In a heartfelt revelation, Amanda Seyfried has opened up about the profound impact her rescue dog, Finn, has had on her life. The Mamma Mia! star, in a candid interview with PEOPLE, shared how the Australian shepherd became an essential anchor during her tumultuous years navigating Hollywood.
“Pets give us purpose,” Seyfried began, reflecting on the depth of their relationship. “No matter what we say, we can’t deny the fact that we need purpose.” For Seyfried, the responsibility of caring for an animal became a guiding force, especially one as loyal and dependent as Finn. “To have that responsibility of taking care of animals, who don’t have a voice and can’t really do much for themselves, it gives you so much more than we could ever give them.”
At 38, the actress is reflective about the crucial role Finn played in shaping her adult life. “I don’t know what my twenties would’ve looked like without Finn,” she admitted. “I really don’t know how I would’ve navigated Hollywood. I think I stayed out of a lot of trouble because I had that guy to come home to.”
Seyfried first adopted Finn, now 15, while working on the set of the HBO series Big Love. At the time, she hadn’t anticipated the bond that would form. In fact, she initially thought her responsibility would be temporary. “I took him home thinking I was going to find a new home for him and have him for just a couple of weeks,” Seyfried shared. “But I fell in love with him right away.”
In a 2019 interview, Seyfried reflected on the transformative effect Finn had on her life. “As soon as he was mine—just 24 hours later—I realized that something in me needed him,” she revealed. The Mean Girls star spoke of how Finn helped her discover inner peace and self-reliance. “He completely changed my life and helped me find my solitude and my independence.”
The connection between Seyfried and Finn transcends the typical pet-owner relationship. “I was just like, ‘I’m going to keep him safe,’ but he ended up keeping me safe,” she explained, referencing how Finn provided emotional support during her struggles with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder. “My twenties were hard, like anybody’s twenties are hard, but he grounded me in a way nothing else could.”
Amanda Seyfried’s bond with Finn is a testament to the life-altering power of unconditional love from a loyal companion.