Amanda Seyfried learnt to play entire 'Blue' album on piano, guitar during Covid-19 pandemic
Los Angeles, June 15
Hollywood actress Amanda Seyfried has shared that the viral cover of Joni Mitchell's "California" on "The Tonight Show" wasn't born out of coincidence.
The Oscar-nominated actress was once attached to play the singer-songwriter in a biopic, reports 'Variety'.
The actress recently revealed that she learned to play Mitchell's 'Blue' album on dulcimer, piano and guitar during the Covid-19 pandemic in preparation for a biopic.
She told 'GQ', "It was a movie about her and (manager) Elliot Roberts. Then he died, but not before I met him".
She met Mitchell, too, who invited Seyfried to her Los Angeles home for a steak dinner. The two ended up listening to "Blue" together.
She further mentioned, "I sat on the floor petting one of the dogs. She told me a lot of stories. She's like, 'We'll put on the album and light a fire'. After we listened to the album, she's like, 'It's sparse, isn't it?'" The actress responded, "It's perfect".
As per 'Variety', the actress also learned the Mitchell classics 'Both Sides Now' and 'The Circle Game', but the project didn't end up working out. Still, Seyfried is proud of the musical accomplishment.
She shared, "The day that I finished learning the last song on the album, '(The Last Time I Saw) Richard', I fucking wept. I felt like a bona fide musician, like I belong here. I felt like I had put my own flag on the top of the mountain. Because it was a fucking mountain, I tell you".
'Almost Famous' helmer Cameron Crowe is now directing a different Mitchell biopic, reportedly set to star Anya Taylor-Joy and Meryl Streep as younger and older versions of the singer.
— IANS
Reader Comments
While I appreciate the effort, I can't help but feel sad that the biopic didn't work out. These Hollywood projects have so much uncertainty - actors spend months preparing and then it all falls through. At least she got a beautiful memory out of it. Joni Mitchell inviting her home for steak dinner is so wholesome though! 😊
As someone who loves music and movies, this is the kind of behind-the-scenes story I live for! Her crying after finishing 'Richard' shows how much this album means to her. Joni Mitchell's 'Both Sides Now' is my all-time favourite - can't imagine learning it on three instruments! 🙌
I get why people are excited about this, but is learning an album on multiple instruments really that newsworthy? Many musicians do this anyway. Still, good for her - it's nice to see actors genuinely committing to their craft rather than phoning it in. The dinner with Joni Mitchell part is the real highlight here. 🎵
Yaar, this is so heartwarming! Imagine being invited to Joni Mitchell's house, having dinner, and just sitting on the floor petting her dog while listening to 'Blue' together. That's a memory money can't buy. And then she learned all those songs! 😭💙 Cameron Crowe's version with Anya Taylor-Joy sounds exciting too!
I'm a bit conflicted. On one hand, this is a lovely story about artistic passion. On the other, doesn't it feel like we're getting multiple
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.