Amy Adams hasnt been on a TV series since 2006.
Fear kept her away, thanks to a graveyard of canceled work.
I was really scared to come back, the five-time Oscar nominee admits.
Anne Marie Fox/HBO
Ive had someinterestingrelationships with TV.
Adams, 43, couldnt resist the part and Flynn is beyond grateful.
I really trusted Camille with her, the author, 47, says.
Anne Marie Fox/HBO
That trust was evident when the pair sat down to chat with EW.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: Amy, you were wary of doing TV.
What aboutSharp Objectsmade it the right project?
AMY ADAMS:Ive always been a fan of her work.
GILLIAN FLYNN:She was alittlebit of a stalker.
[Laughs]
ADAMS:[In a high-pitched voice] I, like, followed her online!
Sent her a lot of letters!
Clippings of my toenails!
[Laughs] No, Im kidding.
FLYNN:[Laughs] Thats what sealed the deal for me!
So this was a wonderful opportunity to explore one of Gillians beautiful, non-heroic heroines.
To me,Sharp Objectswas a character study hidden inside of a mystery.
It was as much of a who-is-she as a whodunit.
FLYNN:When I was writing Camille, I poured a lot of my emotions into her.
ADAMS:I like that word.
I want to watch that.
Will you send that to me?
ADAMS:Yeah, Ill find it for you.
FLYNN:Thats one of the qualities I admire most.
That grit, thats what Camilles got.
[To Adams] And how about you?
What did you find in her that let you build her?
ADAMS:Its that exact same thing.
That line [you mentioned] always gets me, and when her boss says shes a soft touch.
FLYNN:Shes the ultimate empath.
But Im very different from Adora, so Im not worried aboutthatparticular thing.
Philon I get insomnia and I watchDr.
Phil and there was a woman that was like, I hated my daughter.
It was the darkest, and I was like, Oh mygoodness.
[Laughs]
Flynn:I wanna see that.
When I have insomnia, I read books about string theory.
[Laughs]
Adams:Do you really?!
[Laughs] you gotta send me TED andPhil.
[Laughs]
What was the biggest challenge to bringing Camilles story to life?
ADAMS:There are scenes with Camille and Adora [in which] Id often be left very nauseated.
Like, I had a physical reaction to those scenes.
[Pauses] It was a really strange feeling as an actress.
So, to sit there and just be a receptacle…oof.
It would leave me feeling really,reallysad.
FLYNN:As an actor, do you have methods to pull out of that?
Im sure you do.
Sometimes I actually have to leave a scene and just cry for a little bit.
[Laughs] Just to get it out.
FLYNN:She cant help herself.
ADAMS:And as a mom, I cry alone all the time.
[Laughs] You gotta get it out sometimes, but not in front of them.
FLYNN:[Laughs] What iswrongwith you?
[To Flynn] You?
FLYNN:I feel like Im a method actor-writer.
ADAMS:[Laughs] I like that.
FLYNN:So now, about 15 minutes before the end of my workday, Ill do something.
Ill watch Donald OConnor dance or put on Bruno Mars and Uptown Funk, which makes me happy.
[Starts dancing] Ive got some good moves to Uptown Funk.
[Mimics Flynns moves] We need to go dancing sometime.
Before you do, what makes this specific, dark story resonate?
Its important, and it hasnt been talked about for a really long time.
ADAMS:Yeah, and from a female writer.
Womens stories told by women are so important.
We have a female showrunner, three female leads.
And Jean-Marc, [laughs] hesnota woman…
FLYNN:[Nods solemnly] True.
Hes able to allow female characters to be truthful and honest and flawed, and yet vulnerable and beautiful.
FLYNN:When I sold this book in 2006, no one wanted it.
They said men dont like to read about women, and women dont like to read about women likethiswoman.
Weve come a long way, but its important to have this vocabulary.
Itsdangerousto pretend women dont have anger.
Sharp Objectsdebuts July 8 on HBO.
