'Mamma Mia!' Casting Directors Reveal 17 Actresses Who Auditioned for Amanda Seyfried's Role of Sophie, Including Three Stars Who Turned It Down

It has been 15 years since the movie musical Mamma Mia! hit theaters and the film’s casting directors are opening up about the actresses that auditioned for the lead role of Sophie.

Amanda Seyfried ultimately landed the role as she “could not only sing but also looked so much like Meryl [Streep].”

Casting directors Priscilla John and Ellen Lewis chatted with Vogue for an oral history of the movie. They revealed 17 women who auditioned for Sophie and didn’t get the role, including three women who actually passed on the job offer.

Musical director Martin Lowe said, “Hollywood is not my world. Thankfully, I didn’t really know anything about those A-list girls at the time. I’ve subsequently looked back at my lists of people we saw and been shocked to discover some of the people that I apparently met.”

Browse through the slideshow to see who auditioned for the role…