Amy Adams seems to have all the talent in the world. She has appeared in several movies and musicals of varied genres and even won two Golden Globes and six Academy Award nominations. Still, she felt there was something missing in her life.
Adams started her career in 1999 with a background in musical theater and acting. She decided to take the leap and go to Los Angeles to try her luck in movies. Her persistence and passion for the arts paid off after she scored a deal. Did it make her happy, though?
Amy Adams Had A Breakdown While Filming On Set, Started Questioning Her Career
Speaking with MovieMaker, Enchanted star Amy Adams talked about one of her first projects during her early days in Hollywood and the film she considers her breakthrough performance:
“I worked on a film, Drop Dead Gorgeous, and I had a really good time. It coincided with a pulled muscle, and I was tired from eight shows a week. So I thought, ‘Well, maybe I’ll go to L.A. for a little while and see how it goes.’”
She eventually landed a role in Catch Me If You Can, alongside Leonardo DiCaprio. Every celebrity must have dreamt of this opportunity, but Adams felt that her career was still stagnant as ever. Finally, she snagged another project, Junebug:
“For me, as an actress, my personal breakthrough was Junebug. It was the year when I learned that I wasn’t willing to be unhappy to be an actress. I was turning 30 that year, and I was thinking, ‘What do I want? This is my life.’”
Switching from musicals to movies, Adams found herself starring in the 2008 dark comedy film Sunshine Cleaning helmed by Christine Jeffs. She appeared with Into the Woods star Emily Blunt where they played two sisters working as crime scene cleaners for a living. In her interview with Newsweek, Adams recalled how the movie pulled a string and made her reflect on her life and career:
“I was thinking about one of the days where the camera stopped rolling, and I just could not stop crying. It was a point at which the character was being honest about herself and what she was and wasn’t. It really struck a chord. Am I doing it right? I don’t think all success and failure is judged by a career. I’m not married. I don’t have children. Sometimes I wish I read more books than scripts.”
It was truly a thought-provoking moment for Adams that she ended up pondering on her character’s lines and comparing its realizations to her own. Has the American Hustle star found her contentment in life?
Amy Adams Finally Found Happiness And Comfort In Motherhood
Speaking with Stylist, Amy Adams would reveal that she eventually got married and gave birth to a child. The transition from being an actress to a mother was difficult, but the Arrival star confessed that the joy of motherhood outweighs the challenges.
“I’m really enjoying it. I’m afraid to make any big life decisions at this point. I’ve not had eight hours sleep in over a year, which I’m sure many people can empathize with, but you know, I really, really like it. I don’t feel like it’s a big sacrifice – I feel much happier with myself and other people since having a child.”
After nearly quitting Hollywood due to the pressure of meeting sky-high expectations and the confusion that one feels when trying to carve their own path against the rocky patches of the entertainment industry, Amy Adams finally knows what her heart truly desires.
Sunshine Cleaning is available on Prime Video.
Sources: MovieMaker, Newsweek, Stylist
