I have to admit something. In the past, I have had trouble distinguishing between Amy Adams and Isla Fisher. I mean, theyâre both cute, bubbly red heads. One was in âWedding Crashersâ one was in âTalladega Nights,â who wouldnât be confused? When I first saw â
2008 is going to be the year that forever distinguishes Amy Adams for me.
While Isla Fisher is busy with baby, Ms. Adams is appearing in no fewer than four high profile films (two, âDoubt and âJulie & Julia, with Meryl Streep) including a Sundance hit called âSunshine Cleaningâ and the sequel to âNight at the Museum.â She is performing one of the Oscar nominated songs from her blockbuster âEnchantedâ at this yearâs Awards and she is currently gracing the cover of Elle.
In the midst of all of this Amy activity is the March 7th premiere of her latest movie âMiss Pettigrew Lives for a Day,â starring Frances McDormand. Adams plays Delysia Lafosse, an American actress in 1939
For a full synopsis and clips from the film check here.
I recently attended a press junket for the film held by distributor Focus Features. Frances McDormand was not in attendance (too busy picking out a dress for hubby Joel Coenâs big Oscar night?), but as a consolation we did all get a nice goody bag and Amy Adams and her âPettigrewâ love interest Lee Pace did sit for interviews.
Amy Adams was just as sweet and friendly as you all could imagine, so I decided to let the question about working at Hooters slide. She talked about how her former co-star Kirstie Alley (in âDrop Dead Gorgeousâ) inspired her to move to Hollywood and about the perception that she is âboy crazy,â as well as the joys of working with Meryl Streep, and the perils of gazing at âPushing Daisiesâ star Lee Pace.
Remember, âMiss Pettigrew Lives for a Dayâ debuts on March 7th. And if you want to read what Lee said about Amy first, check here.
Question: Tell us about Delysia; what you saw in her and what you changed from the script.
Amy Adams: Well, I donât think I necessarily changed anything from the script. I think the script provided such a great character⦠Sheâs a little bit manipulative⦠sheâs self-centered and she has a lot of faults, how can you, at the same time, give her a soul?⦠That was really attractive to me, to get to sort of play a person who has several different veneers that she puts on, I mean she is an actress so that was fun.
Question: Did you find yourself channeling the ghosts of Judy Holliday and Carole Lombard?
Amy Adams: It was something I thought about a lot and I watched the movies⦠I really felt that she was the kind of person who wouldâve watched movies and act like that in her own life so, I tried to channel them.
Question: What is your favorite movie from the period?
Amy Adams: From that period? âGone with the Windâ I watched it when I was 13 and it changed my life foreverâ¦
Question: How glad are you that you took Kirstie Alleyâs advice to drive out to
Amy Adams: Iâm very glad. It knocked me on a completely different path than I had intended for myself. I think the idea of
Q: Youâve sung in your last two movies, is that something you want to explore?
Amy Adams: I love singing on stage. I donât have any plans for an album because me singing pop music is just shockingly bad.
Q: Youâre singing at the Oscarsâ¦
Amy Adams: Yes
Q: All three songs?
Amy Adams: No, I was like, if I get through the first one I think I should just count my blessings. But, Kristin Chenoweth is singing the second one so, no pressure. I was like âdid you have to pick the best singer in musical theatre?â
Q: Were you surprised that all three songs got in?
Amy Adams: Itâs not surprising but⦠I wasnât expecting that. I thought one, maybe.
Q: You are doing two back to back movies with Meryl Streep, how was that?
Amy Adams: Itâs amazing, sheâs great.
Q: Did she stay in character the entire time you filmed?
Amy Adams: Not really, she didnât. But, at the same time, if she did I donât know that I would notice. I tend to just accept people for who they are and what their process is⦠she was playing my Mother Superior so she was very warm with me⦠sheâs just a great lady. She wasnât the disciplinary nun with me at all.
Q: What about your leading men, can you say something unique about them?
Amy Adams: Unique? I donât know⦠I feel squirelly talking about it. Hereâs why- I have come across as boy crazy because Iâm like âOh, my gosh, heâs so cuute.â Thatâs how Iâve been, so Iâm kind of trying to be more professional⦠because I sound like, you know, that actress who, like, really overly enjoys all of her male contact⦠There is this story with Lee where the director asked him to leave the set because I was staring at him. âCause I am a little boy crazy⦠Lee had come in on a day where he wasnât working and he was across the room and he just looked so dashing. He looked like an old movie star lounging there in his cowboy boots, like Steve McQueen across the room and I was, like, âOh, wow.â And the director was like, âWhat are you doing?â I was, like âIâm sorry, I wasnât listening. I was looking at Lee. I mean look at him over there leaning.â And the director walked over and said âyouâre distracting Amy with your presence so you need to leave.â --I was mortified, mortified.
Q: What was it like working with
Amy Adams: It was excellent⦠I have always loved her work and so to get to act opposite her and do comedy opposite her and to realize that we have a similar approach to certain kinds of comedy; it was really, really fun. Her work ethic and her professionalism is just unbelievableâ¦
Q: How comfortable are you with your âIT-nessâ
Amy Adams: Until this junket I didnât even know about it. I always equated âITâ girls with having a certain kind of sexuality⦠Itâs not something that I associate with myself at this time, but Iâve been working which is so grounding and you donât, sort of, get a sense of the outside world when youâre working, and also when youâre in New York because New York is its own universe. So weâll see when I go homeâ¦
Q: With âEnchantedâ and this film, being comedy, do you see yourself as funny?
Amy Adams: Iâm silly. Iâm a silly person. I can be ridiculous, like, annoying Iâm sure. But what I like about both those roles is that thereâs a little bit of pathos underneath, a place to center the characters because theyâre both really out there.
Q: Are you at all concerned, at this point about getting typecast?
Amy Adams: Not at this point. Right now Iâm just doing what I enjoy⦠I enjoy playing upbeat characters, I really do, because you take those characters home with you, whether you intend to or not, so playing depressed people, itâs just a bummerâ¦
Q: Talk about âSunshine Cleaningâ and what your co-stars were likeâ¦
Amy Adams: Well, Emily Blunt is like my English twin⦠The two of us together we would exhaust people⦠itâs so nice to have someone whoâs your peer who you can absolutely, without any question, cheer for⦠when she was cast I was originally, completely intimidated because Iâd seen âSummer of Loveâ ⦠I was like âGirlâs got chopsâ â¦I really felt that she was my sister, I still really doâ¦.
Q: Did you read the book âMiss Pettigrewâ by Winifred Watson?
Amy Adams: No, I asked if I should read it and I was told not to read it beforehand⦠I have read part of it since and it is quite a bit different.
Q: Did you get to keep the costumes?
Amy Adams: No, I didnât get to keep the costumes. You know I have to be honest; I see the costumes as my characterâs wardrobe so I would feel so weird, you know, but I would have kept the jewelsâ¦
Q: I hear youâre slated for âNight at the Museum 2?â
Amy Adams: Yes, Iâm in negotiations right now for thatâ¦
Q: Have you seen the script?
Amy Adams: Yes.
Q: Can you tell us anything?
Amy Adams: Nope.
Q: Whatâs it like when you go back to your home town?
Amy Adams: I havenât been back to my hometown, I think, since I left it. It was one of those places for me. I was ready to leave.
Q: Did you know âJunebugâ was the movie that would launch you when you saw it?
Amy Adams: I had no idea⦠I had done âJunebugâ and then after that I finished my obligation on a television show and I was really considering moving to
Q: Youâve been working a long time to become an overnight sensationâ¦
Amy Adams: Most people who arenât 18 doâ¦
Q: How do you keep your private life private?
Amy Adams: Iâm not that interesting. I donât do interesting things⦠Iâm a little bit older so I donât have a nightlife that really involves anything beyond going to get Mexican food⦠I donât know what it is, I think there would be a lot of people in LA who do not appreciate that attention but get it, so, in a way, its really luck that they havenât found me that interesting yet.