Letting Go

Letting

GO Youthful insecurities, lingeringly complex characters, and hopeful directors: Amy Adams has long been dogged

by all three – but in redrawing the lines that separate work and personal life, the star is finally excelling in both.

With two Golden Globe wins and six Oscar nominations to her name, it’s hard to imagine the glamorous Amy Adams as anything less than a seasoned Hollywood pro. But while her on-screen pedigree remains worthy of the highest praise, away from the camera the star can often find the trappings of fame a little constrictive.

“I'm not very good in social situations and it takes me time to relax and enjoy myself when I'm with groups of people,” Adams, 45, reveals. “All this kind of draws me to complicated women who struggle with different aspects of their lives.”

The juxtaposition between her private feelings and cheery public persona is clear to see in Adams’ most critically praised performances – from The Master, to Nocturnal Animals and American Hustle.

“I'm drawn to women who are a mess,” she nods. “I sometimes feel like I'm a mess, too, that I don't have it together, and it's so interesting for me to play characters who find life a challenge and where things get out of hand. I grew up in a fairly insular environment and I think the apprehension and anxiety I sometimes have comes from not feeling completely sure of myself when I'm out in the world.”

That “insular” upbringing was a consequence of both Adams’ father’s military career – which was behind her birthplace being at the Caserma Ederle military complex in Vicenza, Italy – and the family’s religious leanings. Raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as Mormonism, until her parents’ divorce in 1985, Adams found a sense of solace at sharing the limelight among her six siblings.

“Growing up in a big family I was always happy to let other people have the attention,” she explains. “I always liked the feeling of being in the background and unless I'm working that's still my natural state. I remember that when I was starting out, I loved doing musical theatre and felt so happy when I would get to sing and dance, I still had to overcome my anxiety about performing in front of people. But then it turned out to be one of the happiest times of my life. And I'm still at it!”

These days, Adams is enjoying life as one of Hollywood’s most soughtafter female stars. Her latest project, The Woman in the Window, sees her take centre stage among an all-star ensemble including Julianne Moore, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Gary Oldman – but Adams is careful to keep her work-life balance clearly defined.

“I was very driven and stressed out in my twenties and I needed to change my approach to my life and career,” she says. “Once I got past that and was able to take a healthier outlook on everything things began falling in place for me. I learned to separate what I felt about myself from my acting career and that has made me feel much happier and at ease with all aspects of my life.”

Being mindful of cutting out the alltoo-overwhelming noise of outside expectations has benefitted Adams away from the silver screen as well. Married to actor and painter Darren Le Gallo since 2015, the couple had their first child, daughter Aviana, five years prior to their private California nuptials.

“Being a mother has given me a chance to ease up on myself and free myself from my perfectionist kind of thinking!” she nods. “You can never be a perfect parent - it's always going to be a process where you discover how you can be more patient or more attentive. You can't think in those terms.”

Being a mother has given me a chance to ease up on myself and free myself from my perfectionist kind of thinking!

It’s impossible to begrudge Adams a single iota of her success, such is her down-to-earth charm and warmth – even if the choices she is facing at this stage in her life are those any working parent would surely dream of.

“You're chronically aware in this business that you might not have these same kinds of opportunities down the road and I want to take advantage of this time in my career when things are going very well for me,” she nods. “You want to be a responsible mother and not have any regrets when you're looking back on this time in your life. I know that I value my time differently. I know that when I'm at home, I'm able to feel so much love that I don't worry as much about things anymore.”

And being at the very top of the industry’s collective esteem for the past half-decade hasn’t hurt, either, of course.

“It's not easy!” she laughs. “I'm having such a beautiful time with my husband and our daughter that any project I choose has to be one that I truly feel compelled to do.”

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