Amy Adams just opened up about being her own worst critic and she’s so right

Most of us are no strangers to self-criticism, but we can imagine that the pressure to be “perfect” is infinitely worse for people in the public eye. Amy Adams recently opened up to The Los Angeles Times about her ability to criticize her work, and how it’s changed over the years.

“I’m a harsh critic of myself,” she admits. But she goes on to say, “I see when I stopped needing to be perfect. I stopped carrying the weight of criticism.”

When exactly did she stop being so self-conscious, though? Adams recalls that it was during the making of Her in 2013.

She also noted in the interview that typically, she chooses supporting roles over leading roles that “[have] the burden of the plot.” Obviously leading roles also carry tremendous weight and pressure to perform the role flawlessly, so we understand where Adams is coming from.

“I love being a supporting actress,” she explains. I’m not looking at the size of the role. I’m looking at, ‘Will I get a chance to grow?’”

Although… Adams does have the lead role in Denis Villeneuve’s Arrival which comes out in November. She was attracted to that particular role – of a linguist recruited by the military to communicate with alien life – because, “I felt like I knew her. “She was everywoman. She was me, and I don’t often see myself in my characters.” So that will be a special treat for audiences who can’t get enough of her!

It’s great to see someone like Adams speak so candidly about her experiences, because it reminds us that at the end of the day, even celebrated actresses who have been nominated five times for Academy Awards (whoa, girl!), are not immune to self-doubt. They are human just like the rest of us.

Keep doing what you do, Amy Adams!