Career Amy Adams

1 career

1.1 1994–2004: dinner theater , screen appearances
1.2 2005–2007: breakthrough junebug , enchanted
1.3 2008–2012: ingénue parts , expansion dramatic roles
1.4 2013–present: established actress

1.4.1 upcoming projects

career
1994–2004: dinner theater , screen appearances

adams began professional career dancer in 1994 dinner theater production of chorus line in boulder, colorado. gig required wait on tables before getting on stage perform. although enjoyed singing , dancing, disliked waitressing , ran trouble when fellow dancer, whom considered friend, made false accusations director. adams said, never knew lies were. knew kept getting called in , lectured lack of professionalism. lost job went on perform in dinner theater @ denver s heritage square music hall , country dinner playhouse. during performance of goes @ country dinner playhouse in 1995, spotted michael brindisi, president , artistic director of minneapolis-based chanhassen dinner theater, offered job there. adams relocated chanhassen, minnesota, performed in theater next 3 years. loved security , schedule of job, , has said learned tremendously it. nonetheless, grueling work took toll on her: had lot of recurring injuries—bursitis in knees, pulled muscles in groin, adductor , abductor. body wearing out.

steven spielberg, gave adams first major role in catch me if can (2002), surprised did not break out after film s release.

during time @ chanhassen, adams acted in first film—a black-and-white short satire named chromium hook. after, while off work nursing pulled muscle, attended locally held auditions hollywood film drop dead gorgeous (1999), satire on beauty pageants starring kirsten dunst, ellen barkin, , kirstie alley. adams cast in supporting part of promiscuous cheerleader. felt character s personality far removed own , worried how people perceive her. production filmed locally, enabled adams shoot role while performing brigadoon on stage. encouragement alley prompted adams actively pursue film career, , moved los angeles in january 1999. described initial experience in city dark , bleak , , pined life in chanhassen.

in los angeles, adams auditioned whatever parts came way, given roles of bitchy girl . first assignment came within week of relocation in fox s television series manchester prep, spin-off of film cruel intentions, in lead role of kathryn merteuil (played sarah michelle gellar in film). following numerous script revisions , 2 production shutdowns, series canceled. adams later said controversial scene in character encourages girl masturbate on horse primary reason cancellation. 3 filmed episodes re-edited , released later in 2000 direct-to-video film cruel intentions 2. despite negative critical reception, nathan rabin of a.v. club wrote adams plays alpha-bitch role vicious glee largely missing sarah michelle gellar s sterile take on character .

adams next had supporting role of teenage nemesis of movie star (played kimberly davies) in psycho beach party (2000), horror parody of beach party , slasher films. played part homage actress ann-margret. 2000 2002, adams appeared in guest roles in several television series, including 70s show, charmed, buffy vampire slayer, smallville, , west wing.

following brief roles in 3 small-scale features of 2002—the slaughter rule, pumpkin, , serving sara—adams found first high-profile part in steven spielberg s comedy-drama catch me if can after casting director deborah zane brought spielberg s attention. cast brenda strong, nurse whom frank abagnale, jr. (played leonardo dicaprio) falls in love. described experience on film huge confidence booster . despite film s success , praise warm presence todd mccarthy, critic variety, failed launch career. unemployed year after release, leading quit film acting. adams instead enrolled in acting classes, realizing had lot learn , lot of self-growth work through . career prospects seemingly improved year later when received lucrative offer star regular in cbs television drama dr. vegas, dropped after few episodes. on film, had minor role fiancée of fred savage s character in little-seen last run (2004).

2005–2007: breakthrough junebug , enchanted

disillusioned firing dr. vegas, adams, @ 30 years old, considered looking alternate career after finishing work on sole project signed to. independent comedy-drama junebug, had production budget of under $1 million. directed phil morrison, film featured adams ashley johnsten, perky , talkative pregnant woman. morrison impressed adams ability not question character s inherently motives. found connection johnsten s faith in god, , spent time morrison in winston-salem, north carolina (where film set), attending sunday church. described making film summer grew myself , , after dyeing hair red part, decided not go natural blonde color. junebug premiered @ 2005 sundance film festival, adams won special jury prize. tim robey of daily telegraph labeled film small, quiet miracle , wrote adams had given 1 of delicately funny , heartbreaking performances s ever been pleasure review . ann hornaday of washington post opined radiant portrayal reflected film s humanist heart . adams received academy award best supporting actress nomination , won independent spirit award.

adams on set of enchanted in 2006

later in 2005, adams had supporting parts in 2 critically panned films—the romantic comedy wedding date, starring debra messing , dermot mulroney, , ensemble coming-of-age film standing still. year, joined cast of television series office, recurring role on 3 episodes. 2006, awards season success of junebug helped increase interest in adams career. in talladega nights: ballad of ricky bobby, sports comedy adam mckay, adams played romantic interest of ferrell s character, critic peter travers deemed quite comedown role in junebug. had minor role in workplace comedy ex, starring zach braff , amanda peet.

after providing voice walt disney pictures animated comedy film underdog (2007), adams starred highly optimistic , joyous disney princess named giselle in musical romantic comedy enchanted. among 250 actresses auditioned high-profile part; studio favored casting of bigger star, director kevin lima insisted on adams due commitment part , ability not judgemental personality. patrick dempsey , james marsden featured romantic interests. ballgown had wear film weighed 45 pounds, , adams fell several times under weight. sang 3 songs film s soundtrack— true love s kiss , happy working song , , s how know . critic roger ebert commended adams being fresh , winning in role absolutely depends on effortless lovability , , wesley morris of boston globe wrote demonstrates real performer s ingenuity comic timing , physical eloquence . todd mccarthy considered role adams breakthrough , compared rise stardom of julie andrews. enchanted commercial success, grossing on $340 million worldwide. adams received golden globe award nomination best actress in comedy or musical.

following success of enchanted, adams took on part of bonnie bach, congressman charlie wilson s assistant in mike nichols political comedy-drama charlie wilson s war (2007), starring tom hanks, julia roberts, , philip seymour hoffman. kirk honeycutt of hollywood reporter praised adams being sweetly savvy in part, peter bradshaw disappointed see talent wasted in role considered of minimal importance.

2008–2012: ingénue parts , expansion dramatic roles

adams @ 81st academy awards in 2009, nominated second best supporting actress award doubt (2008).

the 2008 sundance film festival saw release of sunshine cleaning, comedy-drama 2 sisters (played adams , emily blunt) start crime scene clean-up business. adams attracted idea of playing tries better herself. mick lasalle of san francisco chronicle considered adams magical , adding gives portrait of raging want beneath veneer of surface diffidence . in 1939-set screwball comedy miss pettigrew lives day, adams starred aspiring american actress in london encounters middle-aged governess named miss pettigrew (played frances mcdormand). stephen holden of new york times drew similarities role in enchanted , wrote screen magic displays in such endearing roles hasn t been intense since heyday of jean arthur .

adams next starred in doubt, adaptation of john patrick shanley s play of same name. production tells story of catholic school principal (played meryl streep) accuses priest (played philip seymour hoffman) of pedophilia; adams features innocent nun embroiled in conflict. shanley approached natalie portman part offered adams role after finding innocent, yet intelligent persona similar of ingrid bergman. adams identified character s ability find best in people; described collaboration streep , hoffman master class in acting. writing houston chronicle, amy biancolli commented adams sparks distressed compassion , , ann hornaday opined exudes right wide-eyed innocence . adams nominated academy award, golden globe award, , bafta award best supporting actress.

as junebug , enchanted, adams roles in 3 2008 releases of ingénue—innocent women cheerful personality. when asked being typecast in such roles, adams said responds characters joyful , identified sense of hope. believed despite similarities in disposition, these characters vastly different 1 another; said, naïveté not stupidity, , innocent people complex.

the 2009 fantasy adventure film night @ museum: battle of smithsonian, starring ben stiller, featured adams aviator amelia earhart. first motion picture film inside national air , space museum in washington. director shawn levy said role allowed adams showcase acting range; adams believed first time allowed play confident character on screen. despite mixed reviews, adams work praised. terming sparkling screen presence , michael phillips of chicago tribune thought film radically improves whenever amy adams pops . same year, adams starred in comedy-drama julie & julia disgruntled government secretary julie powell decides blog recipes in julia child s cookbook mastering art of french cooking; in parallel storyline, meryl streep portrays child. adams enrolled @ institute of culinary education prepare part. carrie rickey of philadelphia inquirer thought film delicious french cuisine , found adams @ winsome . both night @ museum , julie & julia commercial successes, former earning on $400 million.

adams began new decade leading role opposite matthew goode in romantic comedy leap year (2010), critic richard roeper believed saved awful status adams presence. next release of year—the boxing drama fighter—was better received. directed david o. russell, film tells story of boxer half-brothers micky ward , dicky eklund (played mark wahlberg , christian bale, respectively); melissa leo played mother , adams portrayed ward s aggressive girlfriend, barmaid named charlene fleming. describing adams part tough, sexy bitch , russell cast against type rid of girl-next-door image. role marked significant departure her, , challenged russell s insistence on finding character s strength in silence. enrolled in exotic dance class trainer sheila kelley find character s eroticism. joe morgenstern of wall street journal wrote tough, tender, smart, , funny ethereal , delightful in enchanted. actress, , range! received academy, golden globe, , bafta nominations best supporting actress; lost former 2 leo. expressed desire play more dramatic roles in future.

adams @ 2012 toronto international film festival

the disney musical muppets (2011) starring eponymous puppets featured adams , jason segel in live-action roles. entertainment weekly s lisa schwarzbaum remarked role marked return comedian-sweetheart persona. recorded 7 songs film s soundtrack. following year, adams played baker s wife in public theater s revival of stephen sondheim s musical woods, part of shakespeare in park festival @ open-air delacorte theater. marked stage debut in new york , first theater appearance in 13 years. agreed month-long production take on challenge seemed insurmountable , though overwhelmed , intimidated it. prepared private singing coach, film schedule enabled spend 4 weeks in rehearsal. ben brantley, new york times theater critic, praised adams lucidly spoken , sung performance criticized lacking nervy, dissatisfied restlessness of part.

adams took fierce woman part in paul thomas anderson s psychological drama master (2012). played peggy dodd, ruthless , manipulative wife of leader of cult (played philip seymour hoffman). marked third , final collaboration hoffman, whom admired, before death 2 years later. organization depicted in film deemed journalists based on scientology; adams considered comparison misleading glad attention film brought it. although not method actor, adams believed intense role had left on edge in personal life. drawing comparisons lady macbeth s character, critic justin chang wrote adams pertness has seemed malevolent , , donald clarke of irish times commended playing part discrete menace . john patterson of guardian noted scene in chastises hoffman s character while furiously masturbating him 1 of significant sequences in film. adams nominated fourth academy award, , received golden globe , bafta nominations supporting part.

clint eastwood s sports drama trouble curve, in played estranged daughter of baseball scout (eastwood), adams second film release of 2012. admired eastwood s warm , generous personality , pleased collaboration. prepared part learning catch, pitch, , swing baseball coach. film received mixed reviews, , roger ebert took note of how adams had made standard role seem valuable. played brief part of drug addict in on road, ensemble drama based on jack kerouac s novel of same name.

2013–present: established actress

adams @ premiere of @ 2013 new york film festival

after losing out on role of lois lane in 2 previous films superman, adams secured part in zack snyder s 2013 reboot, man of steel, starring henry cavill titular superhero. played lane mixture of toughness , vulnerability, peter bradshaw thought character sketchily conceived , criticized lack of chemistry cavill. so, film earned on $660 million become 1 of biggest box-office hits. adams next featured in her, drama writer-director spike jonze lonely man (joaquin phoenix) falls in love operating system (voiced scarlett johansson); adams played close friend. had unsuccessfully auditioned jonze s 2009 film wild things , hired after jonze looked @ tapes. adams drawn idea of portraying platonic male-female friendship, believed rare in film.

further success came adams when reteamed david o. russell in crime film american hustle, co-starring christian bale, bradley cooper, , jennifer lawrence. inspired 1970s abscam scandal, film featured adams in rare glamorous part of seductive con artist, though played felt justified , didn t feel sexy sociopath . collaborated closely bale build characters , made off-screen suggestions russell, including scene in aggressively kissed on lips lover s wife (played lawrence). experience grueling adams, later admitted russell had been hard on , had made cry frequently; said regretted bringing such negative experience home daughter. american hustle acclaimed critics; manohla dargis of new york times believed adams goes deeper here s ever been allowed , wrote had turn[ed] unpredictable character thrillingly wild 1 . won golden globe award best actress in comedy or musical , received fifth oscar nomination (her first best actress). , american hustle deemed critics among best films of 2013, , both nominated academy award best picture.

following appearance in poorly received drama lullaby, adams starred in big eyes (2014), biopic of troubled artist margaret keane, paintings of big-eyed waifs plagiarized husband walter keane. when first offered part, passed on avoid playing naive woman. birth of daughter prompted adams find strength in passive character, , drew upon experiences in life had not stood herself. in preparation, practiced painting , studied way keane worked. keane liked adams portrayal of her, , mark kermode of guardian termed performance potent blend of intuitive fire , sensitive vulnerability . won second consecutive golden globe award best actress in comedy or musical , received bafta nomination best actress.

adams @ event nocturnal animals in 2016

after one-year absence screen, adams had 3 film releases in 2016. first reprised role of lois lane in batman v superman: dawn of justice, marked second installment in dc extended universe after man of steel. despite negative critical reception favoring visual effects on coherent narrative, film earned on $870 million rank highest-grossing release. in next 2 releases—the science fiction film arrival , psychological thriller nocturnal animals—adams played emotionally guarded, fiercely intelligent women positive reviews. based on austin wright s novel tony , susan, tom ford s nocturnal animals tells story of unhappily married art dealer named susan (played adams), traumatized when reading violent novel written ex-husband (played jake gyllenhaal). adams found little resemblance between herself , poised , aloof character , modeled susan s personality on of ford. stephanie zacharek of time considered film visually arresting yet thematically weak, praised adams , gyllenhaal making character s pain seem genuine.

arrival, directed denis villeneuve , based on ted chiang s short story story of life , ranks among acclaimed films of adams career. film louise banks, linguist (played adams), experiences strange visions when hired american government interpret language of extraterrestrials. drawn idea of playing intellectual female lead , connected film s theme of unity , compassion. watched documentaries on linguistics prepare part. writing atlantic, christoper orr deemed adams performance mesmerizingly open, turns uplifting , sorrowful , , kenneth turan of los angeles times believed film showcase ability quietly , meld intelligence, empathy , reserve . arrival commercial success, earning on $200 million against $47 million budget. adams received sixth bafta nomination , seventh golden globe nomination, both in best actress category. several journalists expressed disappointment on failure receive oscar nomination it. adams played lois lane third time in justice league (2017), ensemble film titular superheroes. critic tim grierson of screen international commented despite providing emotional resonance film, adams talents wasted in thankless supporting role.

upcoming projects

as of november 2017, adams has 3 upcoming projects. return television sharp objects, hbo miniseries based on gillian flynn s thriller novel of same name. serve executive producer series , star camille preaker, disgruntled reporter returns hometown cover murder of 2 young girls. adams has committed star in backseat, adam mckay s biopic of 46th vice president of united states dick cheney, in plays cheney s wife, lynne; mark third collaboration christian bale. in addition, reprise role of giselle in sequel enchanted, entitled disenchanted.