Amanda Seyfried apparently skipped class on the day that they were teaching young movie stars how to sidestep the media.

If she had attended that class in “Promoting Movies 101,” she would have learned how to stay on point, and not let the interviewer get her talking about other projects. The idea is to talk only about the current movie, even if the next movie might be the one that intrigues the interviewer.

Seyfried, 26, is a free spirit who doesn’t know how to deflect or deceive the media. If you want to talk about her new movie “Gone,” which opens Friday, that’s fine. And if you also want to talk about her controversial role in “Lovelace,” in which she portrays the late porn star Linda Lovelace of “Deep Throat” fame, that’s fine, too. “Lovelace,” which will be released later this year, is one of four films the actress has coming out in 2012. She also has a supporting role in the ensemble film “The Big Wedding,” and a starring role in “Les Misérables.”

This is the same Amanda Seyfried who first gained noticed in the Tina Fey-penned film “Mean Girls,” and then shot to stardom as the young bride in “Mamma Mia!” When you’re in a movie that makes $600 million, many romantic roles will follow, and Seyfried appeared in several, including “Dear John” and “Letters to Juliet.”

But she wants a more diverse career, and “Lovelace” is obviously a step in that direction. But so is “Gone,” in which she plays a woman stalking a serial killer who has abducted her sister. She believes it is the same predator who abducted her the year before, but police doubt her original claim, and are slow to act on her sister’s disappearance.

Seyfried talks about her upcoming movies, and how they fit into her career plan. Then she unexpectedly unburdened herself on the burdens of stardom. She is getting to the point in her skyrocketing career that she is expected to sell movies on her name alone, and she’s not sure she wants that responsibility.

ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The last time we spoke, you were very candid about your career. You said what you needed after all those romantic roles was a good psycho killer movie. Is this it?

AMANDA SEYFRIED: Actually, I wanted to play a psycho killer, and I still do.

Q. Even though you’re only chasing a psycho killer in “Gone,” is this the movie you were looking for to send your career in another direction?

A. I don’t think so. It’s still hard for people in Hollywood to buy me as a psycho killer. “Chloe” hit it closer than anything else I’ve done, but I’m still not there. “Gone” is good, though, because while I start out as a victim, I get stronger and show that you can do anything you put your mind to. That’s what I love about this film. There’s nothing too far-fetched about it. She’s not flying off bridges or anything like that. It’s based in reality. It’s a normal girl in extraordinary situations.

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