A popular Hollywood actress has opened up about her experiences with anxiety and panic attacks in a bid to raise awareness of mental health.

Amanda Seyfried, who is perhaps best-known for her memorable roles in in films such as Mamma Mia! And Mean Girls, told a recent interview that she suffers from regular panic attacks – which often begin as a by-product of stage fright.

Speaking on Dr Berlin’s Informed Pregnancy Podcast, she said that, at one point in her life, she would experience such attacks “every six or seven shows.”

She described a typical panic attack as being like feeling ‘cold and sweaty at the same time.’

“It feels like you’re going to die. It feels like you need to leave the stage,” she said.

Viewers heard that Seyfried’s husband, Thomas Sadoski, often plays a crucial role in helping her through difficult times.

“He would bring me back … and I would act through them.

“I would just connect with Tommy. And he would always be aware of it. He would recognise that thousand-yard stare.”

Seyfried’s comments come shortly after fellow Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds opened up about his experiences with anxiety disorder during the shooting of his 2016 film Deadpool.