A WOMAN'S JOURNEY

As she unveils a fantastical new movie, awards-season darling Amy Adams explores the meaning of motherhood, onscreen and off

- SALLY JAMES

Every chapter of parenthood comes with its blessings. And right now, Amy Adams is cherishing a new one – as the mother of a teenager.

“One of the best parts is seeing the woman she’s going to become,” the actress recently told Today, reflecting on 14-year-old Aviana, the daughter she shares with husband Darren Le Gallo. “We planted the seed and now she’s growing into her own person. [We’re] getting to enjoy her in a different way.”

Motherhood has been top of mind lately for Amy, 50, particularly because she’s taken on a role unlike any she’s had before. In the darkly comic horror flick Nightbitch, Amy – best known for wholesome characters like Giselle in Enchanted – sinks her teeth into playing Mother, a stay-at-home parent whose frustrations with her lot begin to surface, first as aggressive outbursts and then in her transformation – as a dog!

For Amy, it was a challenging but gratifying part. And, naturally, Hollywood has taken note, so far rewarding her with a Golden Globe nod (the 10th of her career). If an Academy Award nomination follows this month, it will spell her remarkable seventh chance at an Oscar.

Here, she gives us a glimpse into her journey, this most-unusual role and the reason she can’t help but relate to her alter ego.