Amy Adams (actress)
Encyclopedia
Amy Lou Adams is an American actress and singer. Adams began her performing career on stage in dinner theater
s before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy
film Drop Dead Gorgeous. After a series of television guest appearances and roles in B movie
s, she landed the role of Brenda Strong in 2002's Catch Me If You Can
, but her breakthrough role was in the 2005 independent film Junebug
, playing Ashley Johnsten, for which she received critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress
.
Adams subsequently starred in Disney
's 2007 film Enchanted, a critical and commercial success, and received a Golden Globe Award
nomination for her performance as Princess Giselle. She received her second Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations the following year for her role as a young nun, Sister James, in Doubt. Though she has appeared in a range of dramatic and comedic roles, Adams has gained a reputation for playing characters with cheerful and sunny dispositions. Adams starred in Sunshine Cleaning
with Emily Blunt
and Alan Arkin
, and the following year appeared as Amelia Earhart
in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
. She appeared in Julie & Julia
in 2009 portraying writer Julie Powell
followed by Leap Year
in 2010. Her recent role as Charlene Fleming in The Fighter earned Adams her third Academy Award nomination, her third Golden Globe Award, second BAFTA Award, and fifth Screen Actors Guild Award
nominations. She is scheduled to play Lois Lane
in the upcoming The Man of Steel in 2013.
, Italy, the fourth of seven children of American parents Kathryn (née
Hicken) and Richard Kent Adams. She has four brothers and two sisters. Her father, a US serviceman, was stationed at Caserma Ederle
at the time of her birth, and took the family from base to base before settling in Castle Rock, Colorado
, when she was eight or nine years old. Thereafter, her father sang professionally in restaurants, while her mother was a semi-professional bodybuilder
. Adams was raised as a Mormon, although her family left the church after her parents' divorce when she was 11 years old. She said her religious upbringing "... instilled in me a value system I still hold true. The basic 'Do unto others...', that was what was hammered into me. And love."
Throughout her years at Douglas County High School
, she sang in the school choir and trained as an apprentice at a local dance company with ambitions of becoming a ballerina
. Her parents had hoped that she would continue her athletic training, which she gave up to pursue dance, as it would have given her a chance to obtain a college scholarship. Adams later reflected on her decision not to go to college: "I wasn't one of those people who enjoyed being in school. I regret not getting an education, though." After graduating from high school, she moved to Atlanta with her mother. Deciding that she was not gifted enough to be a professional ballerina, she entered musical theater, which she found was "much better suited to [her] personality". She said that ballet was "too disciplined and too restrained and I was always told off in the chorus lines" and her body at the time was "just wrecked from dancing all these years." Upon turning 18, Adams supported herself by working as a greeter at a Gap
store while performing in community theater. For a few weeks after graduating high school, she took her first full-time job as a hostess at Hooters
, a fact that became her "entire press career" for a while. Adams left the job three weeks later after having saved enough money to buy her first car. She admitted: "... there was definitely an innocence to my interpretation of what Hooters was about. Though I did learn, quickly, that short shorts and beer don't mix!"
director, Michael Brindisi, in 1995. Adams relocated to Chanhassen, Minnesota
, and worked at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres for the next three years. While she was off work nursing a pulled muscle, she auditioned for the satirical 1999 comedy Drop Dead Gorgeous, which was being filmed in Minnesota, and was cast in her first film role. Persuaded by her Drop Dead Gorgeous co-star Kirstie Alley
, Adams moved to Los Angeles
, California, in January 1999. Describing her first year there as her "dark year" and "bleak", she recalled that she would "pine for that time" at Chanhassen because she "really loved that security and schedule", and said, "The people I worked with there were also a great family to me." Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, she was cast in Fox Network
's television series spin-off of Cruel Intentions
, Manchester Prep, in the role of Kathryn Merteuil. The series did not live up to the network's expectations and following numerous script revisions and two production shutdowns, it was canceled. The filmed episodes were then re-edited to be released as the direct-to-video film, Cruel Intentions 2
.
From 2000 to 2002, Adams appeared in a series of small films like Psycho Beach Party
while guest-starring on television series such as That '70s Show
, Charmed
, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville
and The West Wing. She then appeared in Steven Spielberg
's Catch Me If You Can
as Brenda Strong, a nurse with whom Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio
) falls in love. It was, in Spielberg's words, "the part that should have launched her career" but she was unemployed for a year after that. However, Adams said, "It was the first time I knew I could act at that level with those people. To be believed in by Steven Spielberg... it was a huge confidence booster." In 2004, she starred in The Last Run as well as voicing characters on the animated television series King of the Hill
. She was also cast as a regular in the television series, Dr. Vegas
, in the role of Alice Doherty but was later fired after a contract dispute.
and auditioned for the role of Ashley Johnsten, a young, cheerful and talkative pregnant woman. Director Phil Morrison
explains his decision to cast Adams: "Lots of people looked at Ashley and thought, 'What's the sorrow she's masking?' To me, the fact that Amy didn't approach it from the angle of 'What's she covering up?' was key." The film was shot in 21 days in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
. During that time, Adams turned 30 and was worried about her film career: "I thought maybe I should move to New York, maybe I should do something else. It wasn't that I was quitting or making a dramatic statement. It was more like maybe this just wasn't a good fit." On the experience of making Junebug, Adams said, "It was really empowering. At the end of the summer I was unemployed but I was happy and I was proud. I was like, you know what, I'm done with being pushed around." Junebug premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival
with Adams winning a Special Jury Prize for her performance.
After the theatrical release of The Wedding Date
, in which Adams appeared alongside Debra Messing
and Dermot Mulroney
, Junebug was released in theaters by Sony Pictures Classics
. Adams earned critical accolades for her work in Junebug; Carina Chocano of Los Angeles Times
noted, "Adams' performance in a role that could have easily devolved into caricature is complex and nuanced." Joe Leydon
of Variety
commented, "Partly due to her character's generosity of spirit, but mostly due to her own charisma, Adams dominates pic with her appealing portrayal of a nonjudgmental optimist savvy enough to recognize the shortcomings of others, but sweet enough to offer encouragement, not condemnation". She received several awards for Best Supporting Actress including the National Society of Film Critics
award and the Independent Spirit Award
. She was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Academy Award
. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
invited Adams to become a member in 2006.
Although Junebug had a limited audience, Adams' critically acclaimed performance in the film helped to increase interest in her acting career. Adams went on to appear in films like Standing Still and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
, and played the recurring guest role of Katy on the television series The Office. After providing the voice for Polly Purebred in Walt Disney Pictures
' Underdog
, Adams starred in Disney's 2007 big-budget animated/live-action feature film, Enchanted. The film, which co-stars Patrick Dempsey
, Idina Menzel
, Susan Sarandon
and James Marsden
, revolves around Giselle, who is forced from her 2D-animated world to real-life New York City. Adams was amongst 300 or so actresses who auditioned for the role of Giselle, but she stood out to director Kevin Lima because her "commitment to the character, her ability to escape into the character's being without ever judging the character was overwhelming".
Enchanted was a commercial success, grossing more than $340 million worldwide. Her performance was well received by the critics, with Todd McCarthy of Variety describing Enchanted as a star-making vehicle for Adams the way Mary Poppins
was for Julie Andrews
. Roger Ebert
of Chicago Sun-Times
commented that Adams was "fresh and winning", while Wesley Morris
of The Boston Globe
stated that she "demonstrates a real performer's ingenuity for comic timing and physical eloquence". Adams garnered a Golden Globe Award
nomination for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
, a Critics' Choice Award
nomination for Best Actress
, and the Saturn Award for Best Actress. Three of the film's songs were nominated for Best Original Song
at the 80th Academy Awards
. Adams performed one of the songs, "Happy Working Song
", live on stage during the Oscar ceremony. "That's How You Know
", originally performed by Adams in the film, was sung by Kristin Chenoweth
at the ceremony. In an interview, Adams remarked that the song was "perfect" for Chenoweth since Chenoweth "was a huge inspiration for how [she] approached Giselle".
The success of Enchanted increased Adams' media exposure during the 2007–08 film awards season. As well as appearing on the covers of Interview
, Elle
and the Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair
, which named her as one of the "10 fresh faces of 2008", Adams hosted the seventh episode of the 33rd season of Saturday Night Live
in March 2008. In the episode, she played various characters, including Heidi Klum
, as well as singing "What is this Feeling" from Wicked
in a mock battle with SNL cast member Kristen Wiig
during the opening monologue. Adams appeared in Charlie Wilson's War
, co-starring with Tom Hanks
, Julia Roberts
and Philip Seymour Hoffman
. Adams portrayed Bonnie Bach, the title character
's administrative assistant. On the experience of making the film, Adams said, "It was so much fun. Just to be on that set and learn from these people and get to watch Philip Seymour Hoffman and Tom Hanks do these amazing scenes together, directed by Mike Nichols
, it was for me like going to school." Adams' next project was Sunshine Cleaning
playing a single mother who starts her own crime scene clean-up business in order to make enough money to send her son to a private school. The film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
and received mixed reviews. When it received a limited theatrical release in March 2009, it was generally well-received. Mick LaSalle
of San Francisco Chronicle
gave the film a positive review, saying: "The play of emotion on Amy Adams' face is the main reason to see Sunshine Cleaning."
, in which she plays Delysia Lafosse, an aspiring American actress living in London whose life is changed after meeting a governess named Miss Pettigrew, played by Frances McDormand
. While the film received generally favorable reviews, Adams' role was noted to be similar to her joyful and naïve characters in Junebug and Enchanted. Carina Chocano of Los Angeles Times stated that "Adams is amazingly adept at playing smart playing dumb". Similarly, Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter
wrote that "Adams more or less reprises her princess from Enchanted, only with a beguiling touch of ditzy naughtiness". When asked whether she is in danger of being typecast
, Adams responded, "Not at this point... Right now I'm just doing what I enjoy and I've done some different films, I've done some different types of roles. I've done drama this year, we had a film at Sundance (Sunshine Cleaning), but I enjoy playing upbeat characters, I really do because you take your characters home with you whether you intend to or not." In another interview, Adams said, "I think I just respond to those kinds of characters... They're so layered, and I love the fact that they've made this choice to be joyful... I really identify with that sense of hope." She also noted that before dyeing her naturally blonde hair red, she mostly played the role of "the bitchy girl".
In late 2008, Adams starred in Doubt, an adaptation of John Patrick Shanley
's play of the same name, as the young and innocent Sister James alongside Meryl Streep
, Philip Seymour Hoffman
and Viola Davis
. After being informed of the project by her Sunshine Cleaning co-star, Emily Blunt, Adams pursued the role of Sister James but was told that it had already been offered to another actor. Shanley eventually cast Adams in the role because "she's got this Ingrid Bergman
thing going on, this luminosity. You see a good person struggling in this complicated world. She's fiercely intelligent but has this peculiar innocence about her. She has a beautiful face of light." On acting alongside Streep and Hoffman, Adams revealed that there was "a sense of uncertainty, a sense of doubt, a sense of wanting to please these amazing actors". The film was well-received by the critics, while Adams' role was noted to be the "least-showy" among the four major parts. Though her performance was criticized by Manohla Dargis
of The New York Times as "unsteady", Todd McCarthy of Variety
commented that "Adams does all anyone could with the role of a nice young nun." Mick LaSalle of San Francisco Chronicle wrote: "Adams provides one of the film's singular advantages. She takes the role of Sister James, which onstage seemed little more than a sounding board for Sister Aloysius, and turns the young nun into someone quite specific and lovely." Adams was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 81st Academy Awards
, the 66th Golden Globe Awards
, the 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards
, and the 62nd British Academy Film Awards
.
Adams' next role was Amelia Earhart
in Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian, opposite Ben Stiller
. The film premiered over the 2009 Memorial Day
weekend and topped the U.S. box office with a gross of $15.3 million on its first day, beating Terminator Salvation
. Although the film received "mixed or average reviews", Adams' performance was praised by most critics. Among those to give it a positive review, Michael Phillips
of the Chicago Tribune
thought that the film "radically improves whenever Amy Adams pops up as aviatrix Amelia Earhart... she's terrific —a sparkling screen presence"; and Owen Gleiberman
of Entertainment Weekly
wrote that "Battle of the Smithsonian has plenty of life. But it's Adams who gives it zing." On the other hand, Ty Burr
of The Boston Globe
disliked the film, describing Adams' Earhart as "a flighty pill with no resemblance to the woman herself". While Lael Loewenstein of Variety thought Adams was "trying a bit too hard", Roger Ebert
commented that she was the only actor who surpassed the material. The film's director, Shawn Levy
, says of her: "I don't know that there's a better actress in her generation... I mean, there are other big female actors, but someone who can do Doubt and Julie & Julia, and Night at the Museum 2, all in the same year? Her range is almost unparalleled. It's a huge part of why we feel that this movie is even better than the first." That same year Adams starred in Julie & Julia
alongside her Doubt co-star Meryl Streep as Julia Child
and Adams as government secretary, Julie Powell
, who decides to cook all of the recipes in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
.
In 2010 Adams appeared in two films, the romantic comedy, Leap Year
, and as Charlene Fleming, the aggressive and gritty girlfriend of Irish Micky Ward
, in The Fighter. The Best Picture
nominated-film received critical praise for its actors in which Adams starred alongside Mark Wahlberg
, Christian Bale
and Melissa Leo
. Adams received acclaim for her work and was praised for taking on such a volatile and aggressive character. This was noted to be Adams' definitive performance because of the rough edges and darkness mixed with authenticity that she brought to the role. For her role in The Fighter, Adams was nominated for the BAFTA Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, two Screen Actors Guild
Awards, Golden Globe
and an Academy Award
for Best Supporting Actress losing the latter three awards to her co-star Leo. In 2011 she again worked Disney, starring in The Muppets
alongside Jason Segel
and The Muppets
where she returned to singing.
Her upcoming projects include Daughter of the Queen of Sheba and an adaptation of Adena Halpern's novel The Ten Best Days of My Life, which she will also be producing. Adams is also set to appear in the film On the Road
opposite Viggo Mortensen
. It was recently announced that Adams will portray Lois Lane
opposite Henry Cavill
as Superman
in the upcoming comic book reboot film, Man of Steel. Produced by The Dark Knight
director Christopher Nolan
, director Zack Snyder
said in statement, "We are excited to announce the casting of Amy Adams, one of the most versatile and respected actresses in films today. Amy has the talent to capture all of the qualities we love about Lois: smart, tough, funny, warm, ambitious and, of course, beautiful." She is also set to star in the upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson
2012 film, The Master
as the wife of Philip Seymour Hoffman
's character.
Adams will voice a jaguar named Gia in the upcoming animated film, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted alongside Ben Stiller
, Chris Rock
, David Schwimmer
, and Jada Pinkett Smith
.
." About a year after they met, Adams and Le Gallo acted together in a short film called Pennies over one weekend, during which they became better acquainted with each other. They started dating shortly thereafter. On May 15, 2010, Adams gave birth to the couple's first child, a girl named Aviana Olea Le Gallo.
Dinner theater
Dinner theater is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. Sometimes the play is incidental entertainment, secondary to the meal, in the style of a sophisticated night club, or the play may be a major production with dinner less important, or in some...
s before making her screen debut in the 1999 black comedy
Black comedy
A black comedy, or dark comedy, is a comic work that employs black humor or gallows humor. The definition of black humor is problematic; it has been argued that it corresponds to the earlier concept of gallows humor; and that, as humor has been defined since Freud as a comedic act that anesthetizes...
film Drop Dead Gorgeous. After a series of television guest appearances and roles in B movie
B movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
s, she landed the role of Brenda Strong in 2002's Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor...
, but her breakthrough role was in the 2005 independent film Junebug
Junebug (film)
Junebug is a 2005 American comedy-drama film directed by Phil Morrison. It was released on August 3, 2005 and stars Amy Adams, Alessandro Nivola, Embeth Davidtz, and Benjamin McKenzie...
, playing Ashley Johnsten, for which she received critical acclaim and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
.
Adams subsequently starred in Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
's 2007 film Enchanted, a critical and commercial success, and received a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
nomination for her performance as Princess Giselle. She received her second Academy Award and Golden Globe Award nominations the following year for her role as a young nun, Sister James, in Doubt. Though she has appeared in a range of dramatic and comedic roles, Adams has gained a reputation for playing characters with cheerful and sunny dispositions. Adams starred in Sunshine Cleaning
Sunshine Cleaning
Sunshine Cleaning is a 2008 comedy-drama film starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Directed by Christine Jeffs and written by Megan Holley, the film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2008. It was purchased by Overture Films for distribution and opened in limited release in...
with Emily Blunt
Emily Blunt
Emily Olivia Leah Blunt is an English actress best known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada , The Young Victoria , and The Adjustment Bureau . She has been nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, two London Film Critics' Circle Awards, and one BAFTA Award...
and Alan Arkin
Alan Arkin
Alan Wolf Arkin is an American actor, director, musician and singer. He is known for starring in such films as Wait Until Dark, The Russians Are Coming, the Russians Are Coming, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, Catch-22, The In-Laws, Edward Scissorhands, Glengarry Glen Ross, Marley & Me, and...
, and the following year appeared as Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
in Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is an American adventure comedy film directed by Shawn Levy, and starring Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, and Steve Coogan. The film is a sequel to Night at the Museum...
. She appeared in Julie & Julia
Julie & Julia
Julie & Julia is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Amy Adams, and Chris Messina...
in 2009 portraying writer Julie Powell
Julie Powell
Julie Powell is an American author best known for her book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen.- Biography :...
followed by Leap Year
Leap Year (2010 film)
Leap Year is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Anand Tucker. The film, which is largely set in Ireland and stars Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, premiered in New York City on January 6, 2010.-Plot:...
in 2010. Her recent role as Charlene Fleming in The Fighter earned Adams her third Academy Award nomination, her third Golden Globe Award, second BAFTA Award, and fifth Screen Actors Guild Award
Screen Actors Guild Awards
A Screen Actors Guild Award is an accolade given by the Screen Actors Guild to recognize outstanding performances by its members. The statuette given, a nude male figure holding both a mask of comedy and a mask of tragedy, is called "The Actor"...
nominations. She is scheduled to play Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
in the upcoming The Man of Steel in 2013.
Early life
Adams was born in VicenzaVicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
, Italy, the fourth of seven children of American parents Kathryn (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Hicken) and Richard Kent Adams. She has four brothers and two sisters. Her father, a US serviceman, was stationed at Caserma Ederle
Caserma Ederle
Caserma Ederle is an Italian post where the U.S. Army has troops stationed located in Vicenza, Italy. A small number of members of other U.S. services are also stationed there. The post serves as the headquarters of United States Army Africa and the 173d Airborne Brigade. Caserma Ederle serves as...
at the time of her birth, and took the family from base to base before settling in Castle Rock, Colorado
Castle Rock, Colorado
The Town of Castle Rock is the county seat of Douglas County, Colorado, United States and is named for the prominent castle tower-shaped butte near the center of town. It is part of Colorado's Front Range Urban Corridor and is located roughly 28 miles south of Denver and 37 miles north of...
, when she was eight or nine years old. Thereafter, her father sang professionally in restaurants, while her mother was a semi-professional bodybuilder
Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding is a form of body modification involving intensive muscle hypertrophy. An individual who engages in this activity is referred to as a bodybuilder. In competitive and professional bodybuilding, bodybuilders display their physiques to a panel of judges, who assign points based on their...
. Adams was raised as a Mormon, although her family left the church after her parents' divorce when she was 11 years old. She said her religious upbringing "... instilled in me a value system I still hold true. The basic 'Do unto others...', that was what was hammered into me. And love."
Throughout her years at Douglas County High School
Douglas County High School (Castle Rock, Colorado)
Douglas County High School is a public high school in Castle Rock, Colorado and it is the oldest school in the Douglas County School District.-History:...
, she sang in the school choir and trained as an apprentice at a local dance company with ambitions of becoming a ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
. Her parents had hoped that she would continue her athletic training, which she gave up to pursue dance, as it would have given her a chance to obtain a college scholarship. Adams later reflected on her decision not to go to college: "I wasn't one of those people who enjoyed being in school. I regret not getting an education, though." After graduating from high school, she moved to Atlanta with her mother. Deciding that she was not gifted enough to be a professional ballerina, she entered musical theater, which she found was "much better suited to [her] personality". She said that ballet was "too disciplined and too restrained and I was always told off in the chorus lines" and her body at the time was "just wrecked from dancing all these years." Upon turning 18, Adams supported herself by working as a greeter at a Gap
Gap (clothing retailer)
The Gap, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer based in San Francisco, California, and founded in 1969 by Donald G. Fisher and Doris F. Fisher. The company has five primary brands: the namesake Gap banner, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta. As of September 2008,...
store while performing in community theater. For a few weeks after graduating high school, she took her first full-time job as a hostess at Hooters
Hooters
Hooters is the trade name of two privately held American restaurant chains: Hooters of America, Incorporated, based in Atlanta, Georgia, and Hooters, Incorporated, based in Clearwater, Florida...
, a fact that became her "entire press career" for a while. Adams left the job three weeks later after having saved enough money to buy her first car. She admitted: "... there was definitely an innocence to my interpretation of what Hooters was about. Though I did learn, quickly, that short shorts and beer don't mix!"
1995–2004: Early work
Adams began working professionally as a dancer at Boulder's Dinner Theatre and Country Dinner Playhouse. There, she was spotted by a Minneapolis dinner theaterDinner theater
Dinner theater is a form of entertainment that combines a restaurant meal with a staged play or musical. Sometimes the play is incidental entertainment, secondary to the meal, in the style of a sophisticated night club, or the play may be a major production with dinner less important, or in some...
director, Michael Brindisi, in 1995. Adams relocated to Chanhassen, Minnesota
Chanhassen, Minnesota
Chanhassen is a city in Carver and Hennepin counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is southwest of Minneapolis. The population was 22,952 at the 2010 census....
, and worked at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres for the next three years. While she was off work nursing a pulled muscle, she auditioned for the satirical 1999 comedy Drop Dead Gorgeous, which was being filmed in Minnesota, and was cast in her first film role. Persuaded by her Drop Dead Gorgeous co-star Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Louise Alley is an American actress known for her role in the TV show Cheers, in which she played Rebecca Howe from 1987–1993, winning an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991...
, Adams moved to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California, in January 1999. Describing her first year there as her "dark year" and "bleak", she recalled that she would "pine for that time" at Chanhassen because she "really loved that security and schedule", and said, "The people I worked with there were also a great family to me." Shortly after arriving in Los Angeles, she was cast in Fox Network
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's television series spin-off of Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions
Cruel Intentions is a 1999 American drama film starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, and Selma Blair. The film is an adaptation of the 18th-century French epistolary novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Laclos and is set among wealthy teenagers living in modern New York...
, Manchester Prep, in the role of Kathryn Merteuil. The series did not live up to the network's expectations and following numerous script revisions and two production shutdowns, it was canceled. The filmed episodes were then re-edited to be released as the direct-to-video film, Cruel Intentions 2
Cruel Intentions 2
Cruel Intentions 2 is the 2000 American comedy-drama prequel to Cruel Intentions and was released direct-to-video. It was written and directed by Roger Kumble, who was also responsible for the first film. The film stars Robin Dunne, Sarah Thompson, Amy Adams, and Keri Lynn Pratt...
.
From 2000 to 2002, Adams appeared in a series of small films like Psycho Beach Party
Psycho Beach Party
Psycho Beach Party is a 2000 Comedy horror film based on the off-Broadway play of the same name, directed by Robert Lee King. Charles Busch wrote both the original play and the screenplay...
while guest-starring on television series such as That '70s Show
That '70s Show
That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
, Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
and The West Wing. She then appeared in Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
's Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can
Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor...
as Brenda Strong, a nurse with whom Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo DiCaprio
Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio is an American actor and film producer. He has received many awards, including a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor for his performance in The Aviator , and has been nominated by the Academy Awards, Screen Actors Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television...
) falls in love. It was, in Spielberg's words, "the part that should have launched her career" but she was unemployed for a year after that. However, Adams said, "It was the first time I knew I could act at that level with those people. To be believed in by Steven Spielberg... it was a huge confidence booster." In 2004, she starred in The Last Run as well as voicing characters on the animated television series King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
. She was also cast as a regular in the television series, Dr. Vegas
Dr. Vegas
Dr. Vegas is a television drama starring Rob Lowe and Joe Pantoliano that ran on CBS in 2004. It aired in Ireland on TG4, and on Challenge in the UK as part of its "Player" gambling strand. In Slovakia, Markíza began airing the show on February 20, 2008....
, in the role of Alice Doherty but was later fired after a contract dispute.
2005–2007: Critical success and breakthrough
Prior to leaving Dr. Vegas, she had received the script for the low-budget independent film JunebugJunebug (film)
Junebug is a 2005 American comedy-drama film directed by Phil Morrison. It was released on August 3, 2005 and stars Amy Adams, Alessandro Nivola, Embeth Davidtz, and Benjamin McKenzie...
and auditioned for the role of Ashley Johnsten, a young, cheerful and talkative pregnant woman. Director Phil Morrison
Phil Morrison (director)
Phil Morrison is an American film director best known for the Academy Award-nominated feature film, Junebug.In 2006, Morrison directed the "Get a Mac" advertising campaign for Apple Inc..-External links:...
explains his decision to cast Adams: "Lots of people looked at Ashley and thought, 'What's the sorrow she's masking?' To me, the fact that Amy didn't approach it from the angle of 'What's she covering up?' was key." The film was shot in 21 days in Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
. During that time, Adams turned 30 and was worried about her film career: "I thought maybe I should move to New York, maybe I should do something else. It wasn't that I was quitting or making a dramatic statement. It was more like maybe this just wasn't a good fit." On the experience of making Junebug, Adams said, "It was really empowering. At the end of the summer I was unemployed but I was happy and I was proud. I was like, you know what, I'm done with being pushed around." Junebug premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
with Adams winning a Special Jury Prize for her performance.
After the theatrical release of The Wedding Date
The Wedding Date
The Wedding Date is a 2005 romantic comedy directed by Clare Kilner, who also directed How to Deal . The release was successful achieving $47 million worldwide at the box office against a budget of $15 million...
, in which Adams appeared alongside Debra Messing
Debra Messing
Debra Lynn Messing is an American actress, voice artist, and comedienne. She is perhaps best known for her role as Grace Adler in the NBC sitcom Will & Grace and as Molly Kagan in the mini-series The Starter Wife....
and Dermot Mulroney
Dermot Mulroney
-Early life:Mulroney was born in Alexandria, Virginia, the son of Ellen, a housewife and amateur actress originally from Manchester, Iowa, and Michael Mulroney, a law professor at Villanova University School of Law, originally from Elkader, Iowa. He has a sister, Moira, and three brothers, Conor,...
, Junebug was released in theaters by Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics is an art-house film division of Sony Pictures Entertainment founded in December 1991 that distributes, produces and acquires specialty films from the United States and around the world. Its co-presidents are Michael Barker and Tom Bernard...
. Adams earned critical accolades for her work in Junebug; Carina Chocano of Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
noted, "Adams' performance in a role that could have easily devolved into caricature is complex and nuanced." Joe Leydon
Joe Leydon
Joseph Patrick Michael "Joe" Leydon is an American film critic and historian. A critic and correspondent for Variety and a contributing writer for MovieMaker Magazine, he is the author of Joe Leydon's Guide to Essential Movies You Must See and a contributing critic for Leonard Maltin's Movie...
of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
commented, "Partly due to her character's generosity of spirit, but mostly due to her own charisma, Adams dominates pic with her appealing portrayal of a nonjudgmental optimist savvy enough to recognize the shortcomings of others, but sweet enough to offer encouragement, not condemnation". She received several awards for Best Supporting Actress including the National Society of Film Critics
National Society of Film Critics
The National Society of Film Critics is an American film critic organization. As of December 2007 the NSFC had approximately 60 members who wrote for a variety of weekly and daily newspapers.-History:...
award and the Independent Spirit Award
Independent Spirit Awards
The Independent Spirit Awards , founded in 1984, are awards dedicated to independent filmmakers. Winners were typically presented with acrylic glass pyramids containing suspended shoestrings representing the paltry budgets of independent films. In 1986, the event was renamed the Independent Spirit...
. She was also nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award and an Academy Award
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress
Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the...
. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures...
invited Adams to become a member in 2006.
Although Junebug had a limited audience, Adams' critically acclaimed performance in the film helped to increase interest in her acting career. Adams went on to appear in films like Standing Still and Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film also features John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Various Saturday Night Live alumni also...
, and played the recurring guest role of Katy on the television series The Office. After providing the voice for Polly Purebred in Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film studio owned by The Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Pictures and Television, a subsidiary of the Walt Disney Studios and the main production company for live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group, based at the Walt Disney...
' Underdog
Underdog (film)
Underdog is a 2007 American live-action comedy film based on the cartoon series of the same name. The film was directed by Frederik Du Chau and stars Peter Dinklage as Dr. Simon Bar Sinister, Patrick Warburton as Cad Lackley, and Jason Lee as the voice of Underdog. The film also stars Jim Belushi,...
, Adams starred in Disney's 2007 big-budget animated/live-action feature film, Enchanted. The film, which co-stars Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Galen Dempsey is an American actor, known for his role as neurosurgeon Dr. Derek Shepherd on the medical drama Grey's Anatomy. Prior to Grey's Anatomy he made several television appearances and was nominated for an Emmy Award...
, Idina Menzel
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel is an American actress, singer and songwriter. She is widely known for originating the roles of Maureen in Rent and Elphaba in Wicked.-Early life:...
, Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon
Susan Sarandon is an American actress. She has worked in films and television since 1969, and won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the 1995 film Dead Man Walking. She had also been nominated for the award for four films before that and has received other recognition for her...
and James Marsden
James Marsden
James Paul Marsden is an American actor, singer and former Versace model. He is known for playing the superhero Cyclops in the first three X-Men films and for his roles in other commercially successful films such as Hop, Superman Returns, Hairspray, Enchanted, The Box, and 27 Dresses.-Early life...
, revolves around Giselle, who is forced from her 2D-animated world to real-life New York City. Adams was amongst 300 or so actresses who auditioned for the role of Giselle, but she stood out to director Kevin Lima because her "commitment to the character, her ability to escape into the character's being without ever judging the character was overwhelming".
Enchanted was a commercial success, grossing more than $340 million worldwide. Her performance was well received by the critics, with Todd McCarthy of Variety describing Enchanted as a star-making vehicle for Adams the way Mary Poppins
Mary Poppins (film)
Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by...
was for Julie Andrews
Julie Andrews
Dame Julia Elizabeth Andrews, DBE is an English film and stage actress, singer, and author. She is the recipient of Golden Globe, Emmy, Grammy, BAFTA, People's Choice Award, Theatre World Award, Screen Actors Guild and Academy Award honors...
. Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
of Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
commented that Adams was "fresh and winning", while Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris
Wesley Morris is a film critic at The Boston Globe where he reviews films alongside Ty Burr. Morris and Burr also make regular appearances on NECN to discuss the latest films and do the weekly Take Two film review video series on Boston.com...
of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
stated that she "demonstrates a real performer's ingenuity for comic timing and physical eloquence". Adams garnered a Golden Globe Award
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
nomination for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as a separate category in 1950...
, a Critics' Choice Award
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards 2007
The 13th Critics' Choice Awards were given on 7 January 2008 to honor the finest achievements in 2007 filmmaking.-Winners and nominees:The nominees in each of the 18 categories are listed below :-Best Actor:...
nomination for Best Actress
BFCA Critics' Choice Award for Best Actress
The Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress is one of nineteen awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Broadcast Film Critics Association.- List of winners and nominees :...
, and the Saturn Award for Best Actress. Three of the film's songs were nominated for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
at the 80th Academy Awards
80th Academy Awards
The 80th Academy Awards ceremony honored the best films in 2007 and was broadcast from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California on ABC beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST/8:30 p.m. EST, February 24, 2008 . During the ceremony, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences presented Academy Awards in 24...
. Adams performed one of the songs, "Happy Working Song
Happy Working Song
"Happy Working Song" is a musical number from the 2007 Disney film Enchanted, with music composed by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Performed by the film's lead actress, Amy Adams, the song pays an homage to such Disney songs as "Whistle While You Work" from Snow White and the Seven...
", live on stage during the Oscar ceremony. "That's How You Know
That's How You Know
The song was covered by Demi Lovato on DisneyMania 6. Lovato's version deviates heavily from the original, having a very different chord progression in the background, eliminating all traces of the calypso influence, and relying heavily on electric guitars and drums. It was her first and final...
", originally performed by Adams in the film, was sung by Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth
Kristin Chenoweth is an American singer and actress, with credits in musical theatre, film and television. She is best known on Broadway for her performance as Sally Brown in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown , for which she won a Tony Award, and for originating the role of Glinda in the musical...
at the ceremony. In an interview, Adams remarked that the song was "perfect" for Chenoweth since Chenoweth "was a huge inspiration for how [she] approached Giselle".
The success of Enchanted increased Adams' media exposure during the 2007–08 film awards season. As well as appearing on the covers of Interview
Interview (magazine)
Interview is an American magazine which has the nickname The Crystal Ball Of Pop. It was founded in late 1969 by artist Andy Warhol. The magazine features intimate conversations between some of the world's biggest celebrities, artists, musicians, and creative thinkers...
, Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
and the Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, which named her as one of the "10 fresh faces of 2008", Adams hosted the seventh episode of the 33rd season of Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
in March 2008. In the episode, she played various characters, including Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum
Heidi Samuel , better known by her birth name Heidi Klum, is a German model, actress, television host, businesswoman, fashion designer, television producer, and occasional singer. In 2008 she became an American citizen while maintaining her native German citizenship...
, as well as singing "What is this Feeling" from Wicked
Wicked (musical)
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West , a parallel novel of the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and L. Frank Baum's classic story The Wonderful Wizard...
in a mock battle with SNL cast member Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiig
Kristen Carroll Wiig is an American film and television actress who currently appears as a cast member on Saturday Night Live. Wiig was a member of improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings, and has appeared in several films and television series, including Bridesmaids, MacGruber, Flight of...
during the opening monologue. Adams appeared in Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson's War
Charlie Wilson's War is a 2007 American biographical comedy drama film recounting the true story of U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson who partnered with "bare knuckle attitude" CIA operative Gust Avrakotos to launch Operation Cyclone, a program to organize and support the Afghan mujahideen in their...
, co-starring with Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
, Julia Roberts
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
and Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
. Adams portrayed Bonnie Bach, the title character
Charles Wilson (politician)
Charles "Charlie" Nesbitt Wilson was a United States naval officer and former 12-term Democratic United States Representative from the 2nd congressional district in Texas....
's administrative assistant. On the experience of making the film, Adams said, "It was so much fun. Just to be on that set and learn from these people and get to watch Philip Seymour Hoffman and Tom Hanks do these amazing scenes together, directed by Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols
Mike Nichols is a German-born American television, stage and film director, writer, producer and comedian. He began his career in the 1950s as one half of the comedy duo Nichols and May, along with Elaine May. In 1968 he won the Academy Award for Best Director for the film The Graduate...
, it was for me like going to school." Adams' next project was Sunshine Cleaning
Sunshine Cleaning
Sunshine Cleaning is a 2008 comedy-drama film starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Directed by Christine Jeffs and written by Megan Holley, the film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2008. It was purchased by Overture Films for distribution and opened in limited release in...
playing a single mother who starts her own crime scene clean-up business in order to make enough money to send her son to a private school. The film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival
2008 Sundance Film Festival
The 2008 Sundance Film Festival ran from January 17, 2008 to January 27 in Park City, Utah. It was the 24th iteration of the Sundance Film Festival. The opening night film was In Bruges and the closing night film was CSNY Déjà Vu.-Films:...
and received mixed reviews. When it received a limited theatrical release in March 2009, it was generally well-received. Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle is an American Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] Mick LaSalle is an [[United States|American]] [[film reviewer] and the author of two books on pre-[[Motion Picture Production Code|Hays Code]] Hollywood...
of San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
gave the film a positive review, saying: "The play of emotion on Amy Adams' face is the main reason to see Sunshine Cleaning."
2008–present
Her first theatrically released film of 2008 was the 1939-set film Miss Pettigrew Lives for a DayMiss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a 2008 British/American romantic comedy film directed by Bharat Nalluri. The screenplay by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy is based on the 1938 novel of the same name by Winifred Watson.-Plot:...
, in which she plays Delysia Lafosse, an aspiring American actress living in London whose life is changed after meeting a governess named Miss Pettigrew, played by Frances McDormand
Frances McDormand
Frances Louise McDormand is an American film and stage actress. She has starred in a number of films, including her Academy Award-winning performance as Marge Gunderson in Fargo, in 1996...
. While the film received generally favorable reviews, Adams' role was noted to be similar to her joyful and naïve characters in Junebug and Enchanted. Carina Chocano of Los Angeles Times stated that "Adams is amazingly adept at playing smart playing dumb". Similarly, Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
wrote that "Adams more or less reprises her princess from Enchanted, only with a beguiling touch of ditzy naughtiness". When asked whether she is in danger of being typecast
Typecasting (acting)
In TV, film, and theatre, typecasting is the process by which a particular actor becomes strongly identified with a specific character; one or more particular roles; or, characters having the same traits or coming from the same social or ethnic groups...
, Adams responded, "Not at this point... Right now I'm just doing what I enjoy and I've done some different films, I've done some different types of roles. I've done drama this year, we had a film at Sundance (Sunshine Cleaning), but I enjoy playing upbeat characters, I really do because you take your characters home with you whether you intend to or not." In another interview, Adams said, "I think I just respond to those kinds of characters... They're so layered, and I love the fact that they've made this choice to be joyful... I really identify with that sense of hope." She also noted that before dyeing her naturally blonde hair red, she mostly played the role of "the bitchy girl".
In late 2008, Adams starred in Doubt, an adaptation of John Patrick Shanley
John Patrick Shanley
John Patrick Shanley is an American playwright, screenwriter, and director. He also contributed articles on the performing arts to The New York Times among other publications.-Life and career:...
's play of the same name, as the young and innocent Sister James alongside Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep
Mary Louise "Meryl" Streep is an American actress who has worked in theatre, television and film.Streep made her professional stage debut in 1971's The Playboy of Seville, before her screen debut in the television movie The Deadliest Season in 1977. In that same year, she made her film debut with...
, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
and Viola Davis
Viola Davis
Viola Davis is an American actress.Known primarily as a stage actress, Davis won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and a Drama Desk Award for her role in King Hedley II . She won a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her role in the...
. After being informed of the project by her Sunshine Cleaning co-star, Emily Blunt, Adams pursued the role of Sister James but was told that it had already been offered to another actor. Shanley eventually cast Adams in the role because "she's got this Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman
Ingrid Bergman was a Swedish actress who starred in a variety of European and American films. She won three Academy Awards, two Emmy Awards, and the Tony Award for Best Actress. She is ranked as the fourth greatest female star of American cinema of all time by the American Film Institute...
thing going on, this luminosity. You see a good person struggling in this complicated world. She's fiercely intelligent but has this peculiar innocence about her. She has a beautiful face of light." On acting alongside Streep and Hoffman, Adams revealed that there was "a sense of uncertainty, a sense of doubt, a sense of wanting to please these amazing actors". The film was well-received by the critics, while Adams' role was noted to be the "least-showy" among the four major parts. Though her performance was criticized by Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis
Manohla Dargis is a chief film critic for The New York Times, along with A.O. Scott. She was formerly a chief film critic for the Los Angeles Times, the film editor at the LA Weekly, and a film critic at The Village Voice. She has written for a variety of publications, including Film Comment and...
of The New York Times as "unsteady", Todd McCarthy of Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
commented that "Adams does all anyone could with the role of a nice young nun." Mick LaSalle of San Francisco Chronicle wrote: "Adams provides one of the film's singular advantages. She takes the role of Sister James, which onstage seemed little more than a sounding board for Sister Aloysius, and turns the young nun into someone quite specific and lovely." Adams was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the 81st Academy Awards
81st Academy Awards
The 81st Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2008 and took place February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST...
, the 66th Golden Globe Awards
66th Golden Globe Awards
The 66th Golden Globe Awards Ceremony was broadcast on January 11, 2009, from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, United States on the NBC TV network...
, the 15th Screen Actors Guild Awards
15th Screen Actors Guild Awards
----Best Cast - Motion Picture: Slumdog Millionaire----Best Cast - Drama Series: Mad Men Best Cast - Comedy Series: 30 Rock ...
, and the 62nd British Academy Film Awards
62nd British Academy Film Awards
The 62nd British Academy Film Awards, hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, took place on 8 February 2009, and honoured the best films of 2008.-Best Actor:Mickey Rourke – The Wrestler*Frank Langella – Frost/Nixon...
.
Adams' next role was Amelia Earhart
Amelia Earhart
Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean...
in Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian, opposite Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
. The film premiered over the 2009 Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend and topped the U.S. box office with a gross of $15.3 million on its first day, beating Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation
Terminator Salvation is a 2009 American science fiction action film directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington. The fourth installment in the Terminator series, the film is set in 2018 and focuses on the war between Skynet and humanity, with the human Resistance fighting...
. Although the film received "mixed or average reviews", Adams' performance was praised by most critics. Among those to give it a positive review, Michael Phillips
Michael Phillips (critic)
Michael Phillips is a film critic for the Chicago Tribune newspaper. Previously he was the drama critic of the Tribune; the Los Angeles Times; the St. Paul Pioneer Press; the San Diego Union-Tribune; and the Dallas Times Herald....
of the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
thought that the film "radically improves whenever Amy Adams pops up as aviatrix Amelia Earhart... she's terrific —a sparkling screen presence"; and Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman
Owen Gleiberman is an American film critic for Entertainment Weekly, a position he has held since the magazine's launch in 1990. From 1981–89, he worked at the Boston Phoenix....
of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
wrote that "Battle of the Smithsonian has plenty of life. But it's Adams who gives it zing." On the other hand, Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Ty Burr has been a film critic for the Boston Globe since 2002 where he reviews films alongside Wesley Morris.Born in 1957, he studied film at Dartmouth College and New York University and has written three books: The Hundred Greatest Movies of All Time, The Hundred Greatest Stars of All Time and...
of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
disliked the film, describing Adams' Earhart as "a flighty pill with no resemblance to the woman herself". While Lael Loewenstein of Variety thought Adams was "trying a bit too hard", Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
commented that she was the only actor who surpassed the material. The film's director, Shawn Levy
Shawn Levy
Shawn Adam Levy is a Canadian-American actor, director and producer who directed the comedy films Big Fat Liar, Just Married, Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther, Night at the Museum, Date Night, and the sci-fi movie Real Steel...
, says of her: "I don't know that there's a better actress in her generation... I mean, there are other big female actors, but someone who can do Doubt and Julie & Julia, and Night at the Museum 2, all in the same year? Her range is almost unparalleled. It's a huge part of why we feel that this movie is even better than the first." That same year Adams starred in Julie & Julia
Julie & Julia
Julie & Julia is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Amy Adams, and Chris Messina...
alongside her Doubt co-star Meryl Streep as Julia Child
Julia Child
Julia Child was an American chef, author, and television personality. She is recognized for introducing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which...
and Adams as government secretary, Julie Powell
Julie Powell
Julie Powell is an American author best known for her book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen.- Biography :...
, who decides to cook all of the recipes in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking
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 of France, and Julia Child of the United States...
.
In 2010 Adams appeared in two films, the romantic comedy, Leap Year
Leap Year (2010 film)
Leap Year is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Anand Tucker. The film, which is largely set in Ireland and stars Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, premiered in New York City on January 6, 2010.-Plot:...
, and as Charlene Fleming, the aggressive and gritty girlfriend of Irish Micky Ward
Micky Ward
Micky Ward , nicknamed Irish, is a retired American junior welterweight professional boxer and a former WBU champion from Lowell, Massachusetts...
, in The Fighter. The Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
nominated-film received critical praise for its actors in which Adams starred alongside Mark Wahlberg
Mark Wahlberg
Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg is an American actor, film and television producer, and former rapper. He was known as Marky Mark in his earlier years, and became famous for his 1991 debut as a musician with the band Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. He was named No. 1 on VH1's 40 Hottest Hotties of...
, Christian Bale
Christian Bale
Christian Charles Philip Bale is an English actor. Best known for his roles in American films, Bale has starred in both big budget Hollywood films and the smaller projects from independent producers and art houses....
and Melissa Leo
Melissa Leo
Melissa Chessington Leo , is an American actress. After appearing on several television shows and films in the late '80s, her breakthrough role came in 1993 as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street for the show's first five seasons from 1993 – 1997...
. Adams received acclaim for her work and was praised for taking on such a volatile and aggressive character. This was noted to be Adams' definitive performance because of the rough edges and darkness mixed with authenticity that she brought to the role. For her role in The Fighter, Adams was nominated for the BAFTA Award, Broadcast Film Critics Association Award, two Screen Actors Guild
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
Awards, Golden Globe
68th Golden Globe Awards
The 68th Golden Globe Awards was broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 16, 2011, by NBC. The host was Ricky Gervais....
and an Academy Award
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ...
for Best Supporting Actress losing the latter three awards to her co-star Leo. In 2011 she again worked Disney, starring in The Muppets
The Muppets (film)
The Muppets is a 2011 American musical and comedy film, and the first Muppets theatrical release in 12 years, as well as the first Disney-produced Muppets film since 1996's Muppet Treasure Island...
alongside Jason Segel
Jason Segel
Jason Jordan Segel is an American television and film actor, screenwriter, composer, puppeteer and musician, known for his work with producer Judd Apatow on the short-lived television series Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared, the films Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Knocked Up, I Love You, Man,...
and The Muppets
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
where she returned to singing.
Her upcoming projects include Daughter of the Queen of Sheba and an adaptation of Adena Halpern's novel The Ten Best Days of My Life, which she will also be producing. Adams is also set to appear in the film On the Road
On the Road (film)
On the Road is a 2012 film adaptation of the Jack Kerouac novel of the same name directed by Walter Salles and starring Sam Riley as Sal Paradise and Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty. It is being executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola. Filming began on August 4, 2010, in Montreal, Canada, with...
opposite Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Mortensen
Viggo Peter Mortensen, Jr. is a Danish-American actor, poet, musician, photographer and painter. He made his film debut in Peter Weir's 1985 thriller Witness, and subsequently appeared in many notable films of the 1990s, including The Indian Runner , Carlito's Way , Crimson Tide , Daylight , The...
. It was recently announced that Adams will portray Lois Lane
Lois Lane
Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 ....
opposite Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill
Henry William Dalgliesh Cavill is a British actor. He has appeared in the films The Count of Monte Cristo and Stardust, and played the role of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk, on the Showtime series The Tudors, from 2007 until 2010...
as Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
in the upcoming comic book reboot film, Man of Steel. Produced by The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight (film)
The Dark Knight is a 2008 superhero film directed, produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is part of Nolan's Batman film series and a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins...
director Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan
Christopher Jonathan James Nolan is a British-American film director, screenwriter and producer.He received serious notice after his second feature Memento , which he wrote and directed based on a story idea by his brother, Jonathan Nolan. Jonathan went to co-write later scripts with him,...
, director Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder
Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer. After making his feature film debut with the 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead, he gained wide recognition with the 2007 box office hit 300, adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics...
said in statement, "We are excited to announce the casting of Amy Adams, one of the most versatile and respected actresses in films today. Amy has the talent to capture all of the qualities we love about Lois: smart, tough, funny, warm, ambitious and, of course, beautiful." She is also set to star in the upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson
Paul Thomas Anderson is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He has written and directed five feature films: Hard Eight , Boogie Nights , Magnolia , Punch-Drunk Love and There Will Be Blood...
2012 film, The Master
The Master (2012 film)
The Master is an upcoming drama film written, directed and co-produced by Paul Thomas Anderson. It was given the green-light in May 2011, and began filming in June. The film will star Philip Seymour Hoffman, Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams and Laura Dern...
as the wife of Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American actor and director. Hoffman began acting in television in 1991, and the following year started to appear in films...
's character.
Adams will voice a jaguar named Gia in the upcoming animated film, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted alongside Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller
Benjamin Edward "Ben" Stiller is an American comedian, actor, writer, film director, and producer. He is the son of veteran comedians and actors Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara....
, Chris Rock
Chris Rock
Christopher Julius "Chris" Rock III is an American comedian, actor, screenwriter, television producer, film producer and director. He was voted in the US as the 5th greatest stand-up comedian of all time by Comedy Central...
, David Schwimmer
David Schwimmer
David Lawrence Schwimmer is an American actor and director of television and film. He was born in New York City, and his family moved to Los Angeles when he was two. He began his acting career performing in school plays at Beverly Hills High School. In 1988, he graduated from Northwestern...
, and Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Pinkett Smith
Jada Koren Pinkett Smith is an American actress, producer, director, author, singer-songwriter, and businesswoman. She began her career in 1990, when she made a guest appearance in the short-lived sitcom True Colors. She starred in A Different World, produced by Bill Cosby, and she featured...
.
Personal life
, Adams is engaged to actor and artist Darren Le Gallo, whom she met in 2001 in an acting class. Since she was "really focused" in class, he initially thought that she was "like Tracy Flick in ElectionElection (1999 film)
Election is a 1999 American comedy film adapted from a 1998 novel of the same title by Tom Perrotta. The plot revolves around a three-way election race in high school, and satirizes both suburban high school life and politics...
." About a year after they met, Adams and Le Gallo acted together in a short film called Pennies over one weekend, during which they became better acquainted with each other. They started dating shortly thereafter. On May 15, 2010, Adams gave birth to the couple's first child, a girl named Aviana Olea Le Gallo.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Drop Dead Gorgeous | Leslie Miller | |
| 2000 | Psycho Beach Party Psycho Beach Party Psycho Beach Party is a 2000 Comedy horror film based on the off-Broadway play of the same name, directed by Robert Lee King. Charles Busch wrote both the original play and the screenplay... |
Marvel Ann | |
| 2000 | Jill Royaltuber | Short film (as Amy Lou Adams) | |
| 2000 | Cruel Intentions 2 Cruel Intentions 2 Cruel Intentions 2 is the 2000 American comedy-drama prequel to Cruel Intentions and was released direct-to-video. It was written and directed by Roger Kumble, who was also responsible for the first film. The film stars Robin Dunne, Sarah Thompson, Amy Adams, and Keri Lynn Pratt... |
Kathryn Merteuil | |
| 2002 | Doreen | ||
| 2002 | Pumpkin Pumpkin (film) Pumpkin is a 2002 romantic dark comedy film starring Christina Ricci. It is a story of forbidden love between a developmentally-handicapped young man and a sorority girl... |
Alex | |
| 2002 | Serving Sara Serving Sara Serving Sara is a 2002 romantic comedy film which stars Matthew Perry, Elizabeth Hurley and Bruce Campbell. Joe Tyler is a process server who is given the assignment to serve Sara Moore with divorce papers.-Plot:... |
Kate | |
| 2002 | Catch Me If You Can Catch Me If You Can Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical comedy-drama film based on the life of Frank Abagnale Jr., who, before his 19th birthday, successfully performed cons worth millions of dollars by posing as a Pan American World Airways pilot, a Georgia doctor, and a Louisiana parish prosecutor... |
Brenda Strong | |
| 2004 | Alexis | ||
| 2005 | Amy | ||
| 2005 | Junebug Junebug (film) Junebug is a 2005 American comedy-drama film directed by Phil Morrison. It was released on August 3, 2005 and stars Amy Adams, Alessandro Nivola, Embeth Davidtz, and Benjamin McKenzie... |
Ashley Johnsten | Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress is an award given by the Florida Film Critics Circle to honor the finest supporting female acting achievementes in filmmaking.- 1990s :-2000s:-2010s:... Gotham Award for Breakthrough Performance Gotham Awards The Gotham Awards is an annual ceremony of awards presented to the makers of independent films which takes place in New York City... Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress The National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual awards given by the National Society of Film Critics.This awards was given for the first time in 1967 to Marjorie Rhodes for her role in The Family Way.... San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress, given by the San Francisco Film Critics Circle, honors the finest achievements in filmmaking.-2000s:-2010s:-Notes:... Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Southeastern Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the awards given by the Southeastern Film Critics Association to honor the finest achievements in filmmaking.-Winners:-2000s:-2010s:... Sundance Film Festival Special Jury Prize for Acting Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new... Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The winners of the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress are listed below.- 2000s :- 2010s :... Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association is a group of film critics based out of Washington, D.C., United States that was founded in 2003. WAFCA is composed of 34 DC-based film critics from television, radio, print and the internet... Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... Nominated—Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Performance Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best supporting actress of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress - Motion Picture The Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture is one of the Satellite Awards presented annually by the International Press Academy.- 1990s :Best Supporting Actress – Drama*1996: Courtney Love - The People vs... Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated—St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association for Best Supporting Actress St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association The St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association is an organization of film critics operating in metropolitan St. Louis and adjoining areas of Missouri and Illinois which was founded in 2004.... Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Breakthrough Performance Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association is a group of film critics based out of Washington, D.C., United States that was founded in 2003. WAFCA is composed of 34 DC-based film critics from television, radio, print and the internet... |
| 2005 | Standing Still | Elise | |
| 2006 | Pennies | Charlotte Brown | Short film |
| 2006 | Moonlight Serenade | Chloe | |
| 2006 | Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby is a 2006 American comedy film, directed by Adam McKay and starring Will Ferrell. The film also features John C. Reilly, Michael Clarke Duncan, Leslie Bibb, Amy Adams, Gary Cole, Jane Lynch, and Sacha Baron Cohen. Various Saturday Night Live alumni also... |
Susan | |
| 2006 | Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny | Gorgeous Woman | Cameo |
| 2007 | Abby March | ||
| 2007 | Underdog Underdog (film) Underdog is a 2007 American live-action comedy film based on the cartoon series of the same name. The film was directed by Frederik Du Chau and stars Peter Dinklage as Dr. Simon Bar Sinister, Patrick Warburton as Cad Lackley, and Jason Lee as the voice of Underdog. The film also stars Jim Belushi,... |
'Sweet' Polly Purebred | (voice) |
| 2007 | Enchanted | Giselle | Saturn Award for Best Actress Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Nominated—Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... Nominated—Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Detroit Film Critics Society The Detroit Film Critics Society is a film critic organization in Detroit, Michigan, United States.-2007 Awards:The nominees for the Detroit Film Critics Society Awards 2007 were announced on 15 December and the winners were announced on 21 December 2007.-Best Actor:**George Clooney - Michael... Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Nominated—Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress Houston Film Critics Society Awards 2007 The 1st Houston Film Critics Society Awards were announced on January 3, 2008. The awards are presented annually by the Houston Film Critics Society based in Houston, Texas. In addition to the category awards, the HFCS named filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen as "honorary Texans" for their work on No... Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Comedic Performance This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Comedic Performance.-References:... Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Female Performance MTV Movie Award for Best Performance This is a following list of the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Performance from 1992 onward. In all but two years, the awards are separated into Male and Female categories.-1992:... Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss This is a following list for the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Kiss.This is a following list for the MTV Movie Award winners and nominees for Best Kiss.... Nominated—National Movie Award for Best Performance - Female National Movie Awards The National Movie Awards is a British movie awards ceremony broadcast by ITV in which the winners of the awards are chosen via popular vote. The awards were initiated in 2007 following the success of the National Television Awards, the highest-rating awards ceremony for television... Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Satellite Award for Best Actress - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy The Satellite Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy is one the Satellite Awards, given annually by the International Press Academy.- 1990s :- 2000s :- 2010–2019 :... Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Comedy |
| 2007 | Charlie Wilson's War Charlie Wilson's War Charlie Wilson's War is a 2007 American biographical comedy drama film recounting the true story of U.S. Congressman Charlie Wilson who partnered with "bare knuckle attitude" CIA operative Gust Avrakotos to launch Operation Cyclone, a program to organize and support the Afghan mujahideen in their... |
Bonnie Bach | |
| 2008 | Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a 2008 British/American romantic comedy film directed by Bharat Nalluri. The screenplay by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy is based on the 1938 novel of the same name by Winifred Watson.-Plot:... |
Delysia Lafosse / Sarah Grubb | |
| 2008 | Doubt | Sister James | National Board of Review Award for Best Cast National Board of Review Award for Best Cast The National Board of Review Award for Best Acting by an Ensemble is an annual film award given by the National Board of Review.-1990s:... North Texas Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress North Texas Film Critics Association The North Texas Film Critics Association is an unincorporated, members-only organization of print, broadcast and internet film critics in North Texas, United States.-Best Cinematography:*The Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Claudio Miranda... Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film... Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... Nominated—Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Detroit Film Critics Society The Detroit Film Critics Society is a film critic organization in Detroit, Michigan, United States.-2007 Awards:The nominees for the Detroit Film Critics Society Awards 2007 were announced on 15 December and the winners were announced on 21 December 2007.-Best Actor:**George Clooney - Michael... Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated—Houston Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Houston Film Critics Society Awards 2008 The 2nd Houston Film Critics Society Awards were given out at a ceremony held at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston on December 17, 2008. The awards are presented annually by the Houston Film Critics Society based in Houston, Texas.-Winners and nominees:... Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best supporting actress of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture |
| 2009 | Sunshine Cleaning Sunshine Cleaning Sunshine Cleaning is a 2008 comedy-drama film starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Directed by Christine Jeffs and written by Megan Holley, the film premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival on January 18, 2008. It was purchased by Overture Films for distribution and opened in limited release in... |
Rose Lorkowski | |
| 2009 | Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian is an American adventure comedy film directed by Shawn Levy, and starring Ben Stiller, Hank Azaria, Amy Adams, Owen Wilson, Robin Williams, and Steve Coogan. The film is a sequel to Night at the Museum... |
Amelia Earhart Amelia Earhart Amelia Mary Earhart was a noted American aviation pioneer and author. Earhart was the first woman to receive the U.S. Distinguished Flying Cross, awarded for becoming the first aviatrix to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean... / Tess |
Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actress: Comedy |
| 2009 | Julie & Julia Julie & Julia Julie & Julia is a 2009 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nora Ephron starring Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Amy Adams, and Chris Messina... |
Julie Powell Julie Powell Julie Powell is an American author best known for her book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen.- Biography :... |
|
| 2009 | Moonlight Serenade | Chloe | |
| 2010 | Leap Year Leap Year (2010 film) Leap Year is a 2010 American romantic comedy film directed by Anand Tucker. The film, which is largely set in Ireland and stars Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, premiered in New York City on January 6, 2010.-Plot:... |
Anna | |
| 2010 | Charlene Fleming | Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Ensemble Boston Society of Film Critics The Boston Society of Film Critics is an organization of film reviewers from Boston, Massachusetts, United States, based publications.The BSFC was formed in 1981 to make "Boston's unique critical perspective heard on a national and international level by awarding commendations to the best of the... Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Acting Ensemble Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... Detroit Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Detroit Film Critics Society The Detroit Film Critics Society is a film critic organization in Detroit, Michigan, United States.-2007 Awards:The nominees for the Detroit Film Critics Society Awards 2007 were announced on 15 December and the winners were announced on 21 December 2007.-Best Actor:**George Clooney - Michael... Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Supporting Actress is an award given by the Las Vegas Film Critics Society to honor the best actress of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated—Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... Nominated—Alliance of Women Film Journalists for Best Supporting Actress Alliance of Women Film Journalists The Alliance of Women Film Journalists is a group of female journalists based out of New York, United States that was founded in 2006. The AWFJ is composed of 45 professional female movie critics, reporters and feature writers working in print, broadcast and online media, dedicated to supporting... Nominated—BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role Best Actress in a Supporting Role is a British Academy Film award presented annually by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding supporting performance in a film... Nominated—Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Nominated—Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Ohio Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus... Nominated—Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual award given by the Chicago Film Critics Association.-1980s:-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:-References:... Nominated—Denver Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Denver Film Critics Society The Denver Film Critics Society is an organization of film critics based in Denver, Colorado. -2009 Winners and Nominees:Best Film*The Hurt Locker**A Serious Man**Star Trek**Up in the AirBest Director... Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated—Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress The Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Supporting Actress is an annual film award given by the Online Film Critics Society to honor the best supporting actress of the year.-1990s:-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated—San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Ensemble Nominated—Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actress – Motion Picture Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated—Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role Nominated—St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards 2010 -Best Actor:*Javier Bardem – Biutiful*Jeff Bridges – True Grit*Jesse Eisenberg – The Social Network**Colin Firth – The King's Speech*James Franco – 127 Hours-Best Actress:... Nominated—Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual awards given by the Toronto Film Critics Association.-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated—Utah Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Utah Film Critics Association Awards 2010 The 6th Utah Film Critics Association Awards honoring the best filmmaking of 2010, were announced on December 23, 2010.-Best Actor:*Jeff Bridges - True Grit*Jesse Eisenberg - The Social Network*Colin Firth - The King's Speech... Nominated—Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress The winners of the Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actress are listed below.- 2000s :- 2010s :... Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actress is one of the annual awards given by the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association.-2000s:-2010s:... Nominated—Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble The Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Ensemble is one of the annual awards given by the Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association.-2000s:-2010s:... |
|
| 2011 | Mary | ||
| 2012 | On the Road On the Road (film) On the Road is a 2012 film adaptation of the Jack Kerouac novel of the same name directed by Walter Salles and starring Sam Riley as Sal Paradise and Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty. It is being executive produced by Francis Ford Coppola. Filming began on August 4, 2010, in Montreal, Canada, with... |
Jane Lee | Post-Production |
| 2012 | Mary Sue Dodd | Filming | |
| 2012 | Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted | Gia, a jaguar | Voice only in production |
| 2013 | Man of Steel | Lois Lane Lois Lane Lois Lane is a fictional character, the primary love interest of Superman in the comic books of DC Comics. Created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, she first appeared in Action Comics #1 .... |
Filming |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | That '70s Show That '70s Show That '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979... |
Kat Peterson | Episode ("Burning Down the House") |
| 2000 | Charmed Charmed Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M... |
Maggie Murphy | Episode ("Murphy's Luck") |
| 2000 | Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane | Dinah | Episode ("Tall, Dark and Duncan's Boss") |
| 2000 | Providence Providence (TV series) Providence is an American drama series that aired on NBC starring Melina Kanakaredes. The show ran for five seasons from January 8, 1999 until December 20, 2002.-Synopsis:The show revolves around Dr... |
Rebecca 'Becka' Taylor | Episode ("The Good Doctor") |
| 2000 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Beth Maclay | Episode ("Family") |
| 2001 | Smallville Smallville (TV series) Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October... |
Jodi Melville | Episode ("Craving") |
| 2002 | Cathy | Episode ("20 Hours in America: Part 1 20 Hours in America, Part I "20 Hours in America" is a double episode of The West Wing .-Plot:... ") |
|
| 2004 | King of the Hill King of the Hill King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas... |
Merilynn/Sunshine (voice) | Episode ("Cheer Factor") |
| 2004 | King of the Hill King of the Hill King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas... |
Misty (voice) | Episode ("My Hair Lady") |
| 2004 | Dr. Vegas Dr. Vegas Dr. Vegas is a television drama starring Rob Lowe and Joe Pantoliano that ran on CBS in 2004. It aired in Ireland on TG4, and on Challenge in the UK as part of its "Player" gambling strand. In Slovakia, Markíza began airing the show on February 20, 2008.... |
Alice Doherty | Recurring |
| 2005 | (US TV series) | Katy | Episodes ("Hot Girl", "The Fire" and "Booze Cruise") |
| 2008 | Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture... |
Herself (Host) | Episode (8 March 2008) |
| Year | Song | Soundtrack | Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | "True Love's Kiss" | Enchanted Enchanted (soundtrack) Enchanted is the soundtrack of the film of the same name. It was released on November 20, 2007 by Walt Disney Records and contains 15 audio tracks, including five original songs used in the film as well as the film's score. Orchestrated by Kevin Kliesch, Danny Troob and Blake Neely, the songs and... |
Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O... |
| 2007 | "Happy Working Song Happy Working Song "Happy Working Song" is a musical number from the 2007 Disney film Enchanted, with music composed by Alan Menken and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Performed by the film's lead actress, Amy Adams, the song pays an homage to such Disney songs as "Whistle While You Work" from Snow White and the Seven... " |
Enchanted Enchanted (soundtrack) Enchanted is the soundtrack of the film of the same name. It was released on November 20, 2007 by Walt Disney Records and contains 15 audio tracks, including five original songs used in the film as well as the film's score. Orchestrated by Kevin Kliesch, Danny Troob and Blake Neely, the songs and... |
Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O... |
| 2007 | "That's How You Know That's How You Know The song was covered by Demi Lovato on DisneyMania 6. Lovato's version deviates heavily from the original, having a very different chord progression in the background, eliminating all traces of the calypso influence, and relying heavily on electric guitars and drums. It was her first and final... " |
Enchanted Enchanted (soundtrack) Enchanted is the soundtrack of the film of the same name. It was released on November 20, 2007 by Walt Disney Records and contains 15 audio tracks, including five original songs used in the film as well as the film's score. Orchestrated by Kevin Kliesch, Danny Troob and Blake Neely, the songs and... |
Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records Walt Disney Records is a family music record label owned by the Walt Disney Company. Walt Disney Records was formed in 1956 as Disneyland Records. Before that time, Disney recordings were licensed out to a variety of other labels such as . It was Walt Disney’s brother Roy O... |
| 2008 | "If I Didn't Care If I Didn't Care "If I Didn't Care" is a song written by Jack Lawrence that was originally sung and recorded by The Ink Spots in 1939. According to Lawrence, he mailed the song before showing it to some of his friends. His friends' reaction to the song was almost universally negative, but he remained positive on it... " |
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is a 2008 British/American romantic comedy film directed by Bharat Nalluri. The screenplay by David Magee and Simon Beaufoy is based on the 1938 novel of the same name by Winifred Watson.-Plot:... |
Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract... |