Entertainment

Amy Adams' Most Awesome, Feminist Quotes In Honor of Her 40th Birthday

Today, August 20, is a big day for pop culture birthdays: Demi Lovato turns 22; Kristy from The Baby-Sitters Club turns 12... again; and Amy Adams, queen of the Oscars, turns 40. In just 15 years, the actress has become one of the Hollywood's biggest stars, winning raves for roles in films like Junebug, The Master, and American Hustle. She's earned five Oscar nominations in only nine years, although she's never won; come next year, though, that could all change, thanks to her leading role in Tim Burton's highly anticipated Big Eyes , out in December.

But it's not only her acting that put Adams on the map; she's also a smart, eloquent speaker whose had no qualms about sharing her thoughts on feminism, opening up about everything from finding her voice to representing women on-screen. In honor of her birthday, here are nine of Amy Adams' most awesome, feminist quotes.

by Rachel Simon

On Playing Real Women

“I’ve always really loved action films, but I don’t see myself as a superhero girl, so my Lois Lane is a mere mortal full of imperfections.

Image: Warner Bros.

On Focusing On Herself

When I look at my 20s, or when I look at any period in my life, I think about how much time I’ve wasted trying to find the right man. It’s like, if I could go back and do it again, I would have taken guitar lessons or something. I would have put my energy into something that paid off in the end, instead of trying to improve myself for men.”

Image: Getty Images

Jemal Countess/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

On Loving Her Body

“Being pregnant finally helped me understand what my true relationship was with my body - meaning that it wasn’t put on this earth to look good in a swimsuit.”

Image: Getty Images

Craig Barritt/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

And Not Feeling Ashamed

“Some of these actresses or public personas who are very public about their disciplined diets, more power to them. I just don’t see the point. I’m just not going to be one of those people photographed in a bikini where people are like, ‘OMG, look at Amy!’ I mean, it might be OMG, but not for the reasons I want.”

Image: Getty Images

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

On Female Friendships

“I hope that I can be involved with a woman on screen where we’re not in a love triangle. That would be fun. Maybe where we team up together and we work as teammates instead of adversaries.”

Image: Columbia

On (Not) Having It All

“I’m definitely not one of those women who make it look easy. I’m always running late — and look, there’s guacamole on my purse!”

Image: Getty Images

David Buchan/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

On Playing Complex Women

“I never fought for or against playing a sexual or sensual woman, it’s just there hadn’t been one offered to me that felt like it came from an authentic place and wasn’t there just to serve the male characters.”

Image: The Weinstein Company

On Embracing Her Sexuality

“I think every woman’s beautiful. Some people say, ‘Well, I’m just a sexual being’ – I think we all are! That’s kinda how we… y’know, keep everything moving. I think women can play sexy at any age. It’s about how you feel about yourself.”

Image: Getty Images

Michael Buckner/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

On Womanhood

“For me, there’s just been a change as far as embracing being a woman and understanding that you can be a woman and a girl at the same time. It’s all about your spirit. We’re all girls. You never lose that.”

Image: Getty Images

Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images
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