Amy Adams Explains Why She Trusted Denis Villeneuve on Arrival
Amy Adams has spoken about why she trusted Denis Villeneuve while working on Arrival, the 2016 science fiction film that the filmmaker directed. Adams, who played linguistics professor Louise Banks, praised Villeneuve’s respect and honesty towards actors, citing an incident on set where she rambled about a problem and Villeneuve responded by saying he didn’t understand a word she had said.
“I told this story on set because it’s when I knew I trusted you,” Adams said. “I was having trouble with a moment in a scene and I came up to you with all of my angst… And I stopped and I looked at you and you go, ‘To be honest, I don’t understand anything you’ve said.’ And I said, ‘That’s okay, ’cause I think I’ve just worked it out in my own head.'”
Adams noted that Villeneuve’s honesty made her realize that she had already figured out the problem, and that she trusted him because she knew he would always tell her the truth. The film received an impressive 94% Rotten Tomatoes score, and Adams’ performance as Louise Banks is widely praised.
Arrival marked the first science fiction film that Villeneuve had directed, and it went on to become one of Adams’ best movies. She has said that she appreciated the film’s exploration of motherhood, which added a personal layer to the story. Despite her standout performance, Adams was not nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress.
