Amy Adams has worked with a lot of very successful and respected directors throughout her career. She has been a part of superhero franchises, book adaptations, and bone-chilling crime thrillers; understanding the ins and outs of the film industry. Having nothing but a positive image, it is safe to say that it would take her a lot to dislike a director.
However, one director managed to get under her skin to such a great extent, that Adams refused to work with him moving forward. What makes the situation all the more interesting is that he frequently collaborates with actors like Christian Bale, Jennifer Lawrence, and Bradley Cooper; despite having an infamous reputation.
Amy Adams Does Not Get Along with David O. Russell
Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, Bradley Cooper, and Christian Bale all famously starred in the blockbuster film, American Hustle. The film received immense critical acclaim from all corners of Hollywood and became renowned for its excellent performances, cinematography, and storytelling. However, it would seem that, behind the scenes, the atmosphere wasn’t as positive.
Adams was seriously butting heads with the director, David O. Russell. This is not surprising considering many sources have accused him of being quite difficult to work with, reportedly, being known for yelling at the cast and crew frequently (via Vulture). The same was the case for the 2013 film, where he and the Man of Steel actress found it difficult to collaborate with each other.
While there were rumors about the two being at odds with each other, it wasn’t until her interview with GQ that she actually confirmed it. The actress revealed that he frequently made her cry and was very hard on her during filming.
He was hard on me, that’s for sure. It was a lot. I was really just devastated on set.
Working in such environments would not be easy on anyone and naturally, Adams found it difficult to thrive in a place like that. So much so, that the actress did not want to work with him after the challenging experience.
Amy Adams Had High Expectations
Despite his reputation, when it comes to work environments, David O. Russell is one of the most respected and critically acclaimed directors in Hollywood. He has made masterpieces like Silver Linings Playbook, Amsterdam, Joy, and The Fighter. It is safe to say that he is an extremely sought-after figure in the industry. Naturally, Amy Adams had a lot of expectations when she was presented with the opportunity to work with him.
Even I was surprised on American Hustle, because on [his previous film] Silver Linings Playbook he had developed this wild, crazy way of working with Bradley [Cooper] and Jennifer [Lawrence]… and it was mania. I was like: wow.
During the interview, Adams revealed that she was very surprised by his behavior on American Hustle, as she had heard nothing but great things about him. His 2012 film had just bagged an Oscar for Jennifer Lawrence and the work environment on that film had only been praised.
After the things she heard, her expectations had skyrocketed. It is not surprising that she was upset when she began working on the 2013 film.
American Hustle is available for streaming on Prime Video.
