Amanda Seyfried debunks rumours Joni Mitchell cover was biopic audition

Amanda Seyfried doesn’t want the role in Cameron Crowe’s forthcoming Joni Mitchell biopic, even after her cover of a verse from the singer’s 1971 classic California on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon.

During her recent appearance on the show, Seyfried delivered a heartfelt rendition of Mitchell’s classic, not only nailing the iconic high notes but also accompanying herself on the dulcimer. 

Fans immediately began rallying for her to be cast as a young Mitchell in Crowe’s upcoming biopic, convinced that her performance was more than just a musical moment.

But Seyfried is setting the record straight.

“It was not an audition,” she said on the Just for Variety podcast. “In fact, I didn’t even consider that, which is funny. What I know about that project is that I’m very, very much aged-out of [playing] young Joni.”

While her Tonight Show cover may not have been a strategic career move, Seyfried has plenty on her plate. 

She’s currently starring in Long Bright River, Peacock’s upcoming adaptation of Liz Moore’s bestselling novel. 

Seyfried plays Mickey Fitzpatrick, a cop navigating the tough streets of Philadelphia’s Kensington neighborhood, where a serial killer is targeting sex workers. When Mickey’s own sister, Casey (Ashleigh Cummings), disappears, the case becomes deeply personal.

Joni Mitchell biopic or not, Seyfried continues to prove she can take on just about anything—whether it’s a haunting crime drama or an impromptu dulcimer performance on late-night TV.