Allentown's Amanda Seyfried reflects on Lehigh Valley upbringing, celebrates first Oscar nod

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The 93rd Academy Awards are this Sunday and we're shining a light on our local stars going for Hollywood gold.

This marks the first Oscar nomination for Allentown native Amanda Seyfried. She's up for Best Supporting Actress for her role in "Mank."

She calls this moment a turning point in her career and her confidence.

"It was a shock," Seyfried said. "It was a beautiful moment when I found out and I feel like I'm kind of living in it a little bit."

From "Mean Girls" to "Mama Mia," Seyfried has been in more than 60 television series and movies.

Twenty years into her career, she's earned her first Oscar nod for her role as Marion Davies.

"This just felt like a bonus, a massive bonus that I wasn't looking for," she said. "I wasn't expecting it, but I'm freely welcoming that in."

Seyfried is now a married mother of two living on a farm in the Catskills.

"The thinking was that I was always going to go back to nature," she said. "I grew up in the suburbs."

Those suburbs are in Allentown, where she says the support was strong.

"That grounds you, and makes you feel like anything is possible," Seyfried said. "Also, my expectations weren't that high. I just knew what I wanted to do. Nobody in Allentown ever made me feel like it wasn't possible."

For Oscar Sunday, Seyfried and her family will travel from upstate New York to Los Angeles for the big night.

"For me, moments like this don't happen very often," she says. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

Amanda was pregnant with her son, her second child, during filming.

"Mank" also leads the Oscar nominations with 10 nods, including Best Picture.

Mark your calendars: April 25 is Oscar Sunday. Live coverage begins Sunday morning and continues all day with special "On The Red Carpet" coverage leading up to the 93rd Academy Awards ceremony. After the last award is handed out, stay with "On The Red Carpet" for continuing coverage. Be sure to follow @OnTheRedCarpet on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok for all your Oscar news and information.