Amy Madigan Discusses Her Latest Projects and Returns to the Oscars After 40 Years
After a 40-year absence, Amy Madigan is back in the Oscars race, earning a nomination for her role as Aunt Gladys in the film Weapons.
Her nomination places her among a distinguished group of actors recognized for their performances in iconic horror films, including Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in The Silence of the Lambs, Kathy Bates in Misery, Ruth Gordon in Rosemary’s Baby, and Ellen Burstyn in The Exorcist.
Reflecting on her journey with Weapons, Madigan expressed her excitement: “It’s been a really unusual, unexpected, really fun ride. I’m happy for the film, I’m happy that people recognized Aunt Gladys, and she would be very, very happy with all of this, trust me. She would be very happy to get the acclaim.”
Madigan previously received an Oscar nomination for the 1985 romantic drama Twice in a Lifetime alongside Gene Hackman and Ann-Margret. She noted that this awards season has been particularly overwhelming, given her first experience in the age of social media.
Madigan hopes to carry the confidence of her character beyond the film. “This is a woman who knows what she has to do, and she does it. Now, granted, some of her methods might be a little unusual. But she has that confidence, and I think all women in our business should have more of that confidence, myself included. So if I can take that away from it, I’ll say this is a win for Aunt Gladys and for me.”
Discussions about a potential prequel to Weapons, focusing on Aunt Gladys, have surfaced since the film’s success, which has garnered over $269 million worldwide. However, Madigan shared limited details regarding the project.
“You know, I leave it with Zach, what he said. He’s got some ideas and we’ve talked a little bit about it, but he’s finishing up work [on Resident Evil] and we’ll see what happens down the road,” Madigan mentioned. “If that happens, that would be really exciting, but you know, I don’t have any answers to that kind of a thing.”
Recently, Madigan signed on to star in Sponsor, an Apple thriller directed by James Ponsoldt. She expressed enthusiasm about collaborating with actors Jason Segel and John C. Reilly on a story that explores the relationship between a sponsor and a sponsee in the AA program.
Madigan also discussed the status of The Ploughmen, a film directed by her husband Ed Harris. Although the adaptation of Kim Zupan’s novel remains active, its future is uncertain.
“We’re just always waiting for someone to pull the trigger and give us that little hump that’s going to go over the top on it,” she said. “Until something’s real, I don’t like to say too much about it. But hopefully that will be happening. Maybe this [nomination] will help it, I don’t know.”
In Weapons, written and directed by Zach Cregger, a small town descends into paranoia when an entire classroom of children mysteriously disappears. Madigan’s character, Aunt Gladys, may or may not be connected to the unsettling events.
Madigan, who shares the screen with Josh Brolin, Julia Garner, and others, has received critical acclaim for her role, winning a Critics Choice Award and earning nominations from the Golden Globes and the Actor Awards. At the Oscars, her competitors for Best Supporting Actress include Elle Fanning and Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas for Sentimental Value, Wunmi Mosaku for Sinners, and Teyana Taylor for One Battle After Another. The Oscars ceremony is scheduled for March 15 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and will be broadcast on ABC.
