Amy Adams is America’s new sweetheart. (Sorry, Julia Roberts.) But she’s more than just sweet; the Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominated actress has proven herself as a heavyweight contender in film and on TV. Her acting chops, role versatility, and emotional range (not to mention her pin-up model beauty) have kept us captivated for two decades. This 45-year-old leading lady who trained as a ballerina and worked in musical theater before getting her big Hollywood break only gets better with age. Up next for Adams? A turn as Dr. Anna Fox, an agoraphobic psychologist who spies on a neighboring family — and witnesses something horrifying — in The Woman in the Window. While we wait for the film’s debut, here are the most memorable roles from Adams’ illustrious career.
Cover Photo: Columbia Pictures
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Amy Adams Roles
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10. 'Julie and Julia'
It's tough to imagine a time when food blogs didn't exist, but for many years, the internet was a food-lover's wasteland. Then along came real-life writers like Julie Powell, who cooked every recipe in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking over the course of a year. Her online culinary capers and insights launched foodies from the fringes to influencer status overnight, and there wasn't a better actress to play her than Adams in the film adaptation of Powell's memoir.
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11. 'Drop Dead Gorgeous'
In her motion picture debut, Adams played a pregnant cheerleader and aspiring beauty pageant queen from small-town Minnesota.
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9. 'Catch Me If You Can'
Adams donned fake braces for her role as Southern candy-striper Brenda in this film about con man Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio). Spoiler alert: she gets her heart broken.
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8. 'Sunshine Cleaning'
It's hard to make death funny, but somehow Adams pulled it off in this indie comedy about two sisters who start a crime scene cleanup business.
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7. 'Big Eyes'
For years, Margaret Keane (Amy Adams) made a fortune for her husband, Walter (Christoph Waltz), by painting the "big eyed" artwork he put his name on. It took a divorce and a lawsuit for the fraud to come to light and for Margaret to get her credit for her work. Tim Burton brought this true story to the big screen and Adams carried the film with guts and grace.
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6. 'The Master'
In this chilling 1950s period drama, Adams played Peggy Dodd, the wife of a religious cult leader (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a performance which caught the attention of the Academy (though not a win) for Best Supporting Actress.
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5. 'Doubt'
In this Academy Award-nominated performance, Adams played Sister James, a soft-spoken nun who suspects Catholic priest Flynn (Phillip Seymour Hoffman) of pedophilia in this religious drama co-starring Meryl Streep.
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4. 'Junebug'
Though her role is that of sister to the protagonist of this indie comedy film, Adams won audiences' hearts and gave them the giggles with her cheerful pregnant-and-about-to-pop character, Ashley. She netted her first Academy Award nomination because of it.
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3. 'American Hustle'
Adams played seductive Brit Sydney Prosser, a con man's partner turned (and turned on) by FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper) in this salacious '70s era crime drama. This role resulted in her first Best Actress nomination from the Academy. (Ahem, it was about time.)
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2. 'The Fighter'
As bartender Charlene, Adams brought the sass and a Boston accent to this boxing drama in which she fights for control of her boyfriend's (Mark Wahlberg) career. Her take-no-shit attitude definitely scared us off of ever getting in an argument with her.
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1. 'Sharp Objects'
Adams stole the show of this Showtime mystery-thriller series based on the Gillian Flynn novel of the same name. Adams played Camille Preaker, a reporter with dual cutting and alcohol addictions who is tasked with investigating the murders of girls in her hometown. Adams was raw and dark in what was by far the best performance of her career.
