‘The Dropout’ Star Amanda Seyfried On How Her Directors Made Her Feel “Really Safe” – Contenders TV: The Nominees
deadline.comThe Dropout directors Michael Showalter and Francesca Gregorini zeroed in on a number of small details to help Amanda Seyfried prepare for her role as disgraced Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in the Hulu miniseries.Before the cameras rolled, the two sat down with Seyfried to discuss blocking and how they planned to tell a “cohesive” story on Holmes’ life — from childhood to her criminal trial for defrauding investors.Contenders TV: The Nominees — Deadline’s Complete CoverageDuring a Contenders Television: The Nominees award-season panel, Showalter and Gregorini recalled meeting with Seyfried to share their vision for the series.“We just talked for like three hours, maybe even more, in general terms about the character and the story, and in a very sort of like, ‘Who is she?
What do we think as individuals? What are our individual feelings about it,'” said Showalter, who is also an executive producer on the Emmy-nominated series.Based on a podcast, The Dropout depicts Holmes pitching a revolutionary method to test blood that relied on a single drop from a thumb prick.
The invention never worked, leading to a federal investigation and criminal trial.Showalter directed four episodes of the eight-part Hulu series.
Gregorini and Erica Watson each helmed two parts.Gregorini was responsible for Episodes 5 and 6 and said the show’s lead actress did her homework and didn’t need much guidance.“Amanda is such a consummate actor and it was such a pleasure to work with her,” said Gregorini. “She had definitely homed in on that character.
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