The Allentown native plays a Philadelphia police officer in the Kensington-set show based on Liz Moore's book.

"We can see ourselves in each of these people, and that's the point of storytelling,” Seyfried tells PEOPLE of the show, now streaming on Peacock

For Amanda Seyfried, the Peacock limited series offered a rare opportunity to play a character adapted from a book while working closely alongside the author, Liz Moore.

The actress’s role as a Philadelphia beat cop in this Peacock series seems like an odd fit, but that’s the point. “I just wanted to prove to myself that nothing can feel too foreign,” she said.

The eight-episode adaptation of Liz Moore's novel tells a story of sisterhood, addiction and murder set in the Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia.

The “Long Bright River” series premiere drops Thursday, March 13. Stream the entire season today on Peacock.

Amanda Seyfried says there were two major reasons why she wanted to star in Peacock's adaptation of Liz Moore's best-selling novel "Long Bright River" -- the location and the fact it cast her against type.