Los Angeles, Jan 4 (NationPress) Hollywood actress Amanda Seyfried has devoted a significant amount of time to her role in ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’.

She revealed that she spent a full year preparing for her character in the film, according to reports from ‘Female First UK’.

The 40-year-old actress takes on the role of the titular spiritual leader in Mona Fastvold's movie and explained that she began her preparations well ahead of time, as she had only 34 days available for filming.

When asked if the short production schedule added pressure, Amanda responded to Collider, "It does, but with Mona Fastvold, she has a group of the finest craftsmen in their respective fields. Every department head is willing to drop everything for her, and they had also been working on this with me for a long time. We were engaged in this for a year before heading to Budapest.”

She added, “We had already conducted a workshop, shooting several scenes intended for the film in January before that, in Massachusetts. So yes, 34 days is quite tight, but knowing we had limited time and budget, we all collaborated on our days off from other projects to work on specific elements.”

As noted by ‘Female First UK’, the star of ‘The Housemaid’ reminisced about the numerous hours spent working alongside the crew to ensure she was adequately prepared for the filming.

Amanda explained, "For me, I was consistently practicing with Tanera Marshall on the Manchester accent, which was a big challenge. I was already friends with Celia Rowlson-Hall, so we worked together in a small studio upstate, right across from a donut shop. We would dedicate five-hour sessions daily, weekly, whenever we had free time. I was collaborating with Daniel Blumberg, the composer, a year in advance via FaceTime.”

“I believe my first studio session took place at a friend's studio in Brooklyn back in December of last year or the year before. So yes, the timeframe was short, but we all invested our energy and time in the year leading up to it because we understood that once we arrived, time would be limited. Hence, I felt somewhat prepared when we got to Budapest,” she added.

In the film, her character, Ann Lee, experiences the birth of four children, tragically losing them all. Amanda emphasized the importance of portraying these scenes authentically.

She stated, "You witness her losses in rapid succession. It was crucial for Mona and me to depict the birth scenes realistically, not only to honor Ann Lee but also to pay tribute to the countless individuals who have faced the heartbreak of losing children during childbirth and infancy. This is precisely what occurs, and it’s vital to convey the raw essence of delivery.”

“Such representations are rare, but it is necessary to delve deeply into those experiences to fully grasp the profound nature of her transformation into an otherworldly, second-coming-of-Jesus leader. Understanding her journey is essential,” she concluded.