A Minute With: Amy Adams on ‘Arrival,’ awards and ‘Disenchanted’

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Despite having five Oscar nominations under her belt, actress Amy Adams said she feels “inauthentic” campaigning for herself during Hollywood’s awards season, although buzz is building around her latest role as an intuitive linguist in sci-fi film “Arrival.”

“I have to make it something other than myself because promoting myself just feels inauthentic to me,” she told Reuters, adding she would rather bring attention to people “that maybe aren’t on the poster” for the film.

She discussed “Arrival,” in theaters on Friday, along with language intricacies and reprising her role as Princess Giselle in the “Enchanted” sequel. The following are edited excerpts.

Q: What does “Arrival” offer that is so different from what we usually see in sci-fi alien films?

A: What we’ve become accustomed to in recent times are films that offer you action and high stakes inside of that action, and we do have high stakes and we do have action, but it’s told in a very patient, laid back way that keeps you engaged without distracting you with a lot of effects. There’s also this really deep emotional through line that takes you through the movie.

Q: How did you understand how linguists like your character Dr. Louise Banks work?

A: When I came into this, I wrongly assumed that a linguist was more of an interpreter, or just a translator, but they really do work with language barriers, communication barriers, the way that we, different cultures, approach language.

When I learned Mandarin, the small amount that I learned for the film, just changing the tone of your voice changes the entire meaning of a sentence, and that’s something that speaking English, we don’t necessarily understand.

Q: How does this film resonate with the world right now?

A: I think even in the year since we’ve made it, it has become even more relevant unfortunately. It has become relevant, and it’s become clear on a day-to-day basis how the divisions we create (then) create fear, create violence. (It) doesn’t really move us forward as a world society.

Q: Are you excited about “Disenchanted,” the sequel to 2007’s “Enchanted”?

A: Absolutely, all of us. The cast members, if we’re lucky enough to get everybody back, we’ve all had such lives we’ve all lived in the past 10 years, and it’ll be really interesting to see … I like the title, I think it’s timely, I kind of feel like, I feel like it’s perfect.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by David Gregorio)