Amy Adams opens up about crying in closets and the pressure to be ‘good at everything’ as a new mom

Let’s get real for a second. Have you ever cried in a closet? I have. And so has Amy Adams.

It’s not glamorous, it’s not Instagram-worthy, but it’s real. You’re trying to hold it all together—motherhood, work, relationships, life—and somewhere along the way, you realize the only thing holding you together is that thin line of composure you cling to for dear life. And then? It snaps.

Amy Adams, six-time Oscar nominee, knows exactly what that feels like. In a new People interview, she opened up about what she calls her “closet crying” era as a new mom. The sleepless nights, the impossible expectations, and the constant pressure to pretend everything’s fine.

“I didn’t want to share with people that I was struggling,” Adams admits. “I wanted so badly to be good at everything.”

For many of us, motherhood begins with joy but quickly collides with pressure: to do it all, be it all, and make it look effortless. Adams, mom to 14-year-old Aviana, recalls those early days of postpartum life while juggling a career. It’s a raw and real story—not unlike the premise of her new movie, Nightbitch.

Related: Keira Knightley gets real about putting motherhood before her career

The primal side of motherhood

In Nightbitch, Amy plays a modern mom grappling with exhaustion, isolation, and the gnawing feeling of losing herself in the chaos of motherhood. But then, things take a surreal turn—she starts transforming into a dog.

Absurd? Absolutely. But it’s also brilliant. Motherhood awakens something primal in you. It strips away your polished exterior and connects you to instincts you didn’t know you had—some nurturing, some feral.

In an interview with CNN, director Marielle Heller explains the film’s resonance: “This is a tricky movie when it comes to expectations because people hear the premise and their mind jumps to one place where they expect it to go. Part of what I found so poignant and beautiful about Rachel Yoder’s book was it just felt like my experience of becoming a mother. Becoming a parent. To me didn’t [feel] the way I had been told in media the way it would feel and look like. I felt constantly out of step.”

This juxtaposition of absurdity and reality makes Nightbitch a howl of recognition for moms who’ve wrestled with their identity.

Related: Sometimes Mother’s Day is complicated—just like motherhood

Becoming nightbitch in real life

Amy’s confession of closet crying hit like a gut punch. As a mom of three, I’ve been there too. I spent the early years of motherhood convinced I could juggle it all—the perfect mom, wife, friend, and businesswoman. But when my second child arrived, the facade crumbled.

It wasn’t just the endless to-do lists; it was the unrelenting pressure to “have it all together.” Like Amy, I realized I couldn’t do it alone, and—this part stings—I didn’t have to. Once I let go of perfection, I found strength in being vulnerable and honest, not just with my family but with myself.

That’s the beauty of Nightbitch. Beneath its surreal premise is a story about connection—between mothers and their instincts, their partners, and (crucially) their community.

What Nightbitch teaches us about motherhood

Beneath its surreal premise is a story about connection—between mothers and their instincts, their partners, and (crucially) their community.

In the film, Amy’s character is isolated, without the support of a village. It’s a wild metaphor, but one that echoes the reality of so many mothers. Even Amy’s off-screen life reflects this lesson. She credits her husband, Darren Le Gallo, for stepping up when she needed him most.

“Once I got over my own shame at not being perfect, I could communicate what I really needed,” she says. That openness—the willingness to admit you can’t do it all alone—is a transformation every mom can relate to, whether or not she grows fur and fangs along the way.

The Motherly take

Here’s what makes Amy’s story so powerful: It’s not about perfect endings. It’s about the messy, unfiltered middle—where growth actually happens. Motherhood doesn’t look like the movies told us it would, but in those raw, real moments, we find our strength.
For moms watching Nightbitch, in theaters on December 6, 2024, the film might feel like a howl of recognition. Yes, motherhood changes you. It strips away the polished exterior and reconnects you with your deepest instincts—primal, powerful, and unapologetically human.