With reporting by Michael Pell

Amanda Seyfried made her feature film debut in Mark Waters' cult classic "Mean Girls." Not only did the comedy effectively launch her career, but it also prepared her for navigating the real-life high school cafeteria that is Hollywood.

"This industry is just like every other industry," Seyfried told MTV News at a recent press day for "Ted 2." "It's full of petty, spoiled bullies, as much as it is full of wonderful, passionate, honest people... you just have to watch your back."

You don't need ESPN to read between the lines here:

And you also have to watch your bank account. Sony's hacked emails revealed a troubling truth -- that even the most powerful women in Hollywood are burdened by the ever-present gender pay gap. For example, despite her obvious star power, Jennifer Lawrence was paid significantly less than her male costars in "American Hustle."

Seyfried has also experienced that kind of workplace sexism. "I don't know what my costars have made. I think for me, everything has been pretty equal, but I do recognize that in a lot of cases it isn't -- and I think it's f--ked up."

So, here's the TL;DR of it all: like "Mean Girls," Hollywood is full of the greatest people you will ever meet -- and the worst.

"You just have to be headstrong and believe in yourself," Seyfried said. "And know that there are people like that who will stab you in the back -- just like high school."