The Dropout — Hulu's limited series about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, who was convicted of criminal fraud earlier this year — is one of the best things on TV right now.
If you're already hooked, you know that Amanda Seyfried turns in an incredible performance as Holmes.
And if you've gotten far enough in the series, you've heard the "voice" that Seyfried uses to recreate Holmes' allegedly fake tone she spoke in during public appearances.
It's possible that you've even found yourself saying, "How the heck did she end up nailing down that voice?"
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Seyfried revealed just how she nailed down that deep, weird tone she speaks in — while acknowledging that the "voice" is always a hot topic.
"People are always talking about the voice,” she said regarding Holmes' distinctive characteristics. “It’s the first thing people mentioned."
Seyfried explained that she studied deposition tapes that also appeared in the 2019 documentary The Dropout to get Holmes' "voice" just right.
“The thing that really helped with the voice and how that evolved for me was the deposition, because it was so many hours, and I could just play it on loop," she said.
The voice wreaked a bit of havoc on Seyfried's personal life, too, giving her a sore throat as filming progressed. "I’d be like: This can’t happen. Like, this is freaking me out. Am I going to be able to do this for weeks?”
“I still sometimes talk like her. It’s hard to shake.”
But Seyfried maintains that the work — and the aftereffects — was worth it to portray Holmes accurately. "[T]he voice is number one," she said. "The voice is the foundation. If you don’t [get it right], it’s like you’re missing the whole thing.”
