It’s funny how the memory of a demonic teenage girl who feasts on human flesh can spark nostalgia. But that’s how it works with Amanda Seyfried and Adam Brody.
The stars of two of this season’s buzziest shows — the harrowing cop drama “Long Bright River” for Seyfried and the hit romantic comedy “Nobody Wants This” for Brody — met almost 20 years ago on the set of Karyn Kusama’s cult horror classic “Jennifer’s Body.” Seyfried played the nerdy and devout best friend of Jennifer, the aforementioned demon, played by Megan Fox, while Brody was cast as a douchey aspiring rock star who performs a satanic ritual meant to bring fame, and winds up creating a monster.
Considered a flop at the time, the film found new life and cross-generational fans in subsequent years. It also provided the perfect occasion for a reunion for the actors, who have even more in common than “Jennifer’s Body.” Seyfried bought Brody’s Hollywood home, and the two also shared a bedroom in “Lovelace,” the 2013 film about the trailblazing ’70s porn star Linda Lovelace. Here they reminisce about trying to get Harvey Weinstein’s attention for their early indies, parenting in show business and the overwhelming fame they gained as teens with “Mean Girls” and “The O.C.”
Amanda Seyfried: Did you play that video game “Guitar Hero” with us on [the set of “Jennifer’s Body”]?
Adam Brody: No. But I think you had a rental car, and we drove to a beach.
Seyfried: Yep. We got high.
Brody: I don’t remember that. I was too high to remember that.
Seyfried: I don’t know if I could do pot again. I think I’m allergic to it. I had some bad experiences. But I remember that being the most peaceful. That was probably the last time. I might have also gotten stoned with you at your house that I now own.
Brody: What a host.
Seyfried: You have an effect on people. Look at what’s happening: You’re in a hit show, and people are gasping, “Adam Brody.”
Brody: I don’t think it’s pot-related.
Seyfried: It’s just that you make people feel at ease.
Brody: I really appreciate that. I’m pretty attuned to people’s discomfort.
Seyfried: Everybody watched “Nobody Wants This.” But with our shows, we’re talking about opposites when it comes to genre and tone.
Brody: Yours is sad and dreary. And you’re in almost every frame. Was it a lot of heavy lifting?
Seyfried: It was the first time I had been away from my kids five days a week. Our days were so long, I’d stay in the city and then I’d go home on the weekends. That was a lot of “I’m here for you, kids. If I end up taking a nap accidentally, you can cuddle with me.”
Brody: You were a producer on this as well. What did that mean?
Seyfried: I was the kind of producer whose agent just negotiated a credit. But I did have the leadership role on set. I was No. 1 on the call sheet, which was nice because you set the tone. If you’re a No. 2 or 3 and you have an asshole No. 1? The show can just be [awful].
Brody: I haven’t been a lead on a series in a while, and I enjoy saying, “OK, we’re all going to be here for a minute. This is the family; let’s get into a groove.”
Seyfried: My friend Katherine Pope, who works with Liz Meriwether and produced “The Dropout,” sent me this beautiful book, “Long Bright River.” I thought, “OK, I’m ready for this.” The strike had just ended.
What about you?
Brody: Kristen Bell and I are connected in a few ways. I heard through the grapevine she was doing this and was really recommending me for it. I knew I had a job at the other end of the strikes, and it did afford me some time do research.
Seyfried: The show was originally called “Shiksa.”
Brody: It was.
Seyfried: That’s a genius title. We need romance.
Brody: That’s something that I love doing. It doesn’t come your way that often, and if it does, it’s not good. They make [fewer romances] now. Romance and comedy are a pure dopamine hit and were sorely needed in 2024. They’re going to be sorely needed in ’25.
In terms of the interfaith relationship, I think it’s been relatable. So many people have come up to me and said, “My wife is a shiksa.” We’re a great stand-in for any differences between two people, philosophical or cultural. When you merge two individuals, growth and compromise is what you have to navigate.
Seyfried: And it’s about what your families want. It’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
Brody: On “Long Bright River,” the kid who plays your son is so good. We’re parents of similar-age kids, and I haven’t portrayed a parent yet. Had you done that before?
Seyfried: As soon as the people of Hollywood understood that I popped something out of my body, they’re like, “You’re a mom now.” And it comes with a lot of benefits. The roles are richer. Are you more collaborative now that you’re in the second season of “Nobody Wants This”? Are you bringing your own ideas?
Brody: It’s a very collaborative set, but I would say the first season was so in flux that we were finding the show together. Now we know what we’re doing, so the die is cast and there’s a little less to discuss.
Seyfried: Remember when you played an iconic teenage character on “The O.C.”?
Peggy Sirota for Variety
Brody: In my 20s. You were younger when you did “Mean Girls,” right?
Seyfried: I was 17, the perfect age for that. Except my mom had to live with me.
Brody: I was that Steve Buscemi meme of the old man saying, “Hello, fellow kids.”
Seyfried: You weren’t that old. Are you kidding? The people from “90210” were in their 30s.
Brody: Have you rewatched “Mean Girls”?
Seyfried: No. It’s on often enough though. I love it. I really love seeing my face on people’s T-shirts. I’m a little resentful because Paramount still owes me some money for the likeness. Every store sells “Mean Girls” T-shirts with our faces. Don’t I [get something from that]? Even the girl at TSA tells me it’s her favorite movie. Oh my God, remember when we did “Lovelace,” and I gave you a blow job?
Brody: An iconic blow job. The deep throat — the titular deep throat. How do you feel about that movie now?
Seyfried: I had a great experience. It was a move towards attracting a level of respect for skill as opposed to … I didn’t care about the reception as much as just changing the idea people had of me in the business. It’s just so easy to get pigeonholed.
Brody: I remember Harvey Weinstein bought it.
Seyfried: I had heard a few rumors about him, but not to the extent that it became. I invited him to the screening [at Sundance]. He showed up and said, “I bought it,” and I gave him the biggest hug. The whole room was buzzing. He was the big papa of the room — we all needed him to want our project if it was an indie, because that meant it was going to go somewhere.
So 2003 was the year I graduated and did “Mean Girls,” and the year you started “The O.C.” We both had these pivotal career moments, and you became a pop star overnight. I can’t imagine that was easy.
Brody: It was. We were in a bubble. It was pre-social media. I can’t imagine it now. Now it seems like an incredible responsibility, where you could fuck your whole life up in one second. I’m really impressed with some of these kids who have this awesome responsibility of huge platforms, and some of them are brave and do what’s right.
Seyfried: I think doing what’s right is just hiding in a bunker.
We’re making another [“Jennifer’s Body”]. Are you going to do it?
Brody: I heard. I wasn’t contacted. I died [in the first one].
Seyfried: So did Megan Fox, and I’m not doing it without her.
