Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club

Episode: The Housemaid’s Amanda Seyfried and Paul Feig on Her Most Unhinged Role Yet

Date: December 16, 2025
Host: Danielle Robay
Guests: Amanda Seyfried (actor), Paul Feig (director)

Overview

In this lively episode of Bookmarked by Reese’s Book Club, host Danielle Robay sits down with acclaimed actress Amanda Seyfried and director Paul Feig to discuss their collaboration on the film adaptation of The Housemaid by Freida McFadden. The episode explores Seyfried’s portrayal of Nina—her most psychologically complex and "unhinged" role yet—and the creative challenges of bringing a tightly-wound psychological thriller from page to screen. The trio delves deep into acting instincts, adaptation choices, and the tension at the heart of this beloved book and its upcoming film.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Earliest Reading Memories (06:05)

• Paul Feig recalls struggling as a child reader, eventually finding joy in Winnie the Pooh:

  “I just devoured it…The whole family was relieved, like, oh, he actually can read.” (06:10)

• Amanda Seyfried shares that thrillers unlocked her love of books:

  “I never liked to read until I was maybe 10... there were these Lois Duncan books ... thrillers that made me feel really empowered.” (06:20)

2. Approaching the Book and Film Adaptation

• Paul Feig insists the team stayed close to the source material, using the book as a reference throughout:

  “I always kept it with me… I really wanted to stay very true to the book because it’s so good... We added an extra—you know, we extended the ending past the book.” (07:30)

• Amanda Seyfried emphasizes the importance of author Freida McFadden’s support:

  “Everything that we did, we felt empowered by because, you know, we had her blessing.” (07:55)

3. Casting and Character Complexity (08:51–10:12)

• Amanda describes Nina as her most challenging and “fun” role yet:

  “Right off the bat, the character that I’m asked to play is so vastly different than anything I’ve ever been asked to play... It is the most fun role I’ve ever played.” (09:10–09:34)

• On playing a character “playing someone else,” she notes the rarity and thrill:

  “You’re playing somebody who's playing somebody, and that doesn't happen often... I got to explore rage in a way that I never have. Very therapeutic.” (09:37)

4. Directing and Mapping Unpredictability (10:12–11:32)

• Amanda and Paul mapped out Nina’s emotional “crumbs” to balance instability and empathy.

  Amanda: “It was very delicate... to figure out scene to scene how far I’d go without losing her completely.” (10:12) Paul: “If Nina just turns and is terrible the whole time, it becomes one dimensional... it had to be this weird push and pull.” (10:45–10:55)

• Inspirations: Amanda states she didn’t channel other characters, but instead her own discomfort around unpredictable people:

  “It was really, really fun and interesting to channel what I fear most... It was just cathartic. Mostly therapeutic.” (12:01–12:37)

5. Perspective on Character Immersion and Authenticity (12:42–14:13)

• Amanda Seyfried’s acting philosophy:

  “You have to accept that you are in every character, whether you're in it 10% or 90%. You have to be present... I like myself and I want to always return to myself. So I choose to just make sure I'm grounding it as much as possible.” (04:36 & 13:40)

6. Adapting the Book’s Tension for Film (19:43–22:19)

• Paul Feig discusses translating the book’s explosive first line to the screen and the importance of “seducing” the viewer rather than starting with a shock:

  “We realized we were taking too much away from them… So it was better to lose that [shock opener]. You want to seduce people in.” (19:59)

• On using voiceover (VO):

  “This movie, it was so important to have it because… the first hour is all questions, and the second hour is all answers… Amanda did it in one take.” (22:00)

• Amanda on that process:

  “I don’t care if it works... If I know the character, it’s probably fine.” (22:56)

7. Favorite Scenes and Moments (24:20)

• Paul Feig highlights his favorite moment:

  “When Andrew confronts Nina after the stolen car and then throws her out of the house... that slow walk down the stairs... Amanda plays it so fantastic. Just a meal. Oh, it’s like a feast.” (24:20–25:16)

• Amanda on on-set energy:

  “It feels good for everybody… you weren’t really sure what was going to happen, and then you’re like, oh, my God, I think we found it.” (25:52)

8. Portraying Desperation, Empathy, and Human Motivation (26:40)

• Amanda talks about connecting to aspects of Nina’s desperation, even if her circumstances are foreign:

  “When I get a character … I think I relate to the fact that she’s just had enough and she has to play one last part ... You can find empathy for every single character in every movie. And as an actor, you have to find that.” (26:54–28:18)

• Paul Feig on giving even villains inner logic:

  “All men mean well. ... The worst villain in the world has some reason they think they’re doing the right… It’s not an excuse, but you go, okay, at least there’s an inner logic.” (28:18)

9. Centering Women's Stories and Flipping Expectations (29:12–31:13)

• Paul Feig on why men's roles are minimized:

  “I just love telling women’s stories. ... What’s brilliant about this book is she makes you, and by extension us, root for everything you should not be rooting for.” (30:14–31:00)

• The “fun” and catharsis come in the story’s twist and retribution:

  “The fun is the retribution and the payback ... we get to just go crazy with it.” (31:13–32:01)

10. Motherhood, Performance, and the Myth of Perfection (36:56–39:24)

• Host Danielle asks how Amanda connected her own motherhood to the performance of a “good mother.”
• Amanda Seyfried on the duality and performance of maternal perfectionism:

  “She doesn't seem like a great mother at first… The frenzied, like, everything must be right… You can tell she’s worn out… because she has to maintain this house and this perfectionist look for her husband so she doesn’t get abused. ... I can relate to feeling like you have to kind of do everything and make sure the home fires are burning and that it's just too much for one person.” (37:55–39:24)

11. Bookmarked: What’s Inspiring Them This Week (39:25)

• Paul Feig is obsessing over dog training tips for his new puppy.
• Amanda Seyfried reads her favorite passage from The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (40:26–41:31), closing with:

  “...it is a glory and a privilege to love what death doesn’t touch. That’s the last page of The Goldfinch. ... Every time I read it, just like any Mary Oliver poem... brings me back around.” (40:48–41:31)

Notable Quotes

• Amanda Seyfried on channeling fear as inspiration:

  “It was really, really fun and interesting to channel what I fear most... to try to find the scariest pieces of that and portray them. It was just cathartic. Mostly therapeutic.” (12:01)

• Paul Feig on adaptation choices:

  “You want to seduce people in. Sometimes a book... needs a lot of help from us as screenwriters and actors and directors, and other ones just kind of sort themselves out. The Housemaid really told us, let’s play this almost linear... for the first hour, because then we know we’re going to do this switch back.” (19:59)

• Amanda Seyfried on acting philosophy:

  “I like myself and I want to always return to myself. So I choose to just make sure I'm grounding it as much as possible.” (04:36/13:40)

• Amanda Seyfried (quoting The Goldfinch):

  “...it is a glory and a privilege to love what death doesn’t touch.” (40:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Intro & Main Theme: 03:35–04:36
• Earliest Reading Memories: 06:05–07:10
• Adapting The Housemaid: 07:30–08:51
• Character Challenges for Amanda: 09:04–09:34
• Discussing Nina’s Complexity: 10:12–11:32
• Channeling Personal Fears for Character: 12:01–12:37
• Seyfried’s Acting Approach: 04:36/13:40
• Translating Tension from Book to Screen: 19:43–22:19
• Favorite Scene Analysis: 24:20–25:16
• Empathy and Motivation: 26:40–28:18
• Women’s Stories & Subverting Tropes: 29:12–31:13
• Motherhood & Role Performance: 36:56–39:24
• What They’ve Bookmarked: 39:25–41:31

Memorable Moments

• Amanda’s Confession: Seyfried never read The Housemaid book before getting the script, surprising even herself as a voracious thriller listener. (08:22)
• One Take Wonder: Amanda’s voiceover, recorded as a temp track in a motel, makes it into the final film unaltered. Paul Feig and the crew were floored. (22:00–22:19)
• Amanda Quotes The Goldfinch: Her “bookmarked” reading closes the episode on a poignant, existential note about love, transience, and the privilege of being alive. (40:26–41:36)

Final Thoughts

This episode brings listeners inside the creative process behind one of the season’s most anticipated book-to-film adaptations. Amanda Seyfried and Paul Feig unpack the emotional and technical demands of twisting a psychological thriller into cinematic gold, all while emphasizing authenticity, empathy, and the power of women-centered storytelling. Their candor, vulnerability, and humor ensure this conversation will satisfy both literary and cinephile fans alike.