Seyfried sings praises of co-star Redgrave

NEW YORK, May 21 (UPI) -- Amanda Seyfried says working with renowned British actress Vanessa Redgrave on their new film "Letters to Juliet" was a career high for her.

In the film, Seyfried plays a tourist in Verona, Italy, who discovers the letter heartbroken Claire penned to literary romantic heroine Juliet 50 years earlier. Seyfried's Sophie then attempts to reunite the woman, played by Redgrave, with her long-lost love, Lorenzo, played by Redgrave's real-life husband, Franco Nero.

Asked to describe her expectations of sharing the screen with an acting legend like Redgrave, Seyfried told United Press International in New York recently, "I never have expectations anymore.

"I stopped having expectations when I was a teenager because it always ended in heartbreak or disappointment," the 24-year-old actress confided. "I had maybe a tiny expectation about working with Meryl (Streep on 'Mamma Mia!') but it didn't end up that at all because I was so intimidated all the time and then I learned that little bit of expectation, that tiny, tiny spark was just wrong and you have to just be open to whatever anything is and I ended up being too intimidated. That doesn't mean it wasn't great. It was a great experience. But with Vanessa, I had just worked with Julianne Moore (on 'Chloe') and we were like peers, equals, working on such a great movie, and so I just came in (to 'Juliet') with that attitude. I just didn't want to be intimidated, it hinders me so much. Having confidence just takes you from being a decent actor and doing a really bad job to being a decent actor and doing a really good job or at least feeling like not having any hindrance and doing what you should be doing. So, no, I didn't expect anything from Vanessa and she was amazing and warm and open, and she shared everything and was just so imaginative and so part of the game. It was too short, actually, the time I spent with her. She's definitely the best actress I've ever worked with."

Seyfried went on to say she believes the fact Redgrave and Nero are a couple in real life gave their performances additional depth and sparkle on-screen.

"(That gave it) so much more than you could ever have had it been anyone else with Vanessa," the younger actress noted. "They've had -- what? -- a 30-year relationship back and forth. He lives in Italy and she lives in the U.K. It's ridiculous. It's amazing and I think the audience can leave thinking it's so much more powerful because they are really together. … It's amazing they have this connection, this energy between them that you can't fake no matter how hard you try. When he rides in on the horse and she looks at him, that's my favorite moment."

"Letters to Juliet" is in theaters now.