"Julie & Julia" filming dates

UPDATE: Dave Annable of the TV show "Brothers & Sisters" has joined the cast of "Julie & Julia".

Just a quick post to let you know that filming on "Julie & Julia" is going to last until June 3rd, 2008. However, that doesn't mean that Amy's last scene will be shot in June, especially as she is scheduled to rally Vancouver and/or Washington DC in May to start working on "Night at the Museum 2".

Columbia Pictures & Scott Rudin Productions launched pre-production on "Julie & Julia" on January 17th 2008.

Filming officially started on March 6th, 2008 but Amy Adams only joined the cast & crew of "Julie & Julia" in New York on March 17th. She followed cooking classes beforehand.

Amy Adams in "Charlie Wilson's War" (2007) - Part 1

Amy Adams plays Bonnie Bach, a congressional administrative assistant to Tom Hanks's character in "Charlie Wilson's War". It tells the story of Charlie Wilson, a rogue congressman and CIA operative, who makes a conspiracy to arm Afghan rebels against invading Soviet forces. Amy describes her character as "his Gal Friday.”

The following clip is "a very fun scene" according to Amy. It shows her first meeting with Julia Robert's character.

Those scenes were shot in October 2006 in Morroco.

Amy doesn't have a lot of lines in the scene that follows. You can easily tell by watching it that Amy/Bonnie is full of respect for Tom/Charlie. "Just to be on that set and learn from these people and get to watch Philip Seymour Hoffman and Tom Hanks do these amazing scenes together, directed by Mike Nichols, it was for me like going to school.” adds Amy.

I'll post more video clips from "Charlie Wilson's War" later in another blog entry. Enjoy! :)

"Enchanted" official promo shots

Thank you very much to Disney for providing us with wonderful new "Enchanted" promotional pictures. Click on the pics to see them in very high quality. The first shot is from a deleted scene with Giselle (Amy Adams) and Edward (James Marsden) buying hot-dogs on the Brooklyn Bridge. You can watch this scene on the DVD. I guess the other pics need no introduction :)

© Disney

Watch "Pennies" - a short film starring Amy Adams

Great news - you can now watch the short movie "Pennies" starring Amy Adams below. Thanks a million to Matthew Grant who directed/produced this short film and gave us all the information we needed. Matthew and Amy's boyfriend Darren also appear in it. Production on "Pennies" started in 2002 and finished in 2003, but wasn't released until 2006. Eventually it aired on Comcast Cable after being in several film festivals. Enjoy and please leave a comment to let us know what you think of "Pennies"!

With special thanks to Mac Prescott ;-)

Video interview at the NYC Premiere of "Miss Pettigrew"

Amy talks to "Interview" about freedom

Interview magazine loves Amy Adams. She's now practically in every issue and the April 2008 number is no exception to the rule!

Actresses Salma Hayek, Selma Blair, Evan Rachel Wood, Jennifer Connolly, Naomi Watts, Amber Tamblyn and Amy Adams explained their views on freedom in the magazine's opinion page.

Here's what Amy has to say about it:

"I grew up in a small town and you could run around and get lost all day long. When I was a kid, I would always climb to the top of the trees; I'd be up there by myself. I was one of seven kids, so it was always pretty chaotic and that was a place where I could be alone and nobody could find me. I think as I've gotten older, I've learned to embrace finding freedom with others as well. When I was younger my freedom was when I was alone."

"Getting caught up in someone else's identity provides a lot of freedom but I know that when I was onstage, I felt a bigger sense of freedom than in film."

"It sounds so Miss America but I think that if we had compassion for one another, it would create more freedom because everybody would just feel a little more secure. Security creates freedom."

Amy Adams in "The Ex - Fast Track" (2006)

This time I uploaded Amy's scenes from "The Ex (Fast Track)". She co-starred in this 2006 comedy alongside Amanda Peet and Zach Braff. Amy Adams doesn't have a lot of screentime but she plays a preachy mom so it's pretty funny.

Her character Abby heads the local moms' and drives the main character, Sofia (played by Peet), to reclaim her wit as she realizes she's not the sort of mom they want her to be.

Moonlight Serenade - a musical with Amy Adams

I received quite a number of enquiries about the movie "Moonlight Serenade" so I thought I'd post a little blurb about it to clear things up once and for all.

Amy Adams shot this musical in 2006 - right after "Junebug" and just before "Enchanted".

I contacted Identity Films about "Moonlight Serenade" a few weeks ago. One of the producers told me that the film was never released. It was stuck in post-production somehow. No word on when it will be out :-(

It's a musical/romantic comedy directed by Giancarlo Tallarico starring Scottish actor Alec Newman. Amy is pictured on the left with jazz organist Joey De Francesco on the Los Angeles set.

Hopefully we'll get to see it eventually so, until then, keep your fingers crossed!

Video clip of Amy Adams in "Tenacious D" (2006)

Here's the video clip of Amy Adams in "Tenacious D" (requested by Tiffany). Don't blink or you'll miss her appearance! In a recent interview, Amy was asked how she prepared for that role. Amy giggled and replied: "Hours in the makeup chair and you see me for half a second. But I love Jack Black so I had to do it". Jack Black also says in the DVD's audio commentary that Amy was way overqualified to play the part of "The Gorgeous woman".

Amy Adams returns to the Kodak Theatre

The Emmy Award-winning IDOL GIVES BACK returns with an illustrious group of celebrity participants to help raise awareness and funds to benefit various U.S. and international charities Wednesday, April 9 (7:30-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

Robin Williams, Celine Dion, Forest Whitaker, Billy Crystal, Dane Cook, Kiefer Sutherland, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Jennifer Connolly, Elliott Yamin, Fantasia and Amy Adams join previously announced international talent and sports figures Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood, Annie Lennox, John Legend, Snoop Dogg, Maroon 5, Heart and Gloria Estefan.

Tickets for the star-studded event are currently on sale to the general public. The event will tape at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday, April 6.

For more information, visit AmericanIdol.com.

Amy's "Enchanted" triumphes on DVD

It was a tough battle, but in the end Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment's "Enchanted" narrowly triumphed over the Warner blockbuster "I Am Legend" to nail down the No. 1 spot on the national DVD sales chart for the week ending March 23.

"Legend" earned $256.2 million at the box-office, more than twice as much as "Enchanted," which grossed $127.8 million. But the sales appeal of family titles propelled the Disney film to the top spot on the Nielsen VideoScan First Alert chart nonetheless -- though "Legend" did debut at No. 1 on Home Media Magazine's video rental chart whereas"Enchanted" bowed at No. 3.

"Legend" was the week's top Blu-ray Disc seller, moving four times as many copies as "Enchanted" -- not surprising, given that the next-generation format is still in the early adopter stage, a demographic of mostly young adult men.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

ELLE's new favourite: Amy Adams

Amy Adams - ELLE Women in Hollywood



Amy Adams - ELLE Magazine March '08 Issue Covershoot

Presumed Innocent: why Amy Adams was fired of TV show

She is being lauded for her pure-hearted performance in "Junebug", but Amy Adams is no pushover, says Wendy Ide from The Times.

In the world of American independent cinema, it is unusual to find a character that is entirely good, a genuinely pure-hearted individual with no unsavoury characteristics waiting to emerge as a plot-point in the third act. In the eloquently restrained comedy drama Junebug, Ashley is one such character, a wide-eyed innocent full of goodwill for a world that has not always treated her well.

Amy Adams is the actress who brings Ashley to life — the remarkable achievement of her performance as this effervescent, heavily pregnant bundle of chirpy positivity is that not only do we not hate her on sight, but she quickly becomes the heart and soul of the movie.

Adams, a bright and perceptive redhead (she is naturally blonde but kept Ashley’s hair colour after the film), was deservedly rewarded with an Oscar nomination for her part in Junebug. She argues that Ashley is not such an anomaly for American indie movies — after all, just because she’s nice, it doesn’t mean that she’s not deeply messed up on another level. “Being that joyful and that good is its own type of dysfunction. It’s just not usually illustrated in film, which is generally more concerned with people’s ulterior motives.”

Adams is coming to the end of a long journey with a character she originally feared would “drive people crazy”. And the story of the film itself, the pet project of the director Phil Morrison and the writer Angus MacLachlan, is longer still. “They have been working on it since 1992,” says Adams. “I think that there were a lot of actresses who were going to be Ashley before me. But for whatever reason it didn’t happen — thankfully for me.”

When the script for Junebug arrived, Adams was in the process of parting company with a TV series. “I was essentially fired. They were trying to change my contract and I said no to the compromise, so I was let go.” What was the TV show? “It was called Dr Vegas.” She laughs at my blank expression. “Exactly. Junebug was an important film.

“I think for women, it takes a while to take control of decisions. You think that everything is fate or destiny, you don’t really make your choices. I think that summer was the first time I was able to say that I didn’t want to follow through with it and deal with the consequences. It was really empowering. At the end of the summer I was unemployed but I was happy and I was proud. I was like, you know what, I’m done with being pushed around.”

Adams says she had no idea how significant this supporting role in a domestic drama set in North Carolina would be to her career. “I knew that it was important that I did it. I try to look at my projects as more than just what they’re going to do for my career because ultimately you never know whether it’s going to be successful or whether it’s going to be the last thing you ever work on.”

The first hint of the acclaim to follow came at the Sundance Film Festival, where Adams was presented with a Special Jury Award. She has since won eight more prizes and notched up a further four nominations, including the all-important Oscar nomination (she lost out to Rachel Weisz, but says that she is still coming to terms with being nominated at all).

Despite all the praise, Adams is completely unstarry and unaffected. She mocks herself for forgetting how to order coffee in London (“I’m so used to Starbucks where you add everything yourself”), and over lunch she is charm itself, involving everyone at the extended table in conversation, determined that nobody should feel left out. She bristles with indignation at the memory of people slighting her boyfriend, Darren Le Gallo, also an actor (“He’s the one who deserves an award”). While a touchier actress might get huffy that so many interviewers haven’t noticed the seven years of smaller roles that led to this point in her career, and that they persist in calling her a “newcomer”, Adams thinks it’s funny. “I love it when somebody says: ‘You basically came out of nowhere!’ And I’m like: ‘Actually, not really.’”

Adams was raised in Colorado as the middle child of seven. For the first 12 years of her life, she had a strict Mormon upbringing (the family left the church when her parents’ marriage broke down). “They got us all into sports really early, and tried to make us competitive. But it never worked for me. I never cared about winning. It used to really frustrate them because I’d say, it’s all about the doing,” says Adams, who is not unaware of the irony that her chosen career is one of the most competitive.

Instead of sport, Adams got into dancing, “not against my parents’ wishes exactly, but they didn’t think it was practical — they thought I should focus on something that would get me a scholarship to go to university. But I had no desire to go to college, I just wasn’t interested.”

The American press seem to delight in mentioning Adams’s stint working in a tacky restaurant chain called Hooters, but the next significant career move was to Minnesota to work in dinner theatre in light musicals such as Brigadoon. There she sustained a dancing injury just as casting scouts arrived in town for a pitch-black satire of the beauty pageant business. It was called Drop Dead Gorgeous and it was the beginning of Adams’s acting career. “

Hollywood seemed so far away and impossible, I wasn’t a movie star. I thought, maybe I’ll go out there and try to get work. And seven years later . . .”

Before Junebug, the most important job for Adams was as Leonardo DiCaprio’s naive girlfriend in Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, another unusually sweet and innocent character. “I don’t know if that’s how people see me, but I know that I approach characters, even those who are deviant, from a place of innocence. Then I find the event that happened to them that shaped them into what they are.”

But doesn’t she long to play somebody evil, just once? “I would love to. But at the same time I don’t like evil for evil’s sake. I had an opportunity to play a woman who had killed these two men. But I couldn’t find anything redeeming about her. I didn’t like her. I kind of didn’t want to be her.”

Adams’s evil incarnation will not be revealed for a while — her two last projects are Will Ferrell’s Nascar comedy Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby; and then as a “sort-of princess” in a partially animated Disney film called Enchanted.

She is hesitant to rush into anything else. Ashley, after all, is a tough act to follow. “It’s a lot of pressure. I’m never going to play Ashley again. I think, ultimately, people loved Ashley. Whether they love me as an actress remains to be seen. So it is a lot of pressure, but not something I can’t handle. It’s a good challenge.”

"That '70s Show" video clips

This is for Nikki - I've just uploaded 3 short clips of "That '70s Show". Amy Adams appeared as Kat Peterson in the episode "Burning Down the House" in 2000 (season 2, episode 15). This TV series is about a group of teenage friends, their mishaps, and their coming of age, set in 1970s Wisconsin.

Jackie (Mila Kunis) invites Eric (Topher Grace), Donna (Laura Prepon) and Michael (Ashton Kutcher) to a formal-yet-casual dinner party, but Michael gets it wrong and invites a "few" other people to the party. For a while Steven (Danny Masterson) has been sneaking around with Kat Peterson (Amy Adams), the most popular girl at school, but when he meets her at the party she completely ignores him.

I would also like to say a big thank you to everyone who sent me emails. I've got most of the videos you requested so I'll definitely post the clips on the blog. I'll do my best to upload them as soon as possible so please keep eye on this site!

Amy Adams: an overnight sensation?

IMDB also indicates that "Sunshine Cleaning" will be released on 25 July 2008 in the US. That's sooner than expected but if it turns out to be true, I'm sure no one will be complaining! Thanks Mac for the alert :-)

I'm still digging through the archives of Interview magazine so I apologize if you've already read the article that follows. Selma Blair interviewed Amy for the April 2005 issue. I kinda like to update this blog at least daily so when things are getting quieter for Amy, I tend to post old interviews and videos. Please let me know if you're interested by video clips from "Standing Still", "Psycho Beach Party", "The Last Run" or any other Amy movies that I might have. Don't hesitate to send requests to stephany.kong[at]hotmail.fr or post a comment, and I'll see what I can do. Anyway, here's the interview:

AMY ADAMS: AN OVERNIGHT SENSATION?

Until now, actress Amy Adams has been most recognizable as the naive, brace-faced fiancee of Leonardo DiCaprio's seductive con man in "Catch Me If You Can" (2002) as well as for various supporting roles in teen and romantic comedies. But this year it was she and a mere handful of others who made the Sundance Film Festival seem as though it hadn't lost its way. With her turn as a young pregnant wife in a small Southern town in the well-received "Junebug"--a performance that earned her a Special Jury Prize at the festival--the actress proved she's all grown-up and ready to break out once and for all.

Dear Amy. Let me just start--I'm gonna talk for a minute because I want to tell you I feel like you're a girl who has not gotten her due. I know you have no bitterness about it, but I'm bitter for you. I think you are the greatest undiscovered discovery.
You are so nice.

And you are so incredibly talented. You blew me away, blew me, blew me, blew me--God, that sounds good, let's repeat that a few times! [both laugh] Anyway, you blew me away in Catch Me If You Can, so I cannot wait to see Junebug. When does it come out?
I have no idea. I think it got picked up by Sony Pictures Classics, so they're going to be dealing with it. I'm just happy for everybody.

It's amazing when a good story gets to be told with the right people involved. And congratulations on your award at Sundance. I looked online. You looked supercute at the awards ceremony. You're like a dark, complicated girl trapped in the physicality of a Breck girl. [Adams laughs]
You know, I've dyed my hair red.

That's going to change everything, Amy!
I know. Cutting bangs is going to change my whole personality, I've decided. People will finally see the darker girl inside.

So, what was your first project?
Drop Dead Gorgeous [1999].

And you've been blonde in every film except for maybe some recent projects. Are you blonde in Junebug?
No, I have red hair. I mean, really it's orange. We went for a very specific orange shade. I'm kidding, actually--it just turned out orange, and I was like, "Oh, let's leave it."

Tell me about the character you play.
She's really innocent, the sweetest girl you'd ever meet. Like, you feel sorry for her because she's so nice.

Is there a touch of your Catch Me If You Can character in Junebug?
I guess there are similarities. She's got the young Southern innocence about her, but the girl in Junebug has been through a lot more. But, to me, they're both so different.

How did Phil Morrison, the film's director, find you for this movie?
He'd seen me in Catch Me, but my being around for the casting was basically a fluke. I was in the midst of shooting what I will now refer to as "That Television Show," [both laugh] and I was supposed to be in Las Vegas; but the studio sent me home because they weren't going to use me for a few days. I was angry about that, but as it turned out, I had the audition for Junebug that weekend.

Your angels are watching over you. I do think it's kind of like "Slow and steady wins the race," and everything is lining up for you now. You're too good to become an overnight sensation, even though you've been called one.
Well, it's funny because even now I'll read stuff about me, and it'll say "newcomer" or "relative newcomer," and I'm like, "Six years later!" [laughs] I don't think people understand how much work goes into being a newcomer.

I'm still a newcomer starlet, and I'm 50! So, how long have you been in L.A.?
Six years.

And is it true that you were performing in dinner theater?
Yeah. I was working on Brigadoon at this dinner theater in Minnesota when I got the part in Drop Dead Gorgeous.

Do you love Brigadoon? [There's a knock at the door, and an Interview editor enters carrying a coffee for Blair]. Oh, no, you're bringing me coffee! I feel like such a big deal. Thank you! [Adams laughs] Amy, someone just brought me coffee.
They brought you coffee?

[Laughs] I quit coffee for a while, but apparently I'm back on it.
You fool!

I know. Anyway, what's something about you that someone who doesn't know you would be really surprised by?
Where do I start?

I know--it's all a facade, right?
It's weird. Even in high school I was so frustrated because I felt like people expected me to be one way based on looking a certain way. Like, looking wholesome.

Were people afraid to swear or to light a cigarette in front of you because they thought you'd judge them or something?
No, it wasn't that. I was just not fitting in with the cheerleaders. And I was doing ballet, so I was always gone from school. But I didn't fit in with the theater people either because I was in the real theater. I think people thought I was a snob. But I'd say people would think my personality is exactly the opposite of my face, if that makes any sense--even though at the same time I'm a really optimistic, upbeat person, and I'm for the most part happy. There's just a lot of yin and yang.

Your idealism was one of the things I understand Steven Spielberg [Catch Me If You Can's director] was so attracted to in you. And that's been my small experience of you too. I'll see you in an audition, and you're so happy and professional. And if you're not rooting for yourself, you're rooting for me. But at the same time, you're really there, you do your hair right--
And I show up in costume.

I remember we were at some audition where we were supposed to be like stewardesses or anchorwomen or something. You showed up with a scarf, and I swear your hair looked like a wig. You were perfect. I'm like, "I could never get in my car dressed that way." You're completely fearless.
There's no halfway with me. I ain't got time to pretend I don't want a job.

Yeah, I agree. It's like, "If you don't want this job, then please leave because I really do. And the girl over there, Amy, with the parasol--she really wants it too." [Adams laughs]
Exactly. But I don't see anything wrong with playing your cards. I mean, is there something wrong with wanting to do your best?

I've heard that a couple of times, like, "Oh, Selma, you just want it too bad."
I hate it when people put that on you, that whole you're-giving-away-your-power thing. And I'm like, "Why? By wanting to do a good job?" How being honest has now become the new weakness I'll never understand. But I guess I'll be weak then because I cannot lie--I'm the worst liar.

What's the last lie you told?
I think I have a tendency to exaggerate, but harmless exaggerations like "Oh my God, there was so much traffic," when really I just didn't leave my house on time.

I'm pretty sure your judgment day will be a kind one. [laughs] What else have you got going on?
Well, I shot The Wedding Date recently with Debra Messing.

Oh, yeah! And that's out right now. Tell me about it.
I play Debra's younger half sister. And honestly, they told me that I was too mean. We had to go back in looping and make her nicer.

[Laughs] Okay, so is there anything you want to say in an interview that you've never had the opportunity to say--something that you just wanted to blurt out or wanted people to learn about you?
Um, I'm one of seven kids. I grew up in Colorado.

What order in the children are you?
I'm the middle child.

Okay, favorite record from childhood.
Uh, Strawberry Shortcake Loses Her Basket, but that's from, like, early childhood.

Okay, I was thinking more like Corey Hart or something [Adams laughs], but that was so honest. And your favorite record when you were 15?
I was really into this REO Speedwagon single, and I liked the Dirty Dancing soundtrack. Now that was hot.

Okay, more random questions. What color of shoes would you never wear?
[Pause] Is there a shoe that I wouldn't wear at all? The answer is: There's no color of shoe that I wouldn't wear.

Okay. Favorite supermodel.
Heidi Klum. She always looks so happy!

I know, she does.
I'd be pleased if I were her. [laughs]

Favorite president of all time.
Oh. Um. Let's see. I'm stumped.

I like how we can immediately say which supermodel we like, and we're like, "Favorite president ... hmm."
[Laughs] Let's say George Washington.

Favorite flavor of tea?
Chamomile.

Really? It tastes like toilet paper to me.
I put soy milk and honey in it. Maybe that's the trick.

Okay, I have a couple more stupid questions. Pencils or felt-tipped pens?
Pencils. I like ballpoint, if you had said that.

No, I hate ballpoint, so that wasn't even in the running. These are my questions. [laughs] More important question: a director that you really want to work with?
Alexander Payne.

And your dream role?
Wow, that's hard 'cause it changes every week. I'm looking at a script right now that has a dream role in it.

Okay, then we'll just send light that way. And don't jinx it, don't talk about it. I wish you the best on that dream role. [whines] I hope you get it! ... I hope I don't want it! [laughs]
You'd actually be really good in it.

Well, that'll end this friendship. I'll be like, "Oh, by the way, that dream role that you wanted? Mine."
No, I'm not like that, because my thing is, if another actress gets it--

She was meant to have it. I'm the same way.
And also, I love it when people I respect get a role I was up for. Like, my goal in acting is to lose a part to Samantha Morton.

Just to be in that company. I agree. Well, I will always be thrilled to lose a part to you.
And vice versa.

And I can't wait to see Junebug, and I'm going to go see The Wedding Date.
Yeah, go see it. Dermot Mulroney's behind is very cute in it.

2006 "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar video

Here's the 2006 Academy Awards video where you can see Rachel Weisz win the "Best Supporting Actress" Oscar. On the video clip, Amy Adams looks very happy for Rachel. They were both nominated in the same category, along with Catherine Keener, Frances McDormand and Michelle Williams.

Video credit: AcademyAwardGuy

Amy Adams worries about patterned sheets

Amy Adams recently spoke to Aroundphilly.com about her first job, Delysia Lafosse and...Bed Bath & Beyond.

Oscar nominee Amy Adams a screwball heroine in "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day", a fun period comedy in which she plays Delysia Lafosse, a woman with three hunky boyfriends: Phil (Tom Payne), Nick (Mark Strong) and Michael (Lee Pace). She unexpectedly gets some assistance from Miss Pettigrew (Frances McDormand) who fakes her way into Delysia’s life and helps her solve her romantic problems.

First Enchanted, now Miss Pettigrew. How did you keep your energy level playing these bubbly characters?
You just do it, you know. I enjoy it. I’ve played depressed characters, and there is a benefit to that. This is much more infectious in your life. You go home with energy, with more spirit. I get something from my characters as well.

Have you always had such energy?
I was a greeter at the Gap. I wanted to work in the stock room, but I was just too peppy. They were like “No, you have to be in the front of the store, you are the only person who will literally talk to every person coming through the door!” It was 1993-1994, right after I graduated high school.

How did you get into acting?
I lived in Colorado and started working in theater, and from there I went to Minnesota and worked in dinner theater, and as a dancer, and I got cast in Drop Dead Gorgeous, and that gave me the chutzpah to move to Los Angeles, and do everything from day player roles to Delysia.

Your comic timing here—the gasps, facial expressions, pratfall slapstick moments—are terrific and really make the film a delight. How did you develop this for this character?
I think that I approach the physicality from being a dancer. I figure out how they feel—it’s all very tactile and kinetic. What does it feel like to be this person? I’m a huge fan of old movies—and older films are more closely related to the stage. It was something I wanted to accomplish, that style of acting. And Frances [McDormand]—once I saw what she was doing with Guinevere [Miss Pettigrew] gave me permission to go there. It’s a physical movie, and you want people to get caught up in Delysia’ world.

Delysia has three men and is different with each. What can you say about this?
What I love about her is that her whole world is a stage, and every day is a performance. With Nick, it’s that he overpowers her—she’s the damsel in distress and can manipulate him with her feminine wiles. As much as it hurts her, there is something about her playing all the roles with all of her men. I think there are deeper reasons, and you get to know her in the film, and what’s really happening and why she is doing what she’s doing. She’s the kind of person who once she decides she’s going to do something, she’s going to do it—full out.

Miss Pettigrew fixes many things in Delysia’s life. What could Miss Pettigrew fix in your life? Three Men? Money trouble?
No, I’m such a practical person! Well, for the most part. Maybe she could clean my closet out, because I’m messy. I nitpick over little things. Like getting a bed set at Bed Bath & Beyond and I wake up in the middle of the night going, “I should have gotten a patterned one. I just know it!” If someone could make me stop doing that, I could accomplish more in my life.

Are you a little OCD there, Amy?
Are you like that? What would my mind be capable of if I wasn’t thinking about throw blankets?

Did you identify with Delysia’s ambitions and drive in show business?
To a certain degree. I can understand her reasons for wanting it. She wants security and stability, and that I definitely can relate to. Wanting some bit of certainty and control over your own destiny.

So how does it feel now, that you kind of made it?
As Delysia would say, there is no such thing as security. Your mind will find something else to worry about.

Like patterned sheets?
Yes, like patterned sheets. Sometimes you realize that when you get what you want, it isn’t what you needed. I always consider “Is this really making me happy?” I don’t think it’s any one thing—career, relationship, etc. I try to achieve balance in my life.

By Gary Kramer for Aroundphilly.com

Casting call for "Julie & Julia" in New York

Grant Wilfley Casting is seeking extras in New York for the feature film “Julie and Julia” starring Amy Adams, Meryl Streep and Stanley Tucci. They are seeking the following:

"French and European-looking people for scenes set in Paris circa 1950. Seeking men and women with 1950s hair. Men should have short, neatly-trimmed hair and women with chin- or shoulder-length hair. Pixie hair cuts are also good. Or must be willing to have hair cut by the productions stylist. Must have natural colored hair, no highlights. Seeking all ages. Men and women must be comfortable smoking on set and/or being around smoke. We are looking for the men to be 5′10 and shorter and the women to be 5′6″ and shorter.

Please resond with a current candid photo or snapshot, not just a headshot. Also include your sizes and the best number to reach you. If you don’t fit these requirements, are not comfortable smoking or are not willing to have you hair cut, please do not respond."

Please reply to: jandj@gwcnyc.com

"Pennies" - a 2006 short film

In 2006, Amy Adams worked on "Pennies", a 25-minute short film about a young single mother who would do anything for her daughter. It's listed on IMDB but Amy is not credited for some weird reason.

Amy's younger brother, Eddie, is one of the writers. He also appears in the short film and so does Darren Le Gallo. "Pennies" premiered on October 20, 2006 at the St. John's International Women's Film and Video Festival. It was shown in other film festivals including the Bahamas One World International Film Festival.

Here's the full synopsis:

"Pennies" is the story of Charlotte Brown (Amy Adams), a waitress and young single mother who will do anything for her daughter Jenny,and when push comes to shove, she does. With a menacing figure on the other end of the phone and a time limit of two hours,she must raise enough money to ensure that she sees the smiling face of her child again. Charlotte's customers are her only hope. The clock is ticking as we see the desperate young mother dealing with one eccentric customer after the next,displaying her charming vulnerability and inspiring strength through all the chaos. With her feet firmly planted on the ground, Charlotte maintains her focus and attempts to beat the clock and save the day.

Warner Loughlin, the director, interviewed Amy in November 2007 during one of the Festivals:

So, as you know from studying with me, my technique is really about getting rid of the idea of substitutions and having to use tragedy from your own life to get to an emotion. And also refuting the idea you have to be a bad person, bad boy, bad girl, or go through heinous tragedies in order to be an artist, which I think is bull.

Well, I’ll talk about how before I came to coach with you I had a huge hurdle, in that in my own life I felt very powerless. I didn’t have a voice. And so in my acting I had a really hard time getting to a true emotional place, because it was too threatening. It was too dangerous to go somewhere as a character that I felt I personally couldn’t come back from.

So, a good friend and relative, Eddie, [LAUGHS] suggested I come to his class with you. I was always very resistant to classes, because I didn’t want some teacher to use whatever pain I have gone through to get me to that dark place. When I tried to access my own personal pain I froze up because that’s how I deal with trauma - I become blocked, even as a human being. So, I tried to do that with my acting, anytime I've tried to cry in a role by thinking about something that has happened to me personally, I froze.

Anytime I tried to scream by thinking about times I've been angry, I was paralyzed. I couldn’t see, I couldn’t even really say the lines. So, when I came to you and I learned this technique of creating a life for your character, I felt like I became the instrument for the character, rather than the entire song. And I was able to use myself more like an instrument as opposed to the whole orchestra.

What a great analogy.

And, you know, I was able to find my voice and to find tears and to find levels, because I was able to have a safe place to go, that I could come back from. With your technique, in character prep, when I visit a character’s life, her past and create some event, good or tragic, that belongs to her. I don’t take ownership of that pain with me. I don’t take it on as my own.

So, when I return from their life at the end of the day or the end of the scene, I am in a healthy place, as opposed to feeling as though I have gone through something horrible as myself. So, this allows me not to be scared to go there, which allows me freedom as an actress to do anything, because I don’t own it, it belongs to my character.

With thanks to Mac Prescott, WarnerLoughlin.com and MatthewGodbey.com.

Interview magazine's 1999 "Hot Pop 30"

Nine years ago, very few people predicted Amy Adams' rise to stardom when "Drop Dead Gorgeous" was released. Even less when "Cruel Intentions 2" crashed and burned so quickly.

Despite it all, Interview magazine has always showed tremendous support for Adams and even listed her among its "Hot Pop 30 list" in 1999. Here's the interview - it's quite a fun read when we know what has happened to Amy's career.

HOT POP 30 - AMY ADAMS
Watch out, they're ready to take on the world! Welcome to Interview's outspoken, out-there portfolio of thirty folks - some big and some about to be - who are brightening, enlightening, and sometimes even frightening, for now and for years to come.

The character: Evil vamp on "Cruel Intentions 2" .
Where everyone's seen her: Lovable bimbo in the movie "Drop Dead Gorgeous." .
In her own words: "I always knew I wanted to perform. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a singing nurse."

For you to play such a good bitch in "Cruel Intentions 2" [airing in December 99 on the Fox Network], deep down you have to be nice and really stretching.
Yeah, I like to consider myself a nice person. I think that everybody actually has that dark side, though - I think that everybody has that "wicked wit."

Yeah, but Katherine's beyond wicked. She really enjoys destroying lives.
We started shooting again on Tuesday, and I was reminded how icky I feel when I play Katherine, because I really let myself feel like that, and it's just the grossest feeling. I mean, it is fun, but when you're in it, you just ache all the time. She's just so angry and bitter.

So when you've been to that bottomless pit of nastiness, do you want to take a shower afterwards?
A long shower. I get the giggles a lot, though.

Are you afraid you might be - or hoping that you might be - the young generation's answer to Joan Collins on Dynasty?
I hope so. Fox needs a new bad girl. So hopefully I can fill that spot.

Is your family aware of exactly what you're doing in this show? Because it is pretty racy, isn't it?
Yeah, and now they're all laughing because I try to please people a lot, and nobody in America is going to like me as a person when they see me playing Katherine.

So you're a giver?
I give and take, but I try. Like I never want to hurt anybody's feelings. But don't get me wrong. I'm a very generous taker, too.

Can you snap into the character just by clicking something Inside of you, or does it take a lot of buildup?
I'll show you how to do it, OK? Just wash everything you know about yourself away. Now think about the time you were jilted, like somebody did something awful to you and you couldn't believe it. You know that gut ache you get? And then you're there.

But I'm always like that!
Perhaps you should be playing Katherine.

. Interview magazine - October 1999

"ABC News" and "Lunch with David" video interviews

Things seem to have quieted down very perceptibly during the last few days for Amy as she has now turned her attention to filming "Julie and Julia". I am therefore taking this opportunity to post two very good video interviews that you may or may not have seen already. They were both recorded in November 2007. Amy appeared on ABC News to promote "Enchanted" and spent some time (almost half-an-hour!) discussing her latest film, her choices and her aspirations with David Poland. The second video - a candid discussion - is probably the best interview I've ever seen. Definitely a must-watch for Amy's fans!

ABCNews.com - Princess Amy Adams

Lunch with Amy Adams

Amy tops Carver County's A-list

It's unknown Amy Adams ever had a mailing address in Carver County. However, she appeared in so many Chanhassen Dinner Theatres performances between 1996 and 1998, that she's been included as an honorary member of the Carver County A-List. She took a short leave from musical theater to appear in the locally filmed "Drop Dead Gorgeous". From there, she went on to star in a number of movies and TV shows.

Any description of Chanhassen Dinner Theater alum Amy Adams as placid would provoke demands for a correction, she says. "If you print in Minnesota that I'm, like, calm, you'll have about 50 people out at Chanhassen coming at you going, `I know this and I know that'.

In 1999, Adams played in "Cruel Intentions 2" a "manipulative . . . bad girl . . . a teenager . . . 16 going on 50 . . . It's fun; it's sooo much fun." Adams said her older sister, Juli, her only immediate family member still in Minnesota, didn't recognize that person her little sister is playing. In reality, Adams said, "I'm mischievous but I'm not evil."

Chanhassen director Michael Brindisi begged to differ. "She's mischievous and evil," laughed Brindisi. "Let's get down to the facts. Amy, Amy. She's a sweetheart. I discovered her, and I want a piece of her {career}." Brindisi first saw her when he was casting for "Crazy for You" in Denver. "She jumped right off the stage; she was just magnetic."

Adams did "Crazy for You," "State Fair" and "Brigadoon" and then told Brindisi she was leaving. He asked her to stick around long enough to open "Good News." One of Adams' finest moments of Chanhassen mischief came during a rehearsal for "State Fair." Amy was the tiny person in the really big pig costume. "When she came to the photo call she wore it backwards, sticking out her tongue at all of us," he said.

In other antics, Brindisi has "heard rumors that she's danced around the women's dressing room in various stages of undress, although I've never personally observed this." From what Brindisi said, there was really no need for Adams to go without clothing. "You know that clothing store Opitz in St. Louis Park?" Brindisi said. "Every time my wife, Michelle, and I would go there, Amy would be there shopping. I think she had a bed there." Brindisi is hoping she makes it big: "She's one of those people you wish good things would come to. Everybody is pulling for her.'`

Many actors decide they want to fudge their age too late in the game. Amy Adams is starting early. "I don't talk about my age," she said very coolly. That enhances an actor's mystique and helps diminish some forms of typecasting. "That's part of it," she said. Told that this was not a new strategy, she was happy to be in good company. "That's fabulous," Adams said.

Amy Adams Chanhassen performances and start dates:
“Crazy for You,” Feb. 2, 1996 (came in as a replacement)
“State Fair” Jan. 31, 1997
“Brigadoon,” Jan. 30: 1998
“Good News,” Nov. 6, 1998 (left midway through show's run to pursue Hollywood career)

Cheryl Johnson for The Star Tribune - 17 June 1999

"Enchanted" is out on DVD today!

Here's an exclusive video of a special feature from the Enchanted DVD that is coming to a store near you today! Take a look at James Marsden getting fully into his role as a prince stuck in today's world.

Here's the full Bloopers video but don't watch if you don't want to be spoiled before receiving your DVD!

Source: Movieweb and Youtube

"Enchanted" - DVD and film review

The DVD of "Enchanted" is finally coming to DVD and Blu-ray disc tomorrow in the US. It's filled with extras: featurettes on the staging of three of the musical numbers, deleted scenes, bloopers and a pop-up game. Director Kevin Lima provides introductions for a batch of deleted scenes, and other extras include a short film featuring Giselle's chipmunk pal. However, only the Blu-ray disc includes "The D-Files," a quiz that unlocks vintage clips and making-of footage with each correct answer.

In an animated fairy-tale universe, an evil queen (Susan Sarandon) disrupts her stepson's romance with a princess (Amy Adams) by sending her into the real world. "Enchanted" is Disney having a nice laugh at itself but those looking for a more cynical parody of Walt's legacy --such as DreamWorks' "Shrek"-- will be disappointed. It remains a Disney film at heart, and is respectful of the genre it gently makes fun of.

Enchanted (2007) - DVD Commercial

Amy Adams turns in a note perfect performance as the vivacious Giselle. It's a difficult role, and in the wrong hands Giselle's overwhelmingly bubbly nature would quickly become annoying. Adams, who does her own singing, resists the temptation to inject irony into the character, portraying Giselle as genuinely kind-hearted. This is crucial in making Giselle believable and sympathetic.

With an excellent lead and a strong supporting cast, "Enchanted" is a charming, light-hearted film that succeeds both as a romance and a comedy. It's ideal viewing not only for those who grew up on a diet of Disney but for any closet romantics who believe in the possibility of true love, no matter how rational they try to be.

"I'm too old for High School Musical 3"

The third installment of High School Musical, set for the big screen, is one of 2008's most anticipated movies.

Amy Adams says she's very happy to see the franchise doing so well: "I think we seem to be returning again to a more wholesome presentation to our young girls so we don't have the bare mid drift and the promiscuous behaviour being sold to 10 year olds. So I'm happy that those films are doing well and also I would love to do another musical. I would love to do a stage musical."

Casting for High School Musical 3 is already underway. Given her dancing and musical background, Amy was asked several times by the press if she would like to be part of the project. "I think I'm a little old for High School Musical 3 unless I'm the perky counsellor", she giggles. "But I would love to return to musicals yes".

Source: Femail.com

Enchanted: the visual guide

To promote the DVD release of Enchanted, Disney has released a bunch of photo stills on Cinematical and ComingSoon comparing the framing of some classic Disney animated films and scenes from Enchanted. A few trivial tidbits include:

- The bus driver’s hair is shaped like Mickey Mouse’s ears.
- Robert’s law firm is called Churchill, Harline and Smith, the surnames of the songwriters from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
- The Grand Duke hotel in which Edward stays is named after the character in Cinderella.

- Cathleen Trigg’s character’s name is Mary Ilene Caselotti. This is a tribute to Mary Costa, the voice of Disney’s Sleeping Beauty, Ilene Woods, who did the voice of Disney’s Cinderella, and Adriana Caselotti, the voice of Disney’s first princess, Snow White in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
- The old men dancing in the park musical sequence were chimney-sweepers from Marry Poppins.
- Robert’s (Patrick Dempsey) last name is Philip - the name of the prince in Sleeping Beauty.
- Nancy’s last name is “Tremaine”, the same last name as the Evil Stepmother in Cinderella.

- The Television reporter is named Mary Ilene Caselotti, a combination of Mary Costa (Sleeping Beauty) and Adriana Caselotti (Snow White).
- One of the doors that Prince Edward knocks on is apartment 714, which is the area code for Orange County, where the original Disneyland park is located.
- The three previous Disney animated princesses make appearances in Enchanted: Jodi Benson (Ariel in The Little Mermaid), Paige O’Hara (Belle in Beauty and the Beast), and Judy Kuhn (Pocahontas).
- Julie Andrews (Marry Poppins) provides the voice narration.

Source: SlashFilm

Amy heads to Washington DC this summer?

After months of bad news (bloated salaries, dubious spending, damaged exhibits), the Smithsonian is poised for a possible PR bonanza: a starring role in the sequel to Ben Stiller's blockbuster "Night at the Museum."

The kid-friendly original was set in N.Y.C.'s American Museum of Natural History; now producers are eyeing the Air and Space Museum for Night at the Museum 2 ("Escape From the Smithsonian"). A D.C. shoot (possibly in May) would bring Stiller and Amy Adams to town.

Twentieth Century Fox is now negotiating to film inside -- a rare move for the Smithsonian, but one officials seem open to. "This movie reaches an important demographic, young kids, and it's very positive" about museums, said Air and Space rep Claire Brown.

Source: The Washington Post

Repost: Amy at the Oscars

The video of "Happy Working Song" at the Oscars that I posted in a previous blog entry isn't working anymore so here it is again. Thanks for alerting me Amanda!

Amy Adams - Happy Working Song from Enchanted

Amy's big screen smooch

Locking lips on the big screen can be a challenge. In "Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day," Amy Adams gets a smooch with hunky Lee Pace of ABC's "Pushing Daisies." The problem? Amy told Parade, "I'm about five feet four and Lee is six-four. Bending over to reach my lips looked silly. So Lee just grabbed me and hoisted me off the floor."

Amy reveals that her boyfriend has no problem with her getting romantic on the set. "He understands that it's part of the job," she says. "When I was doing 'Enchanted' there was a day that I was lying on a chaise lounge and being kissed by James Marsden and then Patrick Dempsey. We did the scene all day long. At the end, I stood up and was like, 'Girls, you need to stand in line for this ride.'

Then, my boyfriend called me and he was very funny. He was like, 'How did your best day of filming ever go?' We're very secure with each other."

Source: ABC News

"Enchanted" comes out on DVD on March 18

The really cute, funny and magical movie "Enchanted" comes out on DVD and Blu-ray on March 18, 2008 in the US. It's definitely a must-buy for Amy's fans, especially because the DVD boasts a vast number of bonus features, including deleted scenes, bloopers and more!

"Enchanted" is a classic Disney fairytale colliding with modern-day New York City in a story about a fairytale princess (Amy Adams) who is sent to our world by an evil queen. The now-real girl has to survive in New York City and find her way home again to her true love.

Make sure you pre-order your DVD as soon as possible on Amazon, Bestbuy or others. I'll post a DVD review when I receive my copy. Here's the list of bonus features:

* FANTASY COMES TO LIFE - Three behind-the-scenes featurettes about the musical sequences : “Happy Working Song,” “That’s How You Know,” “A Blast at the Ball”
* DELETED SCENES - Including exclusive intros by director Kevin Lima
* BLOOPERS - A cute reel of missed takes.
* PIP'S PREDICAMENT: A POP-UP ADVENTURE - Giselle’s chipmunk friend Pip stars in this new short.
* THE D-FILES (only on Blue-ray disc) - Enchanted is loaded with witty hidden references to classic Disney films. “The D-Files” rewards players who spot them with a short featurette showing the original Disney reference. High scoring players are treated to three extra special videos: “So Close,” “Making Ever Ever After” and “True Love’s Kiss.”

The splendid DVD artwork:

With thanks to Walt Disney Pictures Home Entertainment

Marriage counseling on SNL

Here's the last SNL clip featuring Amy as a marriage counselor.

Grooving on the "Tookies Style Show"

Amy appears briefly in this SNL skit.

Amy portrays Meredith Grey on SNL

I finally managed to upload the SNL video of Amy portraying Meredith Grey. I'll post the "Tookie Styles Show" and "Marriage counselor" skits shortly. In the meantime, enjoy this one!

Dancing in the bar (SNL skit)

This skit is very funny!

SNL photoshoot (2)

SNL photoshoot (1)

'Charlie Wilson's War' arrives on DVD April 22, 2008

Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams star in 'Charlie Wilson's War', coming to DVD April 22, 2008 in the US.

DVD BONUS FEATURES:

-- THE MAKING OF "CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR": An inside look at the making of the film featuring interviews with Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philip Seymour Hoffman.

-- WHO IS CHARLIE WILSON?: A profile of the real Charlie Wilson, featuring interviews with Charlie Wilson, Joanne Herring, Tom Hanks, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director Mike Nichols.

. Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Download "What is this feeling (Loathing)?" MP3

Download the MP3 of Amy & Kristen Wiig singing “What is This Feeling (Loathing)?” from “Wicked” HERE. Please credit Amy Adams Blog if you take for your website, blog or forum! Thanks and enjoy :-)

A few HD screencaps from SNL

Source: Superiorpics

MSN video interview for "Miss Pettigrew"

Here's another video interview for "Miss Pettigrew". Amy Adams admits to MSN it was thrilling to record songs for Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day at the Abbey Road studios where the Beatles recorded and explains why she thinks Delysia is not a damsel in distress. Click on the image below to watch the video interview!

Source: MSN

SNL "Bravo show" - Amy as Heidi Klum

Click on the "Play" button below to watch the video.

Amy thanks everyone after SNL

SNL clip "Penelope"

Amy Adams does her best Penelope impression!

Amy Adams isn't afraid anymore

Amy Adams wasn't destined to be an actress. Growing up in the tiny town of Castle Rock, Colo., she spent much of her childhood scared out of her wits.

"I was a very fearful child," recalls the daughter of a U.S. serviceman dad and housewife mom. "When I got a bike for the first time, I remember thinking, "Riding a bike can't be a very good idea. I could fall."

"My sister would go, "Cool, a bike!' She stole my pink Huffy because I didn't learn how to ride it. So she just took it and went off and had a good time."

Performing wound up giving Adams the outlet she needed to shine. A little more than a decade since she first started kicking up her heels in dinner theater chorus lines, the actress is doing all right for herself.

In fact, Adams is one of the few actresses who can brag about finishing up 2007 with a $300 million hit. Her turn as a cartoon princess who springs to live-action life in "Enchanted" left cash registers jingling and critics applauding.

But that doesn't mean Adams is a household name just yet. "Last week, this gentleman came up to me and said, "You look so much like Amy Adams that it's weird,' " recalls the effervescent redhead, who has been compared to actresses from Lucille Ball to Julia Roberts. "I said, "Yes, I've been told that before.'

"It's wonderful to have industry people responding to your work and to be getting really great opportunities. I'm not going to lie about that. But as far as some sort of public shift in perception about me -- that hasn't happened yet. I can still go walking down the street."

By the end of the year, Adams might have a harder time taking an anonymous stroll. The actress will pop up in three 2008 films including the indie "Sunshine Cleaning" and a pair of pics with Meryl Streep: "Doubt," based on the hit play by John Patrick Shanley; and "Julie & Julia," a comedy about a newbie chef who spends a year cooking her way through Julia Childs' recipes.

First up for Adams is "Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day," a comedy based on a 1938 novel by Winifred Watson. Frances McDormand stars as the title character, a dowdy ex-governess who, through a strange twist of fate, winds up in the employ of nightclub singer Delysia Lafosse (Adams).

Over the course of a madcap 24 hours, Miss Pettigrew falls in love while juggling Delysia's very complicated romantic life.

While Adams never had a Miss Pettigrew in her life, she credits her boyfriend, actor Darren Le Gallo, with giving her an added sense of self-worth.

"My boyfriend definitely altered my path," says the actress, 33. "He's the most generous person I know. To me, the movie's about opening yourself up to the fact that someone can love you just the way that you are, that you don't have to change and try to be someone else."

For as long as she can remember, Adams longed to be a ballerina. But after years of dance classes, she eventually hung up her ballet slippers, certain she wasn't good enough to go professional.

Instead, Adams turned her attention to dinner theater. Following high school graduation, she worked at Hooters and the Gap while auditioning for roles at Boulder's Dinner Theatre and Country Dinner Playhouse. Once she relocated with her folks to Minnesota, Adams booked a tiny role in the Kirstie Alley beauty pageant comedy "Drop Dead Gorgeous." Alley was so impressed with Adams' abilities, she advised the young actress to give Los Angeles a go.

It didn't take Adams long to snag the female lead opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Steven Spielberg's "Catch Me If You Can." It was a juicy part that was supposed to be her big break but, afterward, Adams found herself back in the margins of TV shows and movies.

And then came her turn as the perennially chipper Ashley Johnsten in "Junebug." Few saw the indie film but Adams managed to snare an Oscar nomination as best supporting actress.

Next up for Adams is "Sunshine Cleaning," an indie about crime-scene scrubbers co-starring Emily Blunt and Alan Arkin.

"I usually play upbeat characters and my character in "Sunshine Cleaning' is living a bleak existence," she says. "You spend the whole day feeling bad and then you get home and have to pull yourself out of it. That was a new challenge for me.

"I was, like, "Ugh! I don't know if I can ever play a depressed person again.' I remember thinking, "This is hard!' "

Amy Longsdorf for The Courier-Post

SNL video clips (2)

More clips are coming. Again, you need to click on the images below to view the videos.

Amy in Mirror Image

Introducing Vampire Weekend Presenting the musical guest again

SNL video clips (1)

Click on the pictures to watch the video clips. They will open in another window. Enjoy!

Amy and Kristen Wiig on SNL The digital short Roger Clemens skitMore videos to come!