HOLLYWOOD actress Amy Adams has starred in award-winning dramatic movies such as American Hustle, Big Eyes and Arrival. In her latest project, Adams transitions to the small screen by playing the lead in Sharp Objects, based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Gillian Flynn (who also wrote the novel and screen adaptation of Gone Girl).
The eight-episode limited drama series stars Adams as crime reporter Camille Preaker, an alcoholic recently discharged from a psychiatric hospital after years of self-harming, who returns to her small hometown to cover the murders of two pre-teen girls.
Trying to put together a psychological puzzle from her past, she finds herself identifying with the young victims a little too closely.
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee (of Big Little Lies and Dallas Buyers Club fame), it co-stars Patricia Clarkson (as Camille’s mother, Adora Crellin) and Eliza Scanlen (as Camille’s half-sister, Amma Crellin). Adams talks about her experience on the show, which she co-executive produced, with Marti Noxon (Glee, Mad Men).
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THIS?
I’ve been attracted to Gillian’s work for years because she creates these incrediblyflawed
females. Camille is flawed. But she’s trying, though. I really like Camille. I think I might
really like her. So, I was super-attracted to the character, but hesitant to step back into TV, mostly because of the time, commitment and intensity of work. It’s a different type of
shooting, faster, it’s furious. And I am always mindful that I’m a mum. And I need to be able to be a mum while I’m working, that’s always important to me.
Working with a group of women, who all have this idea of bringing this story to life — not only Camille’s story, but that history of familial violence and abuse — it was really interesting. And them inviting me to join them in a producer role, that was really attractive. And when I came in, I suggested Jean- Marc. I had been working with him on the development of a Janis Joplin project, and there was something about the way that
he tells pain is really attractive, because he kind of circles around it, yet gets to the
heart of it.
HOW DID YOU PREPARE FOR THE ROLE
I started in the book, first up. There’s so much there. Because Camille’s the narrator of the book, there’s so much internal dialogue to pull from about what she’s thinking. It’s both funny and heart-breaking and self-effacing and vulnerable; always trying and just always sort of failing.
DID YOU READ UP ON SELF-HARM?
Yes. There was also a book that Gillian turned me onto called The Bright Red Scream. I asked her what she researched when she was writing this, and she recommended that. It’s about self-mutilation and the language of pain - first-person account stories of people and their history with cutting.
THERE’S ANOTHER CONDITION WHICH IS REVEALED OVER THE COURSE OF
THE SHOW - MUNCHAUSEN BY PROXY IS OBVIOUSLY GOING TO BE REVEALED LATER. I IMAGINE THAT WAS A WEIRD SPACE TO GET INTO, PARTICULARLY AS
A PARENT?
Yes, I did a lot of reading on that as well and that strange need for attention - it’s so crazy to me. It’s so against every parental instinct I have, so I can’t really imagine it. I’m
probably like most people, they like control to a certain extent and then they like to lose control to a certain extent. I like being a bit scared, I like rollercoasters, I like driving a bit fast, I like motorbikes - I like that kind of thing. I like an adrenaline
rush, and I like people who are much bigger risk-takers than me.
WITH THOSE THEMES OF SELF-HARM AND THE FAMILY VIOLENCE, WAS IT EASY TO LEAVE THAT STUFF BEHIND WHEN YOU WERE ON LOCATION EVERY DAY?
Well, we shot in LA and then we also did shoot in Atlanta and Northern California
for three weeks, so it was kind of a mix.
IS IT HARDER TO STEP OUT OF IT WHEN YOU’RE AWAY?
If I’m by myself, yes. My husband and daughter travel with me a lot at the moment, we’ll see how it goes the further she gets into school. But I’ve been much better since I had a hard experience on a film and I really had to look at myself. I had to train myself how to not bring a character home as much as possible. But there were definitely times, whether
from exhaustion or just living in the space of Camille, where there was a lot of insomnia,
and when I don’t sleep I get a little cuckoo. But I think age has served me well in that, where I’m able to look at it and say, ‘Okay, I know what’s going on. Nothing’s really wrong. I just need to go to work, do my job and come home. Make dinner, do
HOW DIFFERENT AN EXPERIENCE WAS IT BEING AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AS WELL AS ACTING IN THIS?
What was interesting was trying to do both things while playing Camille, because there
were times when I had to just not engage in the producer way, and there were times where I really had to. This was my first foray into being in something I produced, so I
think that’s something I’m going to learn more and more, but I loved it. Being an actress, I pay mind to character and story, and those are my responsibilities.
But being able to look at the bigger picture, as a producer, and see it in a different way, whether it be from the casting conversations or script conversations,you’re listened to in a different way and that’s nice.
THE SENSE OF PLACE REALLY COMES ACROSS IN THE SHOW. DID YOU FEEL THAT COMING FROM THE MIDWEST WAS HELPFUL IN UNDERSTANDING THAT CULTURE?
Absolutely. It’s Midwest, but it also has a Southern aspect to it, so it’s an interesting place. For some reason I’m so attracted to Southern characters, Southern-Midwest characters. I think it’s because this idea of proprietary masked with fierce female strength. However, Midwesterners are so nice. But, yes, the sense of place in the
show is really cool, and we had a really great time in Atlanta.
Transcript courtesy of HBO
Amy Adams plays a reporter with a dark past who investigates a gruesome
murder case in her small town in Sharp Objects.