Why Amanda Seyfriend Left Hollywood for a New York Farm

Amanda Seyfried Taylor Hill/WireImage

Amanda Seyfried might be a Hollywood star — but she finds her peace away from the limelight.

In a new interview with Forbes magazine published November 3, the Mamma Mia star discussed her upstate New York farm, and her love for creatures big and small.

The 38-year-old actress lived in Los Angeles and New York City previously, before eventually settling upstate. On her “peaceful” farm, the actress resides with her two kids, and her husband Thomas Sadoski.

“I moved upstate long before I had a family,” said Seyfriend. “Staying here was the best decision for privacy, peace and nature. It offers a more balanced life than the city does.”

Seyfried added that her choice to live there has been “essential for my mental health.”

The Mean Girls actress said that having a “peaceful place to call home,” means that she “acclimates to the faster lifestyle of the city, the high-energy of press events and life on-set.”

She said that after a big trip, “The next day I’ll be home and even happier in my boots in the mud feeding the animals.”

Seyfried explained that on the farm, she and her family take care of animals, grow their own vegetables and stay connected with nature.

In fact, she’s also seen in her community as someone who will help animals in need.

“I’m locally known as somebody who will take the emergency situation and adopt an animal in need,” Seyfriend exclusively told Us Weekly in October. It’s been great. And honestly, I’ve been able to do it. I have the means to do it. So I love it.”

She added that she appreciates the lessons that her children learn through caring for animals and nature.

“I can see them learning what a responsibility and treat it is to care for pets, even at their young ages,” she said. “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.”

Seyfried also has a dog named Finn, who has been a part of her life for 15 years.

“Having Finn to come home to when I was in my 20s in Hollywood helped keep me grounded,” Seyfried told Forbes. “My pets truly keep me balanced.”

She told Us Weekly that her childhood influenced her love for the outdoors.

“I grew up in a postage stamp backyard in suburban Pennsylvania. I always wanted space,” she told Us back in October. “So when I was in my early 20s, I went to look for it, and the space I got, the property had horses on it, so I inherited those horses. And then from then on, I just started growing with goats and everybody [sic] that I wanted was available to me.”