Amy Lou Adams (born August 20, 1974) is an American actress.
Born to American parents in Vicenza, Italy and relocated to Castle Rock, Colorado at age 8, Adams began her career as a theater actress in 1994. Her first film role was in the 1999 Black Comedy film Drop Dead Gorgeous. She worked for years in minor roles and guest spots on TV shows — she can be spotted in episodes of Charmed, The West Wing, Smallville, The Office, and even Buffy the Vampire Slayer (where she played Tara's racist cousin). Although Steven Spielberg hoped getting cast in Catch Me If You Can would spell big things for her, she actually did not work for a full year afterwards. When she was considering dropping out of acting, the script for an independent film called Junebug fell into her lap. While her role in the film made for something for a breakthrough, earning her first Academy Award nominationnote for the film, it was her next project that catapulted her to superstardom.
2007's Enchanted, Disney's Affectionate Parody of themselves, cast Adams as Giselle — the Disney Princess forced into the real world — and made for her first big success as a leading lady. Her knack for playing The Cutie did lead to her being slightly typecast afterwards, usually as Nice Girl characters or a Manic Pixie Dream Girl. Working with David O. Russell helped break this, as he directed her in films like The Fighter and American Hustle that helped break her out of her "nice girl" image and show audiences her range. As of 2022, Adams is part of the DC Extended Universe as Lois Lane.
Among her accolades, including seven BAFTAs, two Golden Globes, and two Primetime Emmys, Adams now has six Academy Award nominations with no win; the renewing public outcry to this fact despite her routinely acclaimed work has made her one of the most notoriously Oscar-free actors of her time.
Not to be confused with Isla Fishernote . Or, if you're reading this in New Zealand, the politician
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Her husband since 1998, Darren Le Gallo, is an actor in his own right.
Notable roles
- Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999) as Leslie Miller
- Cruel Intentions 2 (2000) as Katherine Merteuil
- Psycho Beach Party (2000) as Marvel Ann
- Charmed (2000) as Maggie Murphy
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2000) as Beth Maclay
- Smallville (2001) as Jodi Melville
- Catch Me If You Can (2002) as Brenda Strong
- Dr Vegas (2004) as Alice Doherty
- Junebug (2005) as Ashley Johnsten
- The Office (2005 — 2006) as Katy
- Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006) as Susan
- Enchanted (2007) as Giselle
- Disenchanted (2022)
- Charlie Wilson's War (2007) as Bonnie Bach
- Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (2008) as Delysia Lafosse
- Doubt (2008) as Sister James
- Sunshine Cleaning (2008) as Rose Lorkowski
- Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (2009) as Amelia Earhart and Tess
- Julie & Julia (2009) as Julie Powell
- The Fighter (2010) as Charlene Fleming
- Leap Year (2010) as Anna Brady
- The Muppets (2011) as Mary
- The Master (2012) as Peggy Dodd
- Trouble with the Curve (2012) as Mickey Lobel
- DC Extended Universe as Lois Lane:
- Man of Steel (2013)
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)
- Justice League (2017)
- Zack Snyder's Justice League (2021)
- American Hustle (2013) as Sydney Prosser
- her (2013) as Amy
- Big Eyes (2014) as Margaret Keane
- Arrival (2016) as Dr. Louise Banks
- Nocturnal Animals (2016) as Susan Morrow
- Sharp Objects (2018) as Camille Preaker
- Vice (2018) as Lynne Cheney
- Hillbilly Elegy (2020) as Bev Vance
- The Woman in the Window (2021) as Dr. Anna Fox
- Dear Evan Hansen (2021) as Cynthia Murphy
Associated Tropes:
- Creator Breakdown: Playing such a dark role in Sharp Objects took a lot out of her, which was a major factor in the crew deciding not to take the same route as The Leftovers or The Handmaid's Tale in expanding beyond the book with more seasons.
- The Cutie: Her role in Enchanted more or less solidified this image.
- Dye Hard: Despite being best known as a redhead, she's a natural blonde.
- Star-Making Role: Her widely-acclaimed role as Disney Princess Giselle in Enchanted launched her to stardom.
- Those Two Actors:
- Apart from Amy Adams, who else links Charlie Wilson's War, Doubt and The Master? Why, Philip Seymour Hoffman.
- She also starred in the first one with Emily Blunt, who was her sister in Sunshine Cleaning and cameo'd in The Muppets with her.
- She also starred alongside Joaquin Phoenix in The Master and her.
- She appeared with Meryl Streep in Doubt and Julie & Julia.
- And she co-starred with Christian Bale in The Fighter, American Hustle, and Vice (2018).
- She Also Did: She stood in for Rachel Dawes alongside Christian Bale for the screen tests of Batman Begins.
- Tom Hanks Syndrome: Her films in The New '10s with the sole exception of The Muppets have been Darker and Edgier and none are pure comedies, even American Hustle which is darker and dramatic than her usual comedies as she plays an outlaw. That being said, her films pre-Enchanted were usually Dramedy or/and Farce.
