Amy Adams

Amy Adams is an Oscar-nominated American actress best known for her extraordinary work in numerous critically-acclaimed films, including "Junebug" (2005), "Doubt" (2008), "The Master" (2012), and "Arrival" (2016). Adams grew up in a big family (she was the fourth of seven siblings) and due to her father's career in the United States Army, she moved around a lot as a child. She was born on a military complex in Italy, and continued moving with her parents and siblings from one Army base to the next throughout the early part of her childhood. When she was 8 years-old, Amy's parents finally put some permanent roots down in Castle Rock, Colorado.

It was around this time that Adams first discovered her love for performing. She described her family as not having a lot of money, so to entertain themselves they would often put on skits. Amy was always cast as the lead, and quickly found that she loved acting in front of an audience. When she entered high school, Adams, who was never a good student, started training as a ballerina. She had aspirations of going pro, but by the time she graduated at 18, Adams realized that a professional ballerina career was not in the cards.

After high school ended, Adams moved to Atlanta, Georgia with her mother. It was there that she renewed her childhood passion for acting by getting involved in community theater. One of her first productions during this period was a part in a local production of the musical "Annie." The rush of energy she received from being on stage was enough to convince Adams that she had found her life's calling.

From there, she began taking on more roles in community theater. By the mid-1990s Adams was doing dinner theater in places like Boulder, Colorado and Chanhassen, Minnesota, which allowed her to hone her craft night after night. It was also during this period that Adams worked waitressing jobs to make some extra cash.

Then in the late 90s, when she was living in Minnesota, Adams went to a local audition for a new film called "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999). The film was a satire on beauty pageants, and starred Kristen Dunst and Kirstie Alley. After auditioning for the role, Adams was cast in a supporting role as an over-sexed cheerleader named Leslie Miller.

After landing the part in "Drop Dead Gorgeous," Adams moved to Los Angeles where she began auditioning for whatever roles came her way. She nabbed guest spots on TV shows like "That 70s Show" (Fox, 1998-2006) and "Smallville" (The WB/The CW, 2001-2011), as well as a substantial part in the Steven Spielberg film "Catch Me if You Can" (2002).

After a few years in L.A., however, Adams was growing frustrated and was seriously contemplating quitting acting for good. With her career prospects looking grim, Adams decided to take a chance by accepting a role in an independent comedy-drama called "Junebug." Adams felt an instant connection with her character, a chatty pregnant woman named Ashley Johnsten, and her performance earned her heaps of critical praise.

As a result, Adams was nominated for her first acting Oscar for "Junebug." With her stock on the rise after the huge success of "Junebug," Adams started getting offers to play the kind of roles she always wanted to play. And over the next several years, she would win over critics and audiences alike for her sterling performances in films like "Enchanted" (2007), "Doubt," "The Fighter" (2010), and "The Master."

In 2013 Adams begin playing the fictional Lois Lane, the love interest of Superman, in the superhero film "Man of Steel" (2013). It was a role she would reprise in two additional superhero films: "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016) and "Justice League" (2017).

By the late 2010s, Adams's career showed no signs of slowing down. She earned a Primetime Emmy nomination for her role in "Sharp Objects" (HBO, 2018), which was based on a novel by Gillian Flynn, and also played Lynne Cheney, the wife of the former Vice President Dick Cheney, in Adam McKay's comedy biopic "Vice" (2018). Her role as Cheney earned Adams her sixth Oscar nomination, thus lending even more credence to Amy Adam's already defined status as one of the most celebrated actresses of her generation.