Amy Adams
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Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress. Known for both her comedic and dramatic roles, she has been featured three times in annual rankings of the world's highest-paid actresses. She has received various accolades, including two
Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual Awards ceremony, award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally ...
, and has been nominated for six
Academy Awards The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
, seven
British Academy Film Awards The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...
, and two
Primetime Emmy Awards The Primetime Emmy Awards, or Primetime Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the American television industry. Owned and operated by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (ATAS), the P ...
. Adams began her career as a dancer in dinner theater, which she pursued from 1994 to 1998, and made her film debut with a supporting part in the dark comedy '' Drop Dead Gorgeous'' (1999). She made guest appearances in television and took on "mean girl" parts in low-budget feature films. Her first major role was in
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
's biopic ''
Catch Me If You Can ''Catch Me If You Can'' is a 2002 American crime comedy-drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams, and James Brolin in ...
'' (2002), but she was unemployed for a year afterward. Her breakthrough came when she portrayed a loquacious pregnant woman in the independent comedy-drama '' Junebug'' (2005), for which she received her first Academy Award nomination. The musical fantasy film '' Enchanted'' (2007), where Adams played a cheerful princess-to-be, was her first success in a leading role. She followed it by playing other naïve, optimistic women in films like the drama ''
Doubt Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, and is certainty, uncertain about them. Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and wikt:disbelief, disbelief. It may i ...
'' (2008), and subsequently played more assertive parts to positive reviews in the sports film '' The Fighter'' (2010) and the psychological drama '' The Master'' (2012). From 2013 to 2017, she portrayed
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...
in superhero films set in the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comic ...
. She won two consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress for playing a seductive con artist in the crime film '' American Hustle'' (2013) and painter Margaret Keane in the biopic '' Big Eyes'' (2014). Further acclaim came for playing a linguist in the science fiction film '' Arrival'' (2016), a self-harming reporter in the
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miniseries '' Sharp Objects'' (2018), and Lynne Cheney in the satire ''
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
'' (2018). Adams' stage roles include the Public Theater's revival of ''
Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...
'' in 2012 and the
West End theatre West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes"West End"in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194–1195, ...
revival of '' The Glass Menagerie'' in 2022. In 2014, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by ''
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'', and featured in the ''Forbes'' Celebrity 100 list.


Early life

Adams was born on August 20, 1974, in Aviano, Italy, to American parents Kathryn and Richard Adams, while her father was serving in the U.S. Army. She has four brothers and two sisters. After moving from one army base to another, she and her family settled in Castle Rock, Colorado when she was eight. After leaving the army, her father sang professionally in nightclubs and restaurants. Adams has described going to her father's shows and drinking Shirley Temples at the bar as among her fondest childhood memories. The family was poor; they camped and hiked together, and performed amateur skits written by her father or sometimes by her mother. Adams was enthusiastic about the plays and always played the lead. Adams was raised as a
Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
until her parents divorced in 1985 and left the church. She did not have strong religious beliefs, but has said that she valued her upbringing for teaching her love and compassion. After the breakup, her father moved to
Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...
and remarried, while the children remained with their mother. Her mother became a semi-professional
bodybuilder Bodybuilding is the practice of progressive resistance exercise to build, control, and develop one's muscles via hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. It is primarily undertaken for aesthetic ...
who took the children with her to the gym when she trained. Adams has compared her uninhibited early years with her siblings to ''
Lord of the Flies ''Lord of the Flies'' is the 1954 debut novel of British author William Golding. The plot concerns a group of prepubescent British boys who are stranded on an uninhabited island and their disastrous attempts to govern themselves that led to ...
''. Describing herself as a "scrappy, tough kid", she has said she fought frequently with other children. Adams attended Douglas County High School in Colorado. She was not academically inclined, but was interested in the creative arts and sang in the school choir. She competed in track and gymnastics, harbored ambitions of becoming a ballerina, and trained as an apprentice at the local David Taylor Dance Company. She disliked high school and kept mostly to herself. After graduation, she and her mother moved to
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. She did not go to college, to her parents' disappointment, and she later regretted not pursuing higher education. At age 18, she realized she was not gifted enough to be a professional ballerina, and found musical theater more to her taste. One of her first stage roles was in a community theater production of '' Annie'', which she did as a volunteer. To support herself, she worked as a greeter at a Gap store. She also worked as a waitress at
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, but left the job when she saved enough money to buy a used car.


Career


1994–2004: Dinner theater and early screen appearances

Adams began her professional career as a dancer in a 1994 dinner theater production of ''
A Chorus Line ''A Chorus Line'' is a 1975 musical conceived by Michael Bennett with music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, and a book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante. Set on the bare stage of a Broadway theater, the musical is cent ...
'' in
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. The job required her to wait on tables before getting up on stage to perform. She enjoyed singing and dancing, but disliked waitressing and ran into trouble when a fellow dancer, whom she considered a friend, made false accusations about her to the director. Adams said, "I never really knew what the lies were. I only knew I kept getting called in and lectured about my lack of professionalism." She lost the job but went on to perform in dinner theater at
Denver Denver ( ) is a List of municipalities in Colorado#Consolidated city and county, consolidated city and county, the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Colorado, most populous city of the U.S. state of ...
's Heritage Square Music Hall and Country Dinner Playhouse. During a performance of '' Anything Goes'' at the Country Dinner Playhouse in 1995, she was spotted by Michael Brindisi, the president and artistic director of the
Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...
-based Chanhassen Dinner Theater, who offered her a job there. Adams moved to
Chanhassen, Minnesota Chanhassen ( ) is a city in Carver County, Minnesota, United States about 15 miles (24 km) southwest of Minneapolis. The population was 25,947 at the 2020 census, with a 2024 estimate of 26,469. A small portion of the city extends into Henn ...
, where she performed in the theater for the next three years. She loved the "security and schedule" of the job, and has said that she learned tremendously from it. Nonetheless, the grueling work took its toll on her: "I had a lot of recurring injuries bursitis in my knees, pulled muscles in my groin, my adductor and abductor. My body was wearing out." During her time at Chanhassen, Adams acted in her first filma black-and-white short satire named ''The Chromium Hook''. Soon after, while she was off work nursing a pulled muscle, she attended the locally held auditions for the Hollywood film '' Drop Dead Gorgeous'' (1999), a satire on beauty pageants starring Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, and Kirstie Alley. Adams was cast in the supporting part of a promiscuous cheerleader. She felt that her character's personality was far removed from her own and worried about how people would perceive her. The production was filmed locally, which enabled Adams to shoot for her role while also performing '' Brigadoon'' on stage. Encouragement from Alley prompted Adams to actively pursue a film career, and she moved to Los Angeles in January 1999. She described her initial experience in the city as "dark" and "bleak", and she pined for her life back in Chanhassen. In Los Angeles, Adams auditioned for whatever parts came her way, but she was mostly given roles of "the bitchy girl". Her first assignment came within a week of her relocation in the Fox television series ''Manchester Prep'', a spin-off of the film '' Cruel Intentions'', in the lead role of Kathryn Merteuil (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar in the film). Following numerous script revisions and two production shutdowns, the series was canceled. Adams later said a controversial scene in which her character encourages a girl to masturbate on a horse was the primary reason for its cancellation. The three filmed episodes were re-edited and released later in 2000 as the direct-to-video film '' Cruel Intentions 2''. Despite a negative critical reception, Nathan Rabin of ''
The A.V. Club ''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'' wrote that Adams plays her "alpha-bitch role with vicious glee largely missing from Sarah Michelle Gellar's sterile take on the character". Adams next had a supporting role as the teenage nemesis of a movie star (played by Kimberly Davies) in '' Psycho Beach Party'' (2000), a horror parody of beach party and slasher films. She played the part as a homage to actress Ann-Margret. From 2000 to 2002, Adams appeared in guest roles in several television series, including ''
That '70s Show ''That '70s Show'' is an American television teen sitcom that aired on Fox from August 23, 1998, to May 18, 2006. The series focuses on the lives of a group of six teenage friends living in the fictional town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from 197 ...
'', ''
Charmed ''Charmed'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by Constance M. Burge and produced by Aaron Spelling and his production company Spelling Television, with Brad Kern serving as showrunner. The series was originally broadc ...
'', ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. The concept is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film, also written by Whedon, a ...
'', ''
Smallville ''Smallville'' is an American superhero fiction, superhero television series developed by writer-producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, based on the DC Comics character Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The series was produce ...
'', and ''
The West Wing ''The West Wing'' is an American political drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1999, to May 14, 2006. The series is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, where t ...
''. Following brief roles in three small-scale features of 2002'' The Slaughter Rule'', ''
Pumpkin A pumpkin is a cultivar, cultivated winter squash in the genus ''Cucurbita''. The term is most commonly applied to round, orange-colored squash varieties, but does not possess a scientific definition. It may be used in reference to many dif ...
'', and '' Serving Sara''Adams got her first major role in
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg ( ; born December 18, 1946) is an American filmmaker. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, Spielberg is widely regarded as one of the greatest film directors of all time and is ...
's comedy-drama ''
Catch Me If You Can ''Catch Me If You Can'' is a 2002 American crime comedy-drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams, and James Brolin in ...
''. She played Brenda Strong, a nurse with whom Frank Abagnale Jr. (played by
Leonardo DiCaprio Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (; ; born November 11, 1974) is an American actor and film producer. Known for Leonardo DiCaprio filmography, his work in biographical and period films, he is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received ...
) falls in love. Despite the film's success and praise for her "warm presence" from '' Variety'' critic
Todd McCarthy Todd McCarthy (born February 16, 1950) is an American film critic and author. He wrote for '' Variety'' for 31 years as its chief film critic until 2010. In October of that year, he joined ''The Hollywood Reporter'', where he subsequently served ...
, it failed to boost her career. She was unemployed for a year after its release, leading her to almost quit film acting. Spielberg was surprised that she did not break through soon after the film's release. Adams instead enrolled in acting classes, realizing that she had "a lot to learn and a lot of self-growth to work through". Her career prospects seemingly improved a year later when she received a lucrative offer to star as a regular in the CBS television drama ''
Dr. Vegas ''Dr. Vegas'' is an American Drama (film and television), drama television series created by John Herzfeld and Jack Orman, starring Rob Lowe and Joe Pantoliano that ran on CBS from September 24, 2004 to October 29, 2004, being cancelled after f ...
'', but she was dropped after a few episodes. In film, she only had a minor role in the Fred Savage-starring '' The Last Run'' (2004).


2005–2007: Breakthrough with ''Junebug'' and ''Enchanted''

Disillusioned by her firing from ''Dr. Vegas'', Adams, aged 30, considered quitting acting altogether after completing work on the independent comedy-drama '' Junebug'', which had a production budget of under $1 million. Directed by Phil Morrison, the film featured her as Ashley Johnsten, a perky and talkative pregnant woman. Morrison was impressed with Adams's ability to not question her character's inherently good motives. She connected with Johnsten's faith in God and spent time with Morrison in
Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city in Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States, and its county seat. At the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the List of municipalities in North Carolina, fifth-most populous ...
, where the film is set, attending church. She described making the film as "the summer I grew into myself", and after dyeing her hair red for the role, she decided not to go back to her natural blonde color. ''Junebug'' premiered at the 2005
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...
, where Adams won a special jury prize. Tim Robey of ''
The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' labeled the film a "small, quiet miracle" and wrote that Adams had given "one of the most delicately funny and heartbreaking performances it's ever been my pleasure to review". Ann Hornaday of ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' opined that her "radiant portrayal" reflected the film's "deeply humanist heart". For her performance, Adams won the Independent Spirit Award and Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress, and received an
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nomination in the same category. Later in 2005, Adams had supporting parts in two critically panned filmsthe romantic comedy '' The Wedding Date'', starring
Debra Messing Debra Lynn Messing (born August 15, 1968) is an American actress. After graduating from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Messing starred in the television series ''Ned and Stacey'' on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox (1995–1997) an ...
and Dermot Mulroney, and the ensemble coming-of-age film '' Standing Still''. Also that year, she joined the cast of the television series ''
The Office ''The Office'' is the title of several mockumentary sitcoms based on a British series originally created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as '' The Office'' in 2001. The original series also starred Gervais as manager and primary charac ...
'', for a recurring role over three episodes. In '' Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby'' (2006), a sports comedy from Adam McKay, Adams played the romantic interest of
Will Ferrell John William Ferrell (; born July 16, 1967) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He is known for his leading man roles in comedy films and for his work as a television producer. Ferrell received various accolades, including ...
's character, a role which critic
Peter Travers Peter Joseph Travers (born June 27, 1943) is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter. He reviews films for ABC News and previously served as a movie critic for ''People'' and ''Rolling Stone''. Travers also hosts the film i ...
deemed "quite a comedown" from her part in ''Junebug''. She also had a minor role in the workplace comedy '' The Ex'', starring
Zach Braff Zachary Israel Braff (born April 6, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He portrayed J.D. (Scrubs), John Michael "J.D." Dorian on the NBC/American Broadcasting Company, ABC television series ''Scrubs (TV series), Scrubs'' (2001–2010), for ...
and Amanda Peet. After voicing in
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' animated comedy film ''
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'' (2007), Adams starred as a highly optimistic and joyous character named Giselle, who is based on members of the Disney Princess franchise, in the musical romantic comedy '' Enchanted''.
Patrick Dempsey Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and racing driver best known for playing neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd in ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–15; 2020–21). He is also known for his leading man romantic film roles, such ...
and James Marsden co-starred as her romantic interests. She was among 250 actresses who auditioned for the high-profile role; the studio had favored the casting of a bigger star, but the director Kevin Lima insisted on Adams due to her commitment to the part and her ability to be nonjudgmental about Giselle's personality. A ball gown she had to wear for the film weighed , and she fell several times under its weight. She sang three songs for the film's soundtrack" True Love's Kiss", " Happy Working Song", and " That's How You Know". The critic
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
commended Adams for being "fresh and winning" in a role that "absolutely depends on effortless lovability", and Wesley Morris of ''
The Boston Globe ''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
'' credited her for "demonstrat nga real performer's ingenuity for comic timing and physical eloquence". Todd McCarthy considered it to be her breakthrough role and likened her rise to stardom to that of
Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
. ''Enchanted'' was a commercial success, grossing over $340 million worldwide, and Adams was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. Following the success of ''Enchanted'', Adams took on the part of Bonnie Bach, Congressman Charlie Wilson's assistant in
Mike Nichols Mike Nichols (born Igor Mikhail Peschkowsky; November 6, 1931 – November 19, 2014) was an American film and theatre director and comedian. He worked across a range of genres and had an aptitude for getting the best out of actors regardless of ...
' political comedy-drama '' Charlie Wilson's War'' (2007), starring
Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Kirk Honeycutt of ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' credited Adams for being "sweetly savvy" in her part, while
Peter Bradshaw Peter Nicholas Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire'' magazine. Early life and education Bradshaw was educat ...
of ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' was disappointed to see her talent wasted in a role he considered to be of minimal importance.


2008–2012: Ingénue parts and expansion to dramatic roles

The 2008 Sundance Film Festival saw the release of '' Sunshine Cleaning'', a comedy-drama about two sisters (played by Adams and
Emily Blunt Emily Olivia Laura Blunt (born 23 February 1983) is a British actress. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Emily Blunt, several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards, in addition t ...
) who start a crime scene clean-up business. Adams was drawn to the idea of playing someone who constantly tries to better herself. Mick LaSalle of the ''
San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. ...
'' found Adams to be "magical", adding that she "gives us a portrait of raging want beneath a veneer of surface diffidence". In the 1939-set screwball comedy '' Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day'', Adams starred as an aspiring American actress in London who encounters a middle-aged governess named Miss Pettigrew (played by
Frances McDormand Frances Louise McDormand (born Cynthia Ann Smith; June 23, 1957) is an American actress and film producer. In a career spanning over four decades, McDormand has received numerous accolades, including four Academy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awa ...
).
Stephen Holden Stephen Holden (born July 18, 1941) is an American writer, poet, and music and film critic. Biography Holden earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Yale University in 1963. He worked as a photo editor, staff writer, and eventually be ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' drew similarities to her role in ''Enchanted'' and wrote that the "screen magic" she displays in such endearing roles "hasn't been this intense since the heyday of Jean Arthur". Adams next starred in ''
Doubt Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, and is certainty, uncertain about them. Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and wikt:disbelief, disbelief. It may i ...
'', an adaptation of John Patrick Shanley's play of the same name. The film tells the story of a Catholic school principal (played by
Meryl Streep Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep (born June 22, 1949) is an American actress. Known for her versatility and adept accent work, she has been described as "the best actress of her generation". She has received numerous accolades throughout her career ...
) who accuses a priest, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, of
pedophilia Pedophilia ( alternatively spelled paedophilia) is a psychiatric disorder in which an adult or older adolescent experiences a primary or exclusive sexual attraction to prepubescent children. Although girls typically begin the process of pube ...
; she played an innocent nun embroiled in the conflict. Shanley initially approached
Natalie Portman Natalie Hershlag{{efn, Some Hebrew sources claim that her birth name was "Neta-Lee Hershleg" ({{langx, he, נטע-לי הרשלג) and later, her first name was Americanized to "Natalie". {{Cite news , last=Shamir , first=Oron , date=August ...
for the part, but offered Adams the role after finding her innocent, yet intelligent, personality similar to that of
Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman (29 August 191529 August 1982) was a Swedish actress.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 1 September 1982. With a career spanning five decades, Bergman is often regarded as one of the most influential screen figures in cin ...
. She identified with her character's ability to find the best in people, and described her collaboration with Streep and Hoffman as a "master class" in acting. Amy Biancolli of the ''
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'' wrote that Adams "sparks with distressed compassion", and Ann Hornaday believed that she "exudes just the right wide-eyed innocence". She was nominated for the Academy Award,
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Janua ...
, and
BAFTA Award The British Academy Film Awards, more commonly known as the BAFTAs or BAFTA Awards, is an annual film award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) to honour the best British and international contributions to f ...
for Best Supporting Actress. As with ''Junebug'' and ''Enchanted'', Adams's roles in her three 2008 releases were those of the ingénueinnocent women with a cheerful personality. When asked about being typecast in such roles, she said she responds to characters who are joyful and identified with their sense of hope. She believed that despite certain similarities in their disposition, these characters were vastly different from one another; she stated, "Naïveté is not stupidity, and innocent people are often very complex." The 2009 fantasy adventure film '' Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian'', starring
Ben Stiller Benjamin Edward Meara Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known for his blend of slapstick humor and sharp wit, Stiller rose to fame through comedies such as ''There's Something About Mary'' (1998), ' ...
, featured Adams as the aviator
Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart ( ; July 24, 1897 – January 5, 1939) was an American aviation pioneer. On July 2, 1937, she disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to become the first female pilot to circumnavigate the world. During her li ...
. It was the first motion picture to film inside the
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in Washington. The director
Shawn Levy Shawn Adam Levy (; born July 23, 1968) is a Canadian and American filmmaker and actor. He is the founder of 21 Laps Entertainment. His work has spanned numerous genres, and his films as a director have grossed a collective $3.5 billion worldwid ...
said the role allowed Adams to showcase her acting range; the actress believed it to be the first time she was allowed to play a confident character on screen. Despite mixed reviews, Adams's performance was praised. Terming her "a sparkling screen presence", Michael Phillips of the ''
Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' wrote that the film "radically improves whenever Amy Adams pops up". That same year, Adams starred in the comedy-drama ''
Julie & Julia ''Julie & Julia'' is a 2009 American biographical comedy drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in the title roles with Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, and Linda Emond in supporting roles. The film ...
'' as disgruntled government secretary
Julie Powell Julie Anne Powell (; April 20, 1973 – October 26, 2022) was an American author known for her 2005 book ''Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen'' which was based on her blog, the Julie/Julia Project. A film adaptation b ...
who decides to blog about the recipes in
Julia Child Julia Carolyn Child (Birth name#Maiden and married names, née McWilliams; August 15, 1912 – August 13, 2004) was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for having brought French cuisine to the American pu ...
's cookbook ''
Mastering the Art of French Cooking ''Mastering the Art of French Cooking'' is a two-volume French cookbook written by Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, both from France, and Julia Child, from the United States. The book was written for the American market and published by Kno ...
''; in a parallel storyline, Meryl Streep portrays Child. She enrolled at the
Institute of Culinary Education The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) is a private for-profit culinary school with locations in New York City and Los Angeles, accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). It offers career training, dip ...
to prepare for the part. Carrie Rickey of ''
The Philadelphia Inquirer ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
'' thought the film was "as delicious as French cuisine" and found Adams to be "at her most winsome". Both ''Night at the Museum'' and ''Julie & Julia'' were commercial successes, with the former grossing over $400 million. Adams began the new decade with a leading role opposite Matthew Goode in the romantic comedy ''
Leap Year A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or bissextile year) is a calendar year that contains an additional day (or, in the case of a lunisolar calendar, a month) compared to a common year. The 366th day (or 13th month) is added to keep t ...
'' (2010), which critic
Richard Roeper Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959) is an American writer. He is a former columnist and film critic for the '' Chicago Sun-Times'', where he wrote for 39 years dating back to 1986 until his departure in 2025. He co-hosted the television s ...
believed was saved from "truly awful status" by Adams's presence. Her next release of the yearthe boxing drama '' The Fighter''was much better received. Directed by David O. Russell, the film tells the story of boxer half-brothers
Micky Ward George Michael Ward Jr. (born October 4, 1965), often known by his nickname, "Irish" Micky Ward, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2003. He challenged once for the IBF light welterweight title in 1997, and held ...
and Dicky Eklund (played by
Mark Wahlberg Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971), formerly known by his stage name Marky Mark, is an American actor, producer, and former rapper. Mark Wahlberg filmography, His work as a leading actor, leading man spans the Comedy film, come ...
and
Christian Bale Christian Charles Philip Bale (born 30 January 1974) is an English actor. Known for his versatility and physical transformations for his roles, he has been a leading man in films of several genres. List of awards and nominations received by C ...
, respectively); Melissa Leo played their mother and Adams played Ward's aggressive girlfriend, a barmaid named Charlene Fleming. Describing her character as a "tough, sexy bitch", Russell cast Adams against type to rid her of her girl-next-door image. The role marked a significant departure for her, and she was challenged by Russell's insistence on finding her character's strength in silence. She enrolled in an exotic dance class by trainer Sheila Kelley to find her character's eroticism.
Joe Morgenstern Joe Morgenstern (born October 3, 1932) is an American writer and retired film critic. He wrote for ''Newsweek'' from 1965 to 1983, and then for ''The Wall Street Journal'' from 1995 to 2022. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 2005. Morge ...
of ''
The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' (''WSJ''), also referred to simply as the ''Journal,'' is an American newspaper based in New York City. The newspaper provides extensive coverage of news, especially business and finance. It operates on a subscriptio ...
'' found Adams to be "as tough, tender, smart, and funny as she was ethereal and delightful in ''Enchanted''. What an actress, and what range!" She received Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations for Best Supporting Actress; she lost the former two to Leo. She expressed a desire to play more dramatic roles in the future. The Disney musical ''
The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an surreal humor, absurdist, slapstick, burlesque, and self-referential humor, self-referential style of Musical theatre, musical Variety show, variety-sketch comedy. Cre ...
'' (2011) starring the eponymous puppets featured Adams and Jason Segel in live-action roles. She sang seven songs for the film's soundtrack.
Lisa Schwarzbaum Lisa Schwarzbaum (born July 5, 1952) is an American film critic. She joined ''Entertainment Weekly'' as a senior writer in 1991, working as a film critic for the magazine alongside Owen Gleiberman from 1995 to 2013. Early life Lisa Schwarzbaum w ...
of ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' noted that the role marked her return to her "comedian-sweetheart" persona. The following year, Adams played the Baker's Wife in
the Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...
's revival of
Stephen Sondheim Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March22, 1930November26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. Regarded as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theater, he is credited with reinventing the American musical. He received Lis ...
's musical ''
Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...
'', as part of the Shakespeare in the Park festival at the open-air Delacorte Theater. It was her New York stage debut and her first theater appearance in 13 years. She agreed to the month-long production to "take on a challenge that seemed insurmountable", though she was overwhelmed and intimidated by it. She prepared with a private singing coach, but her film schedule enabled her to spend only four weeks in rehearsal.
Ben Brantley Benjamin D. Brantley (born October 26, 1954) is an American theater critic, journalist, editor, publisher, and writer. He served as the chief theater critic for ''The New York Times'' from 1996 to 2017, and as co-chief theater critic from 2017 t ...
, ''The New York Times'' theater critic, praised Adams's "lucidly spoken and sung performance" but criticized her for lacking "the nervy, dissatisfied restlessness" of her part. Adams took another "fierce woman" part in
Paul Thomas Anderson Paul Thomas Anderson (born June 26, 1970), also known by his initials PTA, is an American filmmaker. Often described as one of the most preeminent writer-directors of his generation, List of awards and nominations received by Paul Thomas Anders ...
's psychological drama '' The Master'' (2012). She played Peggy Dodd, the ruthless and manipulative wife of the leader of a cult (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman). It marked her third and final collaboration with Hoffman, whom she deeply admired, before his death two years later. The organization depicted in the film was deemed by journalists to be based on
Scientology Scientology is a set of beliefs and practices invented by the American author L. Ron Hubbard, and an associated movement. It is variously defined as a scam, a Scientology as a business, business, a cult, or a religion. Hubbard initially develo ...
; Adams considered the comparison to be misleading but was glad for the attention it brought to the film. Although not a
method actor ''Method Actor'' is an eponymous album of the band Method Actor released in 1988 featuring American singer Eva Cassidy. It was unofficially re-released on CD in 2002. Track listing # "Getting Out" (David Christopher) – 4:19 # "Look in to My ...
, she believed the intense role had left her on edge in her personal life. Comparing her character to Lady Macbeth, the critic Justin Chang wrote that Adams's "pertness has rarely seemed so malevolent", and Donald Clarke of ''
The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It was launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is Ireland's leading n ...
'' commended her for playing the part with "discrete menace". John Patterson of ''The Guardian'' remarked that a scene in which her character chastises her husband while furiously masturbating him was one of the most significant sequences in the film. Once again, Adams received Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations for her supporting role.
Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western (genre), Western TV series ''Rawhide (TV series), Rawhide'', Eastwood rose to international fame with his role as the "Ma ...
's sports drama '' Trouble with the Curve'', in which she played the estranged daughter of a baseball scout (Eastwood), was Adams's second film release of 2012. She admired Eastwood's "warm and generous" personality and was pleased with the collaboration. She prepared for the part by learning to catch, pitch, and swing from a baseball coach. The film received mixed reviews, and Roger Ebert took note of how Adams had made a standard role seem valuable. She also played the brief part of a drug addict in ''
On the Road ''On the Road'' is a 1957 novel by American writer Jack Kerouac, based on the travels of Kerouac and his friends across the United States. It is considered a defining work of the postwar Beat and Counterculture generations, with its protagoni ...
'', an ensemble drama based on
Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian ...
's novel of the same name.


2013–2019: Established actress

After losing out on the role of
Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1 (June 1938). Lois is an award-winning ...
in two previous films about
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
, Adams secured the part in
Zack Snyder Zachary Edward Snyder (born March 1, 1966) is an American filmmaker. He made his feature film debut in 2004 with ''Dawn of the Dead (2004 film), Dawn of the Dead'', a remake of the 1978 horror film Dawn of the Dead (1978 film), of the same name ...
's 2013 reboot, '' Man of Steel'', starring Henry Cavill as the titular superhero. She played Lane with a mixture of toughness and vulnerability, but Peter Bradshaw found the character "sketchily conceived" and criticized the actress' lack of chemistry with Cavill. The film grossed over $660 million to become one of her biggest box-office hits. Adams next featured in ''
Her Her is the objective and possessive form of the English-language feminine pronoun she. Her, HER or H.E.R. may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Music Performers * H.E.R. (born 1997), American singer * HIM (Finnish band), once kn ...
'', a drama from writer-director
Spike Jonze Adam Spiegel (born October 22, 1969), known professionally as Spike Jonze (), is an American Filmmaking, filmmaker, actor, musician, and photographer. His work includes films, commercials, music videos, skateboard videos and television. Jonze ...
about a lonely man (
Joaquin Phoenix Joaquin Rafael Phoenix ( ; ; born October 28, 1974) is an American actor. Widely described as one of the most preeminent actors of his generation and known for Joaquin Phoenix filmography, his roles as dark, unconventional and eccentric charact ...
) who falls in love with an artificial intelligence (voiced by
Scarlett Johansson Scarlett Ingrid Johansson (; born November 22, 1984) is an American actress and singer. The List of highest-paid film actors, world's highest-paid actress in 2018 and 2019, she has been featured multiple times on the Forbes Celebrity 100, ''F ...
); she played his close friend. The actress had unsuccessfully auditioned for Jonze's 2009 film '' Where the Wild Things Are'' and was cast in ''Her'' after Jonze looked back at those tapes. She was drawn to the idea of portraying a platonic male-female friendship, which she believed was rare in film. Further success came to Adams when she reteamed with David O. Russell in the black comedy crime film '' American Hustle'', co-starring Christian Bale,
Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and three Grammy Awards. In addition, he has been nominated for twelve Acade ...
, and
Jennifer Lawrence Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress and producer. She is known for starring in both action film franchises and independent dramas, and her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide. The List of high ...
. Inspired by the 1970s Abscam scandal, the film featured her as a seductive con artist, though she played it so that "everything felt justified and it didn't feel like she was just a sexy sociopath". She collaborated closely with Bale to build their characters and made off-screen suggestions to Russell, including for a scene in which she is aggressively kissed on the lips by her lover's wife (played by Lawrence). The work proved grueling for Adams, who later confirmed reports that Russell had been hard on her and made her cry frequently; she said she feared bringing such a negative experience home to her daughter. ''American Hustle'' was critically acclaimed; Manohla Dargis of ''The New York Times'' believed Adams "goes deeper here than she's ever been allowed to", adding that she had successfully "turn dan unpredictable character into a thrillingly wild one". She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical and received her fifth Oscar nomination (her first in the Best Actress category). ''Her'' and ''American Hustle'' were both named by critics as being among the best films of 2013, and were both nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Picture The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards (also known as Oscars) presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) since the awards debuted in 1929. This award goes to the producers of the film a ...
. Following an appearance in the poorly received drama ''
Lullaby A lullaby (), or a cradle song, is a soothing song or piece of music that is usually played for (or sung to) children (for adults see music and sleep). The purposes of lullabies vary. In some societies, they are used to pass down cultural knowl ...
'', Adams starred in '' Big Eyes'' (2014), a biopic of the troubled artist Margaret Keane, whose paintings of "big-eyed waifs" were plagiarized by her husband Walter Keane. When she was first offered the part, she passed on it to avoid playing another naïve woman. The birth of her daughter in 2010 prompted Adams to find strength in the passive character, and she drew on real-life experiences where she had not stood up for herself. In preparation, she practiced painting and studied the way Keane worked. Keane liked Adams's portrayal of her, and
Mark Kermode Mark Kermode (, ; ; born 2 July 1963) is an English film critic, musician, radio presenter, television presenter, author and podcaster. He is the co-presenter (with Ellen E. Jones) of the BBC Radio 4 programme ''Screenshot'', and co-presenter ...
of ''
The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...
'' termed her performance a "potent blend of intuitive fire and sensitive vulnerability". She won a second consecutive Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical and received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress. After a one-year absence from the screen, Adams had three film releases in 2016. She first reprised the role of Lois Lane in '' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'', which marked the second installment in the
DC Extended Universe The DC Extended Universe (DCEU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is based on characters that appear in American comic books published by DC Comic ...
after ''Man of Steel''. Despite a negative critical reception for favoring visual effects over a coherent narrative, the film grossed over $870 million to become her highest-grossing release to date. In her next two releasesthe science fiction drama '' Arrival'' and the psychological thriller '' Nocturnal Animals''Adams played "emotionally guarded, fiercely intelligent" women to critical acclaim. Based on
Austin Wright Austin McGiffert Wright (1922 – April 23, 2003) was an American novelist, literary critic and professor emeritus of English at the University of Cincinnati. Life and career Wright was born in Yonkers, New York. He grew up in Hastings-on-Hudso ...
's novel '' Tony and Susan'',
Tom Ford Thomas Carlyle Ford (born August 27, 1961) is an American fashion designer and filmmaker. He launched Tom Ford (brand), his eponymous brand in 2005, having previously been the creative director at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Yves Sai ...
's ''Nocturnal Animals'' tells the story of an unhappily married art dealer, Susan (Adams), who is traumatized when reading a violent novel written by her ex-husband (played by Jake Gyllenhaal). She found little resemblance between herself and the "poised" and "aloof" Susan, and modeled the character's personality on that of Ford. Stephanie Zacharek of ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine found the film visually arresting yet thematically weak, but credited Adams and Gyllenhaal for making their characters' pain seem genuine. ''Arrival'', directed by
Denis Villeneuve Denis Villeneuve Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, OAL (; ; born October 3, 1967) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. He has received seven Canadian Screen Awards as well as nominations for four Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, and two ...
and based on
Ted Chiang Ted Chiang (; pinyin: ''Jiāng Fēngnán''; born 1967) is an American science fiction writer. His work has won four Nebula Award, Nebula awards, four Hugo Award, Hugo awards, the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer, and six Locus Award, ...
's short story "
Story of Your Life "Story of Your Life" is a science fiction novella by American writer Ted Chiang, first published in '' Starlight 2'' in 1998, and later in 2002 in Chiang's collection of short stories, '' Stories of Your Life and Others''. Its major themes are ...
", ranks among the most acclaimed films of Adams's career. It focuses on Louise Banks (Adams), a linguist who experiences strange visions when she is hired by the U.S. government to interpret the language of extraterrestrials. Adams was drawn to the idea of playing an intellectual female lead, and connected with the film's theme of unity and compassion. She watched documentaries on linguistics in preparation for the role. Christopher Orr of ''
The Atlantic ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher based in Washington, D.C. It features articles on politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 185 ...
'' described Adams's performance as "mesmerizingly open, by turns uplifting and sorrowful". Writing for the ''
Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'', Kenneth Turan noted her "finely calibrated performance" and asserted that the film was "a showcase for her ability to quietly and effectively meld intelligence, empathy and reserve". ''Arrival'' was a commercial success, grossing over $200 million against a production budget of $47 million, and Adams received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for Best Actress. Several journalists expressed disappointment over her failure to receive an Oscar nomination for it. She played Lois Lane for the third time in ''
Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...
'' (2017), an ensemble film about the titular superheroes. Tim Grierson of ''
Screen International ''Screen International'' is a British film magazine covering the international film business. It is published by Media Business Insight, a British B2B media company which also owned '' Broadcast''. The magazine is primarily aimed at those involv ...
'' wrote that despite providing "emotional resonance" to the film, Adams's talents had been wasted in a thankless supporting role. Adams returned to television in 2018 with '' Sharp Objects'', an
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
miniseries based on Gillian Flynn's thriller novel of the same name. She served as an executive producer and starred as Camille Preaker, a
self-harm Self-harm refers to intentional behaviors that cause harm to oneself. This is most commonly regarded as direct injury of one's own skin tissues, usually without suicidal intention. Other terms such as cutting, self-abuse, self-injury, and s ...
ing reporter who returns to her hometown to cover the murder of two young girls. Adams gained weight for the part and, on days of filming, underwent three hours of
prosthetic makeup Prosthetic makeup also known as special makeup effects or FX prosthesis, is the process of using prosthetic sculpting, molding and casting techniques to create advanced cosmetic special effects, effects. Prosthetics are used on stage and screen ...
to create her character's scarred body. She read '' A Bright Red Scream'' to learn about self-mutilation and researched the psychological condition of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. She found herself unable to distance herself from the dysfunctional role and experienced insomnia. The series and Adams's performance received critical acclaim; James Poniewozik of ''The New York Times'' praised the complex characterization of Preaker and called Adams's performance "transfixing". Daniel D'Addario of ''Variety'' found her to be "operating at the peak of her abilities" and added that with "her voice dropped an octave, slowed to a drawl, and sharpened with distrust, heis simply superb". Christian Bale and Adams teamed for the third time in Adam McKay's political satire ''
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
'' (2018), in which they portrayed former
vice president of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...
,
Dick Cheney Richard Bruce Cheney ( ; born January 30, 1941) is an American former politician and businessman who served as the 46th vice president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 under President George W. Bush. He has been called vice presidency o ...
, and his wife, Lynne, respectively. She read Lynne's books in preparation; despite disagreeing with her political views, she approached the part with empathy and found a connection with her character's fortitude. Richard Lawson of '' Vanity Fair'' drew comparisons to Adams's role in ''The Master''; he commended "her usual rigor" but criticized the "lazy rubber-stamp of a man's idea of a woman adjacent to power". Eric Kohn of IndieWire was more appreciative of her for "embodying an underwritten Lady Macbeth with ferocious energy". Adams received Golden Globe nominations for her performances in both ''Sharp Objects'' and ''Vice''; for the former, she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series and for the latter, she received her sixth Oscar and seventh BAFTA nominations.


2020–present: Career fluctuations and expansion

Adams began the new decade with the drama '' Hillbilly Elegy'' (2020), based on the book of the same name by
JD Vance James David Vance (born James Donald Bowman, August2, 1984) is an American politician, author, attorney, and Marine Corps veteran who is the 50th vice president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republic ...
. It received negative reviews from critics; a reviewer for ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' stated that despite dependable work from Adams as Vance's substance-abusing mother, she was trapped in a poorly-written film. Multiple outlets criticized the film for not giving her character enough scenes to develop. Even so, she received a nomination for the SAG Award for Best Actress. Adams next starred as an
agoraphobic Agoraphobia is an anxiety disorder characterized by symptoms of anxiety in situations where the person perceives their environment to be unsafe with no way to escape. These situations can include public transit, shopping centers, crowds and q ...
murder witness in
Joe Wright Joseph Wright (born 25 August 1972) is an English film director. His motion pictures include the period drama adaptations '' Pride & Prejudice'' (2005), ''Atonement'' (2007), '' Anna Karenina'' (2012), and '' Cyrano'' (2021), the action thrill ...
's thriller '' The Woman in the Window'', based on the novel of the same name. Filmed in 2018, the film was delayed several times due to poor test screenings and later, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
; it was eventually released on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
in 2021. Adams then took on the supporting role of a grieving mother in ''
Dear Evan Hansen ''Dear Evan Hansen'' is a stage musical with music and lyrics by Pasek and Paul, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, and a book by Steven Levenson. The musical follows Evan Hansen, a high school senior with social anxiety, "who invents an important rol ...
'', a film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name. Both ''The Woman in the Window'' and ''Dear Evan Hansen'' were poorly received. In 2022, Adams made her first appearance in
West End theatre West End theatre is mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres in and near the West End of London.Christopher Innes"West End"in ''The Cambridge Guide to Theatre'' (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998), pp. 1194–1195, ...
in a revival of '' The Glass Menagerie'' at the
Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by ...
. She played Amanda, a matriarch struggling to raise her children, for which she drew on her own mother's fierce and determined personality. The production received mixed reviews. Dominic Cavendish of ''The Daily Telegraph'' found Adams' performance "clear, simple, believable, and quietly heart-breaking in its contained vulnerability", but ''
Evening Standard The ''London Standard'', formerly the ''Evening Standard'' (1904–2024) and originally ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), is a long-established regional newspaper published weekly and distributed free newspaper, free of charge in London, Engl ...
''s Nick Curtis found it "muted and unconvincing". She then reprised her role as Giselle in the sequel to ''Enchanted'', titled '' Disenchanted'', which premiered on
Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...
. She also recorded six songs for its
soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...
. Critics took note of Adams' enduring charm but considered the sequel inferior to its predecessor. Adams formed her own production company named Bond Group Entertainment with her manager Stacy O'Neil in 2019. Their first release came with a 2024
film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...
of the satirical novel '' Nightbitch'', starring Adams as a struggling mother who occasionally transforms into a dog. She found a connection with the material as she felt exhausted balancing her parental commitments while performing on stage. It received a polarizing reception from critics, which Adams said was the film's intent. She received another Golden Globe nomination for her performance. Adams will next star alongside Jenna Ortega in Taika Waititi's science fiction film '' Klara and the Sun'', based on the novel by
Kazuo Ishiguro is a Japanese-born English novelist, screenwriter, musician, and short-story writer. He is one of the most critically acclaimed contemporary fiction authors writing in English, having been awarded several major literary prizes, including the 2 ...
, as well as in Kornél Mundruczó's drama film '' At the Sea''.


Reception and acting style

Describing Adams' off-screen persona, Hadley Freeman of ''The Guardian'' wrote in 2016 that she "is extremely engaging, serious but with a hint of a straight-talking broad once she gets going". Carl Swanson of ''
Vulture A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to Nort ...
'' found her "suspiciously unnarcissistic for a Hollywood star, gracious, hardworking, and decent to the point of almost not being a ''celebrity''". Journalist Alex Bilmes believes that Adams' ability to be "both glamorous movie star and relatable normal person is key to her success". Adams works closely with her acting coach, Warner Loughlin, whom she credits with helping her organize and structure her thoughts. She uses an acting method Loughlin has taught her, in which she attempts to understand her character's psychology by creating the character's backstory from age three. Adams prefers to work with confident directors who give her space to think for herself. She stays in character during filming, and finds it difficult to detach herself from roles and accents. She is not influenced by the size of a role and is drawn to both leading and supporting parts. She has described herself as an obsessive performer. Jake Coyle of ''
The Washington Times ''The Washington Times'' is an American Conservatism, conservative daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It covers general interest topics with an emphasis on Politics of the United States, national politics. Its broadsheet daily edit ...
'' considers Adams an actress who does not transform herself for her roles, but who inhabits "a character with warmth and smarts while, to varying degrees, remaining herself". Meryl Streep, her co-star in ''Doubt'' and ''Julie & Julia'', has said that Adams comes highly prepared on set and possesses "a gigantic intelligence" in developing her character's arc. Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed her in ''The Master'', commends her dedication and investment in her projects. Journalists have remarked upon her "American sweetheart" persona in her 2000s roles while taking note of her increased versatility in the 2010s. Novelist Stephen Marche called Adams "the greatest actress of her generation". Describing her film career in a 2016 review of ''Arrival'', journalist and critic Anthony Lane of ''
The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'' wrote: ''
Forbes ''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
'' ranked Adams among the world's highest-paid actresses, with earnings of over $13 million in 2014, and in 2016, and over $11 million in 2017. The magazine featured her on its annual Celebrity 100 list in 2014, and also ranked her among the most powerful actresses in the business. Also that year, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine. Adams received a
star A star is a luminous spheroid of plasma (physics), plasma held together by Self-gravitation, self-gravity. The List of nearest stars and brown dwarfs, nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night sk ...
on the
Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a landmark which consists of 2,813 five-pointed terrazzo-and-brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in the Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood dist ...
in 2017. , her films have grossed over $4.7 billion worldwide. Robert Ito of ''The New York Times'' believes that her propensity for risky projects prevents her from being a bigger box-office draw. Stuart McGurk of '' GQ'' cites Adams' "porcelain skin, auburn hair, and soft, earnest speaking style" as being among her trademarks. She was named one of the most beautiful people in America by ''
Elle Elle may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Elle (magazine), ''Elle'' (magazine), a fashion publication ** Elle Style Awards * Elle (India), ''Elle'' (India), the Indian edition * Elle (film), ''Elle'' (film), a 2016 French film * ''Elle: ...
'' in 2011, and several publications have featured her red carpet appearances in their listings of best-dressed celebrities. Adams advertised Lacoste's fragrance Eau de Lacoste in 2012, and two years later, she endorsed accessories and handbags of
Max Mara Max Mara (Italian aks 'ma:ra is an Italian fashion business that markets upscale ready-to-wear clothing. It was established in 1951 in Reggio Emilia by Achille Maramotti (7 January 1927 – 12 January 2005). As of October 2024 the company ha ...
. In 2015, she collaborated with Max Mara to design and promote a line of handbags.


Personal life and off-screen work

Adams met actor and painter Darren Le Gallo at an acting class in 2001. They began dating a year later while collaborating on a short film titled ''Pennies''. They became engaged in 2008. Adams gave birth to their daughter, Aviana, in 2010. Seven years after their engagement, the couple married, in a private ceremony, at a ranch near
Santa Barbara, California Santa Barbara (, meaning ) is a coastal city in Santa Barbara County, California, of which it is also the county seat. Situated on a south-facing section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States excepting A ...
. Adams said in 2016 that she appreciates the numerous sacrifices Le Gallo had made as the primary caregiver for their family. They reside in
Beverly Hills, California Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hills ...
. She has described her family life as "pretty low-key", and has said that her routine involves going to work, taking her daughter to the park, and having weekly date nights with her husband. Adams finds little value in being a celebrity and maintains that the "more that people know about me, the less they'll believe me and my characters". She attracts little gossip or tabloid attention, and strives to keep a healthy work-life balance. She makes an effort to remain unaffected by her fame, believing that it would hinder her ability to play roles with honesty. Adams has spoken about suffering from insecurity and a lack of confidence from a young age and how motherhood had made her calmer. She frequently breaks into song when stressed at work. She has joined other actors in calling for equal pay for women in the film industry, but she finds that actresses are too often asked to explain the
gender pay gap The gender pay gap or gender wage gap is the average difference between the remuneration for men and women who are Employment, employed. Women are generally found to be paid less than men. There are two distinct measurements of the pay gap: non ...
and feels the questions should be directed instead to producers. Having experienced difficulty in her early years in the film industry, Adams works closely with underprivileged students at New York City's Ghetto Film School. ''Variety'' honored her for her work with them in 2010. She supports the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that helps troubled
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
teenagers, and served as a presenter for the 2011 event "Trevor Live". In 2013, she launched the book ''The Beauty Book for Brain Cancer'' to help raise money for brain cancer charities Snog and Headrush. The following year, she attended a charity event at the
UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center is a Teaching hospital located within the city of Santa Monica, California. The hospital was founded in 1926, and is a member of the UCLA Health. The hospital is also known internationally for operating its Rape ...
, to raise funds for sexually abused children. In 2020, Adams teamed up with actress
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Company ...
to launch the campaign #SaveWithStories to promote children's education during school closures due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. Adams is an ambassador for The RightWay Foundation, a charity that provides employment and mental health services to former foster youth. ''Variety'' honored her for her work with them in 2024.


Acting credits and awards

According to the review aggregator site
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
and the box-office site
Box Office Mojo Box Office Mojo is an American website that tracks box-office revenue in a systematic, algorithmic way. The site was founded in 1998 by Brandon Gray, and was bought in 2008 by IMDb, which itself is owned by Amazon. History Brandon Gray ...
, Adams's most critically acclaimed and commercially successful films are ''
Catch Me If You Can ''Catch Me If You Can'' is a 2002 American crime comedy-drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams, and James Brolin in ...
'' (2002), '' Junebug'' (2005), '' Enchanted'' (2007), ''
Doubt Doubt is a mental state in which the mind remains suspended between two or more contradictory propositions, and is certainty, uncertain about them. Doubt on an emotional level is indecision between belief and wikt:disbelief, disbelief. It may i ...
'' (2008), '' Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian'' (2009), ''
Julie & Julia ''Julie & Julia'' is a 2009 American biographical comedy drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams in the title roles with Stanley Tucci, Chris Messina, and Linda Emond in supporting roles. The film ...
'' (2009), '' The Fighter'' (2010), ''
The Muppets The Muppets are an American ensemble cast of puppet characters known for an surreal humor, absurdist, slapstick, burlesque, and self-referential humor, self-referential style of Musical theatre, musical Variety show, variety-sketch comedy. Cre ...
'' (2011), '' The Master'' (2012), '' Man of Steel'' (2013), ''
Her Her is the objective and possessive form of the English-language feminine pronoun she. Her, HER or H.E.R. may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Music Performers * H.E.R. (born 1997), American singer * HIM (Finnish band), once kn ...
'' (2013), '' American Hustle'' (2013), '' Big Eyes'' (2014), '' Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice'' (2016), '' Arrival'' (2016), '' Nocturnal Animals'' (2016), and ''
Justice League The Justice League, or Justice League of America (JLA), is a group of superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The team first appeared in ''The Brave and the Bold'' #28 (March 1960). Writer Gardner Fox conceived the ...
'' (2017). Among her television projects, Adams has starred in the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American pay television service, which is the flagship property of namesake parent-subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is based a ...
miniseries '' Sharp Objects'' (2018). On stage, she has appeared in
the Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...
's revival of ''
Into the Woods ''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...
'' in 2012 and in a 2022 West End revival of '' The Glass Menagerie''. Adams has received six
Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...
nominations: Best Supporting Actress for ''Junebug'' (2005), ''Doubt'' (2008), ''The Fighter'' (2010), ''The Master'' (2012), and ''
Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...
'' (2018), and Best Actress for ''American Hustle'' (2013). She has twice won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical, for ''American Hustle'' (2013) and ''Big Eyes'' (2014).


References


Further reading

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External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Adams, Amy 1974 births Living people 20th-century American actresses 21st-century American actresses 21st-century American women singers 21st-century American singers Actresses from Colorado American film actresses American stage actresses American television actresses American voice actresses Best Musical or Comedy Actress Golden Globe (film) winners Former Latter Day Saints Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female winners Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Screen Actors Guild Award winners People from Castle Rock, Colorado Sundance Film Festival award winners