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Turns out the talented actress Amy Adams, who is my current celebrity crush 😳 , has a Mormon background. Of course, she’s getting a lot of press, because she’s in the new Superman film as Lois Lane, but I thought it would be worth putting some of her comments and background on the board.First off, a bit of background. Amy is a “military brat”. Dad was from Colorado, serving in Italy when she was born in the mid seventies. Her father and mother divorced when she was a child, circa 1985. She was raised LDS until about age eleven around the time of the divorce, in which case, how much does she really know about Mormonism? Was she baptized? Who knows.
Anyway, Adams claims her Mormon background left her “afraid to have fun”. But since she later ended up working at Hooters, she can’t have been that buttoned up. Literally.
Over to her –
Quote:I grew up a Mormon and that had more of an impact on my values than my beliefs. [sic]
I’m very afraid that I will feel the weight of a lie.
I’m very hard on myself anyway. Religious guilt carries over too. You can’t really misbehave without feeling badly about it – at least I can’t.
Even when I got out with friends, and we go overboard at bars or clubs, I wake up the next morning feeling a bit conflicted about having had too much fun. [sic]
But there is another side, which thank God, the paper prints.
Quote:Religion can be a positive thing in people’s lives. It provides a support system if you embrace it, despite all the controlling and guilting [sic] aspects of religion I grew to resent.
Yep – she has crystalized how it works for some people who have guilt tendencies. I think that when someone truly has their heart into it, it’s not controlling — it’s only controlling when you have not dedicated your will to it or when it fails to deliver according to its own self-proclaimed benefits. The papers naturally jumped on the negative side of her comments, but it’s certainly not one sided. I definitely understand her perspective but it’s not that of an adult member. Also I suspect she has horrible memories of her parents’ divorce connected with the church. But at least she acknowledges the positive side. Now the next question is if she’s looking for an eternal StayLDS companion after her imminent return to the church? Give us a PM if you’re interested Amy.
It’s interesting you mentioned Amy Adams being a member of church. I wrote a post a year ago asking why there are so many inactive Mormons in Hollywood, Amy Adams being one of them. Amy Adams was fantastic as Lois Lane in the movie Man of Steel. It’s interesting to see why it happened. Certainly one of the most interesting & underrated actors out there. She’s not just been in blockbusters like Superman & Night at the Museum but more leftfield stuff.
If you want a male counterpart, the handsome & talented Aaron Eckhart probably counts. He served a mission though.
Wonder if gays have anything to do with it. Lots of them in Hollywood but the LDS is well, you know.
For underrated Mormon actresses I really like A.J. Cook. She plays regularly on that great show Criminal Minds. Ilovechrist – funny you blogged on this. So did I! http://mormonmatters.org/2008/04/20/why-hollywood-should-be-mormon/ Amy Adams frankly seems more Mormon than I do. She’s so doggone sunny and adorable. Love her! Did you see the comparison between her and Glenn Beck. Brother Beck doesn’t come off too well with his apocalyptic end-of-days doomsaying brand of Mormonism. I’m with Amy Adams. Scatter sunshine!
Hawkgirl, I really liked your blog! It was very good! I’m getting more motivated to get back to writing on my horror novel that deals with Mormon teachings, kind of similarly how Orson Scott Card deals with them in his novels. Speaking of Orson Scott Card, Ender’s Game, based on Card’s novel, is supposed to be released sometime this year. Harrison Ford plays a character in the cast somewhere. If any of you want to get hold me by email, just send me one. My ward isn’t very big around here and I don’t make friends with many people in general. I don’t really identify with Beckism, and I’ll leave it at that! Definitely think the gay thing is a major factor. I’ve worked in theater & if I espoused LDS type views on homosexuality to actors, I wouldn’t last five minutes. A disproportionate number of actors are homosexual.
Amy Adams is a very good actor, and she did a great job in the new Superman movie. Both of my sons are / were involved in theater in college, and it would have beaten any homophobia or ignorance they might have had out of them in a hurry. Their association with theater has been wonderful for my daughters, since they now have numerous gay friends whom they love and respect as a result.
I think Amy Adams is fantastic. in very important ways, she draws from her own experience, including the wide-eyed innocence of church members, to convey authenticity in her acting. I have to think that her “enchanted” princess was entirely based upon being the perfect mormon girl… There is something still quite Mormon about her although it’s hard to put my finger on. Maybe like Judaism or Catholicism it never leaves you. In Man of Steel, Crowe steals the show but Adams comes second.
Like many such women she seems to be under the delusion she’s ugly! Amazing. A friend at church told me his daughter had this issue, but she isn’t ugly at all!
SamBee wrote:There is something still quite Mormon about her although it’s hard to put my finger on. Maybe like Judaism or Catholicism it never leaves you.
In Man of Steel, Crowe steals the show but Adams comes second.
Like many such women she seems to be under the delusion she’s ugly! Amazing. A friend at church told me his daughter had this issue, but she isn’t ugly at all!
every aspect of mormon and pehaps american culture focuses on perfection, purity, and beauty. hence, we focus on the blemish rather than the beautiful, whole person.to me, it boils down to a mistranslation of Jesus’ words: “be ye therefore perfect, even as your father inmheaven is perfect.” in context, the verse refers to loving your neighbor, and has nothing at all to do with meeting a standard pf perfection.
and yes, amy adams is really beautiful!
“Amy Adams scared to offend Mormon family in The Master”
Having seen this film, it’s hard to relate it back to Mormonism. If anything, it is a riff on L Ron Hubbard and Scientology, and she plays the Master’s fanatical wife. But it’s not like Mormonism… unless you count our interview system perhaps.
More seriously, I suppose the film has a very short scene featuring nudity (which is probably of more concern to Mormons) and no, I don’t think Amy Adams is one of those naked. At least I don’t remember such.
However, this quote is probably more about the subservient role of women in Mormonism.
Quote:However, because of her childhood past, Adams admits she tip-toed into the role of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s obedient and oppressed lover, Sue Dodd, since she did not want to make light of the plight suffered by so many women in her family.
She tells New York Magazine, “I definitely did see, growing up, a lot of women that were meant to be quiet and pleasant, and if you had something mean to say it’s probably best to keep a journal…
“I’m always careful, because I still have relatives I care very much about who are involved (with the Mormon church).”
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