the opportunity to grow up in a more natural, peaceful environment.
“I can see them learning what a responsibility and treatment it is to care for pets, even at their young ages,” Seyfried says. “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.”
While the bright lights of Hollywood may have once been alluring, Seyfried has found true happiness in the simple country life. And for anyone struggling to find that elusive work-life balance, her story is a powerful reminder that sometimes the best decision is the one that allows you to slow down, reconnect with nature, and prioritize your mental health.