Acclaimed actress Amanda Seyfried is getting an up-close-and-personal look at life in Kensington. The “Mamma Mia” star is in town shooting a new min-series.
Tuesday, the actress stopped by the 26th District in Kensington to meet some of Philadelphia’s finest and take part in a ride-along .
Amanda Seyfried In Philly
The “Mean Girls”, alongside author Liz Moore, is in town filming a new mini-series that takes place in Kensington.
Moore’s novel, “Long Bright River” is being adapted into a series for television.
“Long Bright River” follow two sisters, Mickey and Kacey, who lost their mother young to addiction. Soon after, their father left, abandoning them.
As a result, they were raised in the harsh and unloving environment of their grandmother.
The sisters take two different paths in life. Mickey eventually joins the police force, but Kacey could not resist the call of addiction.
When Kacey goes missing, Mickey is on a mission to find her sister before it’s too late.
True to real life in Kensington, the novel deals with addiction, the opioid crisis, family disfunction, and trauma.
Comparatively, it also showcases familial love, bonds, and the measures one would take for their loved ones.
Seyfried will portray Mickey.
Kensington Up Close
Moore’s novel, although fictional, is based in truth. Kensington, once a thriving neighborhood in Philadelphia, is plagued by addiction. Life in Kensington, for many addicts, equates to death.
A mini-series taking place in the neighborhood could shed some much needed attention on what daily life its like for those trapped there.
Recently, Kensington has been in the news as of late.
Philadelphia’s new Mayor, Cherelle Parker has vowed to combat areas of high drug traffic and use like Kensington.
“It’s developing a strategy to permanently shut down all open-air drug markets here in the city of Philadelphia,” Parker said.
In fact, Kensington has the biggest free-flowing drug market in the city. Addiction, homelessness, crime, and death govern this community.