title: Amy Adams

text: The musical fantasy film "Enchanted" (2007), in which Adams played a cheerful princess-to-be, was her first success as a leading lady. She followed this by playing other naïve, optimistic women in films like the drama "Doubt" (2008), and subsequently played more assertive parts to positive reviews in the sports film "The Fighter" (2010) and the psychological drama "The Master" (2012). From 2013 to 2017, she portrayed Lois Lane in superhero films set in the DC Extended Universe. She won two consecutive Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress for playing a seductive con artist in the crime film "American Hustle" (2013) and the painter Margaret Keane in the biopic "Big Eyes" (2014). Further acclaim came for playing a linguist in the science fiction film "Arrival" (2016), a self-harming reporter in the HBO miniseries "Sharp Objects" (2018), and Lynne Cheney in the satire "Vice" (2018).


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams' stage roles include the Public Theater's revival of "Into the Woods" in 2012 and the West End theatre revival of "The Glass Menagerie" in 2022. In 2014, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by "Time", and featured in the "Forbes" Celebrity 100 list.


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams was born in Vicenza, Italy, the daughter of American parents Kathryn and Richard Adams, when her father was stationed with the U.S. Army at the Caserma Ederle military complex. She has four brothers and two sisters. After moving from one army base to another, she settled with her family when she was eight in Castle Rock, Colorado. After leaving the army, her father sang professionally in nightclubs and restaurants. Adams has described going to her father's shows and drinking Shirley Temples at the bar as among her fondest childhood memories. The family was poor; they camped and hiked together, and performed amateur skits written by her father or sometimes by her mother. Adams was enthusiastic about the plays and always played the lead.


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams was raised as a Mormon until her parents divorced in 1985 and left the church. She did not have strong religious beliefs, but has said that she valued her upbringing for teaching her love and compassion. After the breakup, her father moved to Arizona and remarried, while the children remained with their mother. Her mother became a semi-professional bodybuilder who took the children with her to the gym when she trained. Adams has compared her uninhibited early years with her siblings to "Lord of the Flies". Describing herself as a "scrappy, tough kid", she has said she fought frequently with other children.


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams attended Douglas County High School. She was not academically inclined, but was interested in the creative arts and sang in the school choir. She competed in track and gymnastics, harbored ambitions of becoming a ballerina, and trained as an apprentice at the local David Taylor Dance Company. She disliked high school and kept mostly to herself. After graduation, she and her mother moved to Atlanta. She did not go to college, to her parents' disappointment, and she later regretted not pursuing higher education. At age 18, Adams realized she was not gifted enough to be a professional ballerina, and found musical theater more to her taste. One of her first stage roles was in a community theater production of "Annie", which she did on a volunteer basis. To support herself, she worked as a greeter at a Gap store. She also worked as a waitress at Hooters, but left the job after she saved enough money to buy a used car.


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams began her professional career as a dancer in a 1994 dinner theater production of "A Chorus Line" in Boulder, Colorado. The job required her to wait on tables before getting up on stage to perform. She enjoyed singing and dancing, but disliked waitressing and ran into trouble when a fellow dancer, whom she considered a friend, made false accusations about her to the director. Adams said, "I never really knew what the lies were. I only knew I kept getting called in and lectured about my lack of professionalism." She lost the job but went on to perform in dinner theater at Denver's Heritage Square Music Hall and Country Dinner Playhouse. During a performance of "Anything Goes" at the Country Dinner Playhouse in 1995, she was spotted by Michael Brindisi, the president and artistic director of the Minneapolis-based Chanhassen Dinner Theater, who offered her a job there. Adams moved to Chanhassen, Minnesota, where she performed in the theater for the next three years. She loved the "security and schedule" of the job, and has said that she learned tremendously from it. Nonetheless, the grueling work took its toll on her: "I had a lot of recurring injuriesbursitis in my knees, pulled muscles in my groin, my adductor and abductor. My body was wearing out."


title: Amy Adams

text: During her time at Chanhassen, Adams acted in her first filma black-and-white short satire named "The Chromium Hook". Soon after, while she was off work nursing a pulled muscle, she attended the locally held auditions for the Hollywood film "Drop Dead Gorgeous" (1999), a satire on beauty pageants starring Kirsten Dunst, Ellen Barkin, and Kirstie Alley. Adams was cast in the supporting part of a promiscuous cheerleader. She felt that her character's personality was far removed from her own and worried about how people would perceive her. The production was filmed locally, which enabled Adams to shoot for her role while also performing "Brigadoon" on stage. Encouragement from Alley prompted Adams to actively pursue a film career, and she moved to Los Angeles in January 1999. She described her initial experience in the city as "dark" and "bleak", and she pined for her life back in Chanhassen.


title: Amy Adams

text: In Los Angeles, Adams auditioned for whatever parts came her way, but she was mostly given roles of "the bitchy girl". Her first assignment came within a week of her relocation in the Fox television series "Manchester Prep", a spin-off of the film "Cruel Intentions", in the lead role of Kathryn Merteuil (played by Sarah Michelle Gellar in the film). Following numerous script revisions and two production shutdowns, the series was canceled. Adams later said a controversial scene in which her character encourages a girl to masturbate on a horse was the primary reason for its cancellation. The three filmed episodes were re-edited and released later in 2000 as the direct-to-video film "Cruel Intentions 2". Despite a negative critical reception, Nathan Rabin of "The A.V. Club" wrote that Adams plays her "alpha-bitch role with vicious glee largely missing from Sarah Michelle Gellar's sterile take on the character".


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams next had a supporting role as the teenage nemesis of a movie star (played by Kimberly Davies) in "Psycho Beach Party" (2000), a horror parody of beach party and slasher films. She played the part as a homage to actress Ann-Margret. From 2000 to 2002, Adams appeared in guest roles in several television series, including "That '70s Show", "Charmed", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Smallville", and "The West Wing".


title: Amy Adams

text: Following brief roles in three small-scale features of 2002"The Slaughter Rule", "Pumpkin", and "Serving Sara"Adams got her first high-profile part in Steven Spielberg's comedy-drama "Catch Me If You Can". She played Brenda Strong, a nurse with whom Frank Abagnale Jr. (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) falls in love. The film raised her confidence. Despite the film's success and praise for her "warm presence" from "Variety" critic Todd McCarthy, it failed to boost her career. She was unemployed for a year after its release, leading her to almost quit film acting. Adams instead enrolled in acting classes, realizing that she had "a lot to learn and a lot of self-growth to work through". Her career prospects seemingly improved a year later when she received a lucrative offer to star as a regular in the CBS television drama "Dr. Vegas", but she was dropped after a few episodes. In film, she only had a minor role in the Fred Savage-starring "The Last Run" (2004).


title: Amy Adams

text: Disillusioned by her firing from "Dr. Vegas", Adams, aged 30, considered quitting acting altogether after completing work on the independent comedy-drama "Junebug", which had a production budget of under $1 million. Directed by Phil Morrison, the film featured her as Ashley Johnsten, a perky and talkative pregnant woman. Morrison was impressed with Adams's ability to not question her character's inherently good motives. She connected with Johnsten's faith in God and spent time with Morrison in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where the film is set, attending church. She described making the film as "the summer I grew into myself", and after dyeing her hair red for the role, she decided not to go back to her natural blonde color. "Junebug" premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival, where Adams won a special jury prize. Tim Robey of "The Daily Telegraph" labeled the film a "small, quiet miracle" and wrote that Adams had given "one of the most delicately funny and heartbreaking performances it's ever been my pleasure to review". Ann Hornaday of "The Washington Post" opined that her "radiant portrayal" reflected the film's "deeply humanist heart". For her performance, Adams won the Independent Spirit Award and Critics' Choice Award for Best Supporting Actress, and received an Academy Award nomination in the same category.


title: Amy Adams

text: Later in 2005, Adams had supporting parts in two critically panned filmsthe romantic comedy "The Wedding Date", starring Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney, and the ensemble coming-of-age film "Standing Still". Also that year, she joined the cast of the television series "The Office", for a recurring role over three episodes. In "" (2006), a sports comedy from Adam McKay, Adams played the romantic interest of Will Ferrell's character, a role which critic Peter Travers deemed "quite a comedown" from her part in "Junebug". She also had a minor role in the workplace comedy "The Ex", starring Zach Braff and Amanda Peet.


title: Amy Adams

text: After voicing in Walt Disney Pictures' animated comedy film "Underdog" (2007), Adams starred as a highly optimistic and joyous character named Giselle, who is based on members of the Disney Princess franchise, in the musical romantic comedy "Enchanted". Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden co-starred as her romantic interests. She was among 250 actresses who auditioned for the high-profile role; the studio had favored the casting of a bigger star, but the director Kevin Lima insisted on Adams due to her commitment to the part and her ability to be nonjudgmental about Giselle's personality. A ball gown she had to wear for the film weighed , and she fell several times under its weight. She sang three songs for the film's soundtrack"True Love's Kiss", "Happy Working Song", and "That's How You Know". The critic Roger Ebert commended Adams for being "fresh and winning" in a role that "absolutely depends on effortless lovability", and Wesley Morris of "The Boston Globe" credited her for "demonstrat[ing] a real performer's ingenuity for comic timing and physical eloquence". Todd McCarthy considered it to be her breakthrough role and likened her rise to stardom to that of Julie Andrews. "Enchanted" was a commercial success, grossing over $340 million worldwide, and Adams was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Comedy or Musical.


title: Amy Adams

text: Following the success of "Enchanted", Adams took on the part of Bonnie Bach, Congressman Charlie Wilson's assistant in Mike Nichols' political comedy-drama "Charlie Wilson's War" (2007), starring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Kirk Honeycutt of "The Hollywood Reporter" credited Adams for being "sweetly savvy" in her part, while Peter Bradshaw of "The Guardian" was disappointed to see her talent wasted in a role he considered to be of minimal importance.


title: Amy Adams

text: The 2008 Sundance Film Festival saw the release of "Sunshine Cleaning", a comedy-drama about two sisters (played by Adams and Emily Blunt) who start a crime scene clean-up business. Adams was drawn to the idea of playing someone who constantly tries to better herself. Mick LaSalle of the "San Francisco Chronicle" found Adams to be "magical", adding that she "gives us a portrait of raging want beneath a veneer of surface diffidence". In the 1939-set screwball comedy "Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day", Adams starred as an aspiring American actress in London who encounters a middle-aged governess named Miss Pettigrew (played by Frances McDormand). Stephen Holden of "The New York Times" drew similarities to her role in "Enchanted" and wrote that the "screen magic" she displays in such endearing roles "hasn't been this intense since the heyday of Jean Arthur".


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams next starred in "Doubt", an adaptation of John Patrick Shanley's . The film tells the story of a Catholic school principal (played by Meryl Streep) who accuses a priest, played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, of pedophilia; she played an innocent nun embroiled in the conflict. Shanley initially approached Natalie Portman for the part, but offered Adams the role after finding her innocent, yet intelligent, personality similar to that of Ingrid Bergman. She identified with her character's ability to find the best in people, and described her collaboration with Streep and Hoffman as a "master class" in acting. Amy Biancolli of the "Houston Chronicle" wrote that Adams "sparks with distressed compassion", and Ann Hornaday believed that she "exudes just the right wide-eyed innocence". She was nominated for the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, and BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress.


title: Amy Adams

text: As with "Junebug" and "Enchanted", Adams's roles in her three 2008 releases were those of the ingénueinnocent women with a cheerful personality. When asked about being typecast in such roles, she said she responds to characters who are joyful and identified with their sense of hope. She believed that despite certain similarities in their disposition, these characters were vastly different from one another; she stated, "Naïveté is not stupidity, and innocent people are often very complex."


title: Amy Adams

text: The 2009 fantasy adventure film "", starring Ben Stiller, featured Adams as the aviator Amelia Earhart. It was the first motion picture to film inside the National Air and Space Museum in Washington. The director Shawn Levy said the role allowed Adams to showcase her acting range; the actress believed it to be the first time she was allowed to play a confident character on screen. Despite mixed reviews, Adams's performance was praised. Terming her "a sparkling screen presence", Michael Phillips of the "Chicago Tribune" wrote that the film "radically improves whenever Amy Adams pops up". That same year, Adams starred in the comedy-drama "Julie & Julia" as disgruntled government secretary Julie Powell who decides to blog about the recipes in Julia Child's cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking"; in a parallel storyline, Meryl Streep portrays Child. She enrolled at the Institute of Culinary Education to prepare for the part. Carrie Rickey of "The Philadelphia Inquirer" thought the film was "as delicious as French cuisine" and found Adams to be "at her most winsome". Both "Night at the Museum" and "Julie & Julia" were commercial successes, with the former grossing over $400 million.


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams began the new decade with a leading role opposite Matthew Goode in the romantic comedy "Leap Year" (2010), which critic Richard Roeper believed was saved from "truly awful status" by Adams's presence. Her next release of the yearthe boxing drama "The Fighter"was much better received. Directed by David O. Russell, the film tells the story of boxer half-brothers Micky Ward and Dicky Eklund (played by Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale, respectively); Melissa Leo played their mother and Adams played Ward's aggressive girlfriend, a barmaid named Charlene Fleming. Describing her character as a "tough, sexy bitch", Russell cast Adams against type to rid her of her girl-next-door image. The role marked a significant departure for her, and she was challenged by Russell's insistence on finding her character's strength in silence. She enrolled in an exotic dance class by trainer Sheila Kelley to find her character's eroticism. Joe Morgenstern of "The Wall Street Journal" found Adams to be "as tough, tender, smart, and funny as she was ethereal and delightful in "Enchanted". What an actress, and what range!" She received Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations for Best Supporting Actress; she lost the former two to Leo. She expressed a desire to play more dramatic roles in the future.


title: Amy Adams

text: The Disney musical "The Muppets" (2011) starring the eponymous puppets featured Adams and Jason Segel in live-action roles. She sang seven songs for the film's soundtrack. Lisa Schwarzbaum of "Entertainment Weekly" noted that the role marked her return to her "comedian-sweetheart" persona. The following year, Adams played the Baker's Wife in the Public Theater's revival of Stephen Sondheim's musical "Into the Woods", as part of the Shakespeare in the Park festival at the open-air Delacorte Theater. It was her New York stage debut and her first theater appearance in 13 years. She agreed to the month-long production to "take on a challenge that seemed insurmountable", though she was overwhelmed and intimidated by it. She prepared with a private singing coach, but her film schedule enabled her to spend only four weeks in rehearsal. Ben Brantley, "The New York Times" theater critic, praised Adams's "lucidly spoken and sung performance" but criticized her for lacking "the nervy, dissatisfied restlessness" of her part.


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams took another "fierce woman" part in Paul Thomas Anderson's psychological drama "The Master" (2012). She played Peggy Dodd, the ruthless and manipulative wife of the leader of a cult (played by Philip Seymour Hoffman). It marked her third and final collaboration with Hoffman, whom she deeply admired, before his death two years later. The organization depicted in the film was deemed by journalists to be based on Scientology; Adams considered the comparison to be misleading but was glad for the attention it brought to the film. Although not a method actor, she believed the intense role had left her on edge in her personal life. Comparing her character to Lady Macbeth, the critic Justin Chang wrote that Adams's "pertness has rarely seemed so malevolent", and Donald Clarke of "The Irish Times" commended her for playing the part with "discrete menace". John Patterson of "The Guardian" remarked that a scene in which her character chastises her husband while furiously masturbating him was one of the most significant sequences in the film. Once again, Adams received Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA nominations for her supporting role.


title: Amy Adams

text: Clint Eastwood's sports drama "Trouble with the Curve", in which she played the estranged daughter of a baseball scout (Eastwood), was Adams's second film release of 2012. She admired Eastwood's "warm and generous" personality and was pleased with the collaboration. She prepared for the part by learning to catch, pitch, and swing from a baseball coach. The film received mixed reviews, and Roger Ebert took note of how Adams had made a standard role seem valuable. She also played the brief part of a drug addict in "On the Road", an ensemble drama based on Jack Kerouac's novel of the same name.


title: Amy Adams

text: After losing out on the role of Lois Lane in two previous films about Superman, Adams secured the part in Zack Snyder's 2013 reboot, "Man of Steel", starring Henry Cavill as the titular superhero. She played Lane with a mixture of toughness and vulnerability, but Peter Bradshaw found the character "sketchily conceived" and criticized the actress' lack of chemistry with Cavill. The film grossed over $660 million to become one of her biggest box-office hits. Adams next featured in "Her", a drama from writer-director Spike Jonze about a lonely man (Joaquin Phoenix) who falls in love with an artificial intelligence (voiced by Scarlett Johansson); she played his close friend. The actress had unsuccessfully auditioned for Jonze's 2009 film "Where the Wild Things Are" and was cast in "Her" after Jonze looked back at those tapes. She was drawn to the idea of portraying a platonic male-female friendship, which she believed was rare in film.


title: Amy Adams

text: Further success came to Adams when she reteamed with David O. Russell in the ensemble black comedy crime "American Hustle", co-starring Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence. Inspired by the 1970s Abscam scandal, the film featured her as a seductive con artist, though she played it so that "everything felt justified and it didn't feel like she was just a sexy sociopath". She collaborated closely with Bale to build their characters and made off-screen suggestions to Russell, including for a scene in which she is aggressively kissed on the lips by her lover's wife (played by Lawrence). The work proved grueling for Adams, who later confirmed reports that Russell had been hard on her and made her cry frequently; she said she feared bringing such a negative experience home to her daughter. "American Hustle" was critically acclaimed; Manohla Dargis of "The New York Times" believed Adams "goes deeper here than she's ever been allowed to", adding that she had successfully "turn[ed] an unpredictable character into a thrillingly wild one". She won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical and received her fifth Oscar nomination (her first in the Best Actress category). "Her" and "American Hustle" were both named by critics as being among the best films of 2013, and were both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.


title: Amy Adams

text: Following an appearance in the poorly received drama "Lullaby", Adams starred in "Big Eyes" (2014), a biopic of the troubled artist Margaret Keane, whose paintings of "big-eyed waifs" were plagiarized by her husband Walter Keane. When she was first offered the part, she passed on it to avoid playing another naïve woman. The birth of her daughter in 2010 prompted Adams to find strength in the passive character, and she drew on real-life experiences where she had not stood up for herself. In preparation, she practiced painting and studied the way Keane worked. Keane liked Adams's portrayal of her, and Mark Kermode of "The Observer" termed her performance a "potent blend of intuitive fire and sensitive vulnerability". She won a second consecutive Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical and received a BAFTA nomination for Best Actress.


title: Amy Adams

text: After a one-year absence from the screen, Adams had three film releases in 2016. She first reprised the role of Lois Lane in "", which marked the second installment in the DC Extended Universe after "Man of Steel". Despite a negative critical reception for favoring visual effects over a coherent narrative, the film grossed over $870 million to become her highest-grossing release to date. In her next two releasesthe science fiction drama "Arrival" and the psychological thriller "Nocturnal Animals"Adams played "emotionally guarded, fiercely intelligent" women to critical acclaim. Based on Austin Wright's novel "Tony and Susan", Tom Ford's "Nocturnal Animals" tells the story of an unhappily married art dealer, Susan (Adams), who is traumatized when reading a violent novel written by her ex-husband (played by Jake Gyllenhaal). She found little resemblance between herself and the "poised" and "aloof" Susan, and modeled the character's personality on that of Ford. Stephanie Zacharek of "Time" magazine found the film visually arresting yet thematically weak, but credited Adams and Gyllenhaal for making their characters' pain seem genuine.


title: Amy Adams

text: "Arrival", directed by Denis Villeneuve and based on Ted Chiang's short story "Story of Your Life", ranks among the most acclaimed films of Adams's career. It focuses on Louise Banks (Adams), a linguist who experiences strange visions when she is hired by the U.S. government to interpret the language of extraterrestrials. Adams was drawn to the idea of playing an intellectual female lead, and connected with the film's theme of unity and compassion. She watched documentaries on linguistics in preparation for the role. Christopher Orr of "The Atlantic" described Adams's performance as "mesmerizingly open, by turns uplifting and sorrowful". Writing for the "Los Angeles Times", Kenneth Turan noted her "finely calibrated performance" and asserted that the film was "a showcase for her ability to quietly and effectively meld intelligence, empathy and reserve". "Arrival" was a commercial success, grossing over $200 million against a production budget of $47 million, and Adams received Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations for Best Actress. Several journalists expressed disappointment over her failure to receive an Oscar nomination for it. She played Lois Lane for the third time in "Justice League" (2017), an ensemble film about the titular superheroes. Tim Grierson of "Screen International" wrote that despite providing "emotional resonance" to the film, Adams's talents had been wasted in a thankless supporting role.


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams returned to television in 2018 with "Sharp Objects", an HBO miniseries based on Gillian Flynn's thriller novel of the same name. She served as an executive producer and starred as Camille Preaker, a self-harming reporter who returns to her hometown to cover the murder of two young girls. Adams gained weight for the part and, on days of filming, underwent three hours of prosthetic makeup to create her character's scarred body. She read "A Bright Red Scream" to learn about self-mutilation and researched the psychological condition of Munchausen syndrome by proxy. She found herself unable to distance herself from the dysfunctional role and experienced insomnia. The series and Adams's performance received critical acclaim; James Poniewozik of "The New York Times" praised the complex characterization of Preaker and called Adams's performance "transfixing". Daniel D'Addario of "Variety" found her to be "operating at the peak of her abilities" and added that with "her voice dropped an octave, slowed to a drawl, and sharpened with distrust, [she] is simply superb".


title: Amy Adams

text: Christian Bale and Adams teamed for the third time in Adam McKay's political satire "Vice" (2018), in which they portrayed former vice president of the United States, Dick Cheney, and his wife, Lynne, respectively. She read Lynne's books in preparation; despite disagreeing with her political views, she approached the part with empathy and found a connection with her character's fortitude. Richard Lawson of "Vanity Fair" drew comparisons to Adams's role in "The Master"; he commended "her usual rigor" but criticized the "lazy rubber-stamp of a man's idea of a woman adjacent to power". Eric Kohn of IndieWire was more appreciative of her for "embodying an underwritten Lady Macbeth with ferocious energy". Adams received Golden Globe nominations for her performances in both "Sharp Objects" and "Vice"; for the former, she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series and for the latter, she received her sixth Oscar and seventh BAFTA nominations.


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams began the new decade with the drama "Hillbilly Elegy" (2020), based on the book of the same name by J. D. Vance. It received negative reviews from critics; a reviewer for "Rolling Stone" stated that despite dependable work from Adams, she was trapped in a poorly-written film. Multiple outlets criticized the film for not giving her character enough scenes to develop. Even so, she received a nomination for the SAG Award for Best Actress. Adams next starred as an agoraphobic murder witness in Joe Wright's thriller "The Woman in the Window", based on the novel of the same name. Filmed in 2018, the film was delayed several times due to poor test screenings and later, due to the COVID-19 pandemic; it was eventually released on Netflix in 2021. Adams then took on the supporting role of a grieving mother in "Dear Evan Hansen", a film adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name. Both "The Woman in the Window" and "Dear Evan Hansen" were poorly received.


title: Amy Adams

text: In 2022, Adams made her first appearance in West End theatre in a revival of "The Glass Menagerie" at the Duke of York's Theatre. She played Amanda, a matriarch struggling to raise her children, for which she drew on her own mother's fierce and determined personality. The production received mixed reviews. Dominic Cavendish of "The Daily Telegraph" found Adams' performance "clear, simple, believable, and quietly heart-breaking in its contained vulnerability", but "Evening Standard"s Nick Curtis found it "muted and unconvincing". She then reprised her role as Giselle in the sequel to "Enchanted", titled "Disenchanted", which premiered on Disney+. She also recorded six songs for its soundtrack. Critics took note of Adams' enduring charm but considered the sequel inferior to its predecessor.


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams formed her own production company named Bond Group Entertainment with her manager Stacy O'Neil in 2019. The company has several literary adaptations under development, including a film adaptation of the satirical novel "Nightbitch" starring Adams.


title: Amy Adams

text: Describing Adams' off-screen persona, Hadley Freeman of "The Guardian" wrote in 2016 that she "is extremely engaging, serious but with a hint of a straight-talking broad once she gets going". Carl Swanson of "Vulture" found her "suspiciously unnarcissistic for a Hollywood star, gracious, hardworking, and decent to the point of almost not being a "celebrity"". Journalist Alex Bilmes believes that Adams' ability to be "both glamorous movie star and relatable normal person is key to her success".


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams works closely with her acting coach, Warner Loughlin, whom she credits with helping her organize and structure her thoughts. She uses an acting method Loughlin has taught her, in which she attempts to understand her character's psychology by creating the character's backstory from age three. Adams prefers to work with confident directors who give her space to think for herself. She stays in character during filming, and finds it difficult to detach herself from roles and accents. She is not influenced by the size of a role and is drawn to both leading and supporting parts. She has described herself as an obsessive performer.


title: Amy Adams

text: Jake Coyle of "The Washington Times" considers Adams an actress who does not transform herself for her roles, but who inhabits "a character with warmth and smarts while, to varying degrees, remaining herself". Meryl Streep, her co-star in "Doubt" and "Julie & Julia", has said that Adams comes highly prepared on set and possesses "a gigantic intelligence" in developing her character's arc. Paul Thomas Anderson, who directed her in "The Master", commends her dedication and investment in her projects. Journalists have remarked upon her "American sweetheart" persona in her 2000s roles while taking note of her increased versatility in the 2010s. Novelist Stephen Marche called Adams "the greatest actress of her generation". Describing her film career in a 2016 review of "Arrival", journalist and critic Anthony Lane of "The New Yorker" wrote:


title: Amy Adams

text: "Forbes" ranked Adams among the world's highest-paid actresses, with earnings of over $13 million in 2014, and in 2016, and over $11 million in 2017. The magazine featured her on its annual Celebrity 100 list in 2014, and also ranked her among the most powerful actresses in the business. Also that year, she was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by "Time" magazine. Adams received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2017. , her films have grossed over $4.7 billion worldwide. Robert Ito of "The New York Times" believes that her propensity for risky projects prevents her from being a bigger box-office draw.


title: Amy Adams

text: Stuart McGurk of "GQ" cites Adams' "porcelain skin, auburn hair, and soft, earnest speaking style" as being among her trademarks. She was named one of the most beautiful people in America by "Elle" in 2011, and several publications have featured her red carpet appearances in their listings of best-dressed celebrities. Adams advertised Lacoste's fragrance Eau de Lacoste in 2012, and two years later, she endorsed accessories and handbags of Max Mara. In 2015, she collaborated with Max Mara to design and promote a line of handbags.


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams met actor and painter Darren Le Gallo at an acting class in 2001, and they began dating a year later while collaborating on a short film titled "Pennies". They became engaged in 2008, and she gave birth to their daughter, Aviana, in 2010. Seven years after their engagement, the couple married in a private ceremony at a ranch near Santa Barbara, California. Adams said in 2016 that she appreciates the numerous sacrifices Le Gallo had made as the primary caregiver for their family. They reside in Beverly Hills, California. She has described her family life as "pretty low-key", and has said that her routine involves going to work, taking her daughter to the park, and having weekly date nights with her husband.


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams finds little value in being a celebrity and maintains that the "more that people know about me, the less they'll believe me and my characters". She attracts little gossip or tabloid attention, and strives to keep a healthy work-life balance. She makes an effort to remain unaffected by her fame, believing that it would hinder her ability to play roles with honesty. Adams has spoken about suffering from insecurity and a lack of confidence from a young age and how motherhood had made her calmer. She frequently breaks into song when stressed at work. She has joined other actors in calling for equal pay for women in the film industry, but she finds that actresses are too often asked to explain the gender pay gap and feels the questions should be directed instead to producers.


title: Amy Adams

text: Having experienced difficulty in her early years in the film industry, Adams works closely with underprivileged students at New York City's Ghetto Film School. "Variety" honored her for her work with them in 2010. She supports the Trevor Project, a nonprofit organization that helps troubled LGBT teenagers, and served as a presenter for the 2011 event "Trevor Live". In 2013, she launched the book "The Beauty Book for Brain Cancer" to help raise money for brain cancer charities Snog and Headrush. The following year, she attended a charity event at the UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica, to raise funds for sexually abused children. In 2020, Adams teamed up with actress Jennifer Garner to launch the campaign #SaveWithStories to promote children's education during school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Adams is an ambassador for The RightWay Foundation, a charity that provides employment and mental health services to former foster youth.


title: Amy Adams

text: According to the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes and the box-office site Box Office Mojo, Adams's most critically acclaimed and commercially successful films are "Catch Me If You Can" (2002), "Junebug" (2005), "Enchanted" (2007), "Doubt" (2008), "" (2009), "Julie & Julia" (2009), "The Fighter" (2010), "The Muppets" (2011), "The Master" (2012), "Man of Steel" (2013), "Her" (2013), "American Hustle" (2013), "Big Eyes" (2014), "" (2016), "Arrival" (2016), "Nocturnal Animals" (2016), and "Justice League" (2017).


title: Amy Adams

text: Among her television projects, Adams has starred in the HBO miniseries "Sharp Objects" (2018). On stage, she has appeared in the Public Theater's revival of "Into the Woods" in 2012 and in a 2022 West End revival of "The Glass Menagerie".


title: Amy Adams

text: Adams has received six Academy Award nominations: Best Supporting Actress for "Junebug" (2005), "Doubt" (2008), "The Fighter" (2010), "The Master" (2012), and "Vice" (2018), and Best Actress for "American Hustle" (2013). She has twice won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical, for "American Hustle" (2013) and "Big Eyes" (2014), and has been nominated seven more times: Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for "Enchanted" (2007), Best Supporting Actress for "Doubt" (2008), "The Fighter" (2010), "The Master" (2012), and "Vice" (2018), Best Actress in a Drama for "Arrival" (2016), and Best Actress in a Miniseries for "Sharp Objects" (2018).


title: Gareth Bale

text: Gareth Frank Bale (born 16 July 1989) is a Welsh professional footballer who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC and the Wales national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wingers of his generation and one of the greatest Welsh players of all time.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale began his professional career at Southampton, playing at left-back and earning acclaim as a free kick specialist. Bale moved to Tottenham Hotspur in 2007, for an eventual £7 million fee. During his time at Tottenham, managerial and tactical shifts saw him transform into a more attacking player. From the 2009–10 season, under the guidance of Harry Redknapp, Bale became an integral part of the team, rising to international attention during the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League. In 2011 and 2013 he was named PFA Players' Player of the Year, and was named in the UEFA Team of the Year. In 2013, he was also named PFA Young Player of the Year, the FWA Footballer of the Year and the Premier League Player of the Season. He was nominated to the PFA Team of the Year three times in a row between 2011 and 2013.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale was transferred to Real Madrid in 2013 for an undisclosed fee, which was confirmed to be a world record transfer fee of £85.1 million (€100.8 million). Being part of the subsequent trio dubbed "BBC", alongside Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, Bale helped the club to win the 2013–14 Copa del Rey and UEFA Champions League, scoring in both finals. The following season, he won the UEFA Super Cup and scored in a third major final to help the club win the FIFA Club World Cup. Bale experienced a decrease in game time in the following seasons due to continual injuries, although he collected winner's medals in La Liga in 2016–17 and 2019–20, as well as three additional Champions League titles in 2015–16, 2016–17, and 2017–18, among other trophies; he featured in the first and third of the consecutive finals, scoring twice — once with an overhead kick — in Real Madrid's 2018 UEFA Champions League Final victory. In 2020–21, he returned to Tottenham on loan, and the following season was his last for Real Madrid, where he collected another league title as well as his fifth Champions League title, despite gaining little playing time. He subsequently joined MLS club Los Angeles FC in July 2022 and won the Supporters' Shield and MLS Cup that season.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale made his senior international debut for Wales in May 2006, becoming the youngest player at that point to represent Wales. He has since earned 111 caps and scored 41 international goals, making him Wales' most capped player and top goalscorer of all time. He was the top scorer for Wales in their successful qualifying campaign for UEFA Euro 2016, scoring seven goals; he subsequently represented Wales in the final tournament as they reached the semi-finals, scoring three goals. He later featured for the side at Euro 2020 and was pivotal in Wales' qualifying for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, ending a 64-year appearance drought at the World Cup. He has been named Welsh Footballer of the Year a record six times.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale was born in Cardiff, Wales, to parents Frank, a school caretaker, and Debbie Bale, an operations manager. He is the nephew of former Cardiff City footballer Chris Pike. He attended Eglwys Newydd Primary School in Whitchurch. It was while at this school that he first came to the attention of Southampton at age nine, when he was playing in a six-a-side tournament with his first club, Cardiff Civil Service. Growing up, his footballing hero was fellow Welshman and Manchester United player Ryan Giggs.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale attended Whitchurch High School in Cardiff. He was a keen athlete; he played football alongside future Wales rugby captain Sam Warburton, rugby, hockey and excelled at athletics. As a 14-year-old he says that he ran the 100-metre sprint in 11.4 seconds. Because of his superior footballing skill, the school's PE teacher, Gwyn Morris, had to write special rules which restricted Bale to playing one-touch football and not using his left foot.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Despite being only 16 at the time, Bale helped the school's under-18 team win the Cardiff & Vale Senior Cup. He left school in the summer of 2005 with a Grade A in PE amongst his other GCSE results. In his final year at school, he was awarded the PE department's prize for services to sport. In the presentation, Morris commented: "Gareth has a fierce determination to succeed and has the character and qualities to achieve his personal goals. He is one of the most unselfish individuals that I have had the pleasure to help educate."


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 17 April 2006, at the age of 16 years and 275 days, Bale became the second youngest player ever to play for Southampton (after Theo Walcott, who was 132 days younger) when he made his debut in the Saints' 2–0 victory against Millwall. On 6 August, Bale scored his first league goal, a free kick, to level the score at 1–1 against Derby County. The final score at Pride Park was 2–2.


title: Gareth Bale

text: He scored again, at St Mary's, against Coventry City in the team's second game of the 2006–07 season with another free kick. Bale further developed his reputation as a free kick specialist when he struck the post from one against West Bromwich Albion. By 16 December 2006, Bale's goal count had risen to five, thanks to a late equaliser against Sunderland and free kicks away to Hull City and at home to Norwich City.


title: Gareth Bale

text: In December 2006, he won the Carwyn James Award for the BBC Wales Young Sports Personality of the Year, and was named the Football League Young Player of the Year on 4 March 2007. This capped what was described in the local press as an "incredible" first full season as a professional footballer in which he was one of the Saints' "most creative players even (though operating) from the left-back position whilst his defending improved immeasurably as the season progressed."


title: Gareth Bale

text: His final game for Southampton was in the first leg of the Championship play-off semi-final against Derby County on 12 May 2007. Bale suffered an injury during the second half, preventing him from appearing in the second leg. In total, he made 45 appearances for Southampton, scoring five goals.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 25 May 2007, Bale signed a four-year deal with Tottenham Hotspur with the club paying an initial £5 million for the player, potentially rising to £10 million based on appearances and success.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale played his first game for Spurs in a friendly against St. Patrick's Athletic on 12 July 2007, but was substituted on the 80th minute with a minor dead leg. He made his competitive debut for Tottenham Hotspur on 26 August away against Manchester United. On 1 September 2007, in his second Spurs appearance, he scored his first goal for the club in a 3–3 draw with Fulham. Bale went on to score against Arsenal in the North London derby from a free kick. He then scored in the League Cup home tie against Middlesbrough.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 2 December 2007, Bale was substituted after sustaining an injury resulting from a tackle from Fabrice Muamba in the league fixture against Birmingham City. A scan revealed that Bale had suffered ligament damage to his right ankle, consigning him to an extended period on the sidelines. Bale had exploratory surgery on 11 December. By February 2008, it became clear that Bale was to miss the rest of the season through injury. Sporting Director of Tottenham, Damien Comolli said, "Even if the examination reveals that Gareth's foot is stable, the decision has been taken to bring him back slowly to ensure he does not get a repeat of the injury or suffer any further damage. Gareth is obviously disappointed to be sidelined for this length of time but he is still young and we have to do what is best for him in the long run."


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale returned to fitness in August 2008, the same month he signed a new four-year deal with the club, and went on to make 30 appearances for Tottenham in all competitions that season. He picked up his first career red card in a 2–1 defeat at Stoke City in October 2008. That season he took part in the League Cup final against Manchester United. Bale came off the bench in the 98th minute in extra time with the final result deadlocked at 0–0 resulting in a penalty shoot-out that ended 4–1 to Manchester United.


title: Gareth Bale

text: In June 2009, Bale underwent surgery for a knee injury, ruling him out for over two months. He missed pre-season matches and it was projected that he would miss the first few weeks of the 2009–10 season. On 26 September, he made his comeback as an 85th-minute substitute in Tottenham's 5–0 win over Burnley. This was Bale's first ever involvement in a Premier League win, after not being on the winning side since the Southampton move. However, he struggled to break into the first team, in part thanks to Benoit Assou-Ekotto's good form. When Assou-Ekotto was sidelined with an injury, manager Harry Redknapp decided to give Bale a chance and he impressed in Spurs' FA Cup third-round 4–0 win over Peterborough United. His first victory as a starter in a league game came in the 2–0 win over London rivals Fulham on 26 January 2010.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale's good form continued and he was named Player of the Round after helping Spurs to a 3–1 win in the sixth round replay of the FA Cup against Fulham. In April 2010, Bale scored the winning goal in a 2–1 North London derby win against Arsenal, tapping past Manuel Almunia, after a pass from Jermain Defoe. Three days later, Bale scored Tottenham's winning goal with his weaker right foot in a 2–1 victory over league leaders and eventual champions Chelsea and was named man of the match. He was named Premier League Player of the Month for April 2010. He signed a new four-year contract at White Hart Lane on 7 May 2010, as a reward for helping the club reaching a 2010–11 UEFA Champions League qualification place.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 21 August 2010, Bale scored twice in a 2–1 win at Stoke City, the second of which was a head-high volley into the top right hand corner of the goal. This was later awarded the BBC Goal of the Month for August 2010. On 25 August, Bale set up all four goals to help Spurs overcome Young Boys 4–0 (6–3 agg.) in a Champions League play-off at White Hart Lane. Although Assou-Ekotto had already returned from injury, Bale continued his good form and cemented his place in the starting eleven, with his manager opting him to move to left wing to accommodate Assou-Ekotto at left-back. On 29 September, Bale scored his first Champions League goal for Tottenham in a 4–1 home win against Dutch champions Twente in their second game of the group stages. For his performances, he was named Welsh Player of the Year by the Football Association of Wales (FAW).


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 20 October, Bale scored his first senior hat-trick against European champions Inter Milan at the San Siro in the Champions League. Tottenham lost the match 4–3, having been 4–0 down inside the first 35 minutes and playing with ten men for over 80 minutes of the match after goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes had been sent off in the eighth minute for a professional foul on Inter's Jonathan Biabiany. In the return match at White Hart Lane on 2 November, Bale provided a man-of-the-match performance, setting up goals for Peter Crouch and Roman Pavlyuchenko to earn Spurs a memorable 3–1 win.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 4 November, Bale stated that he intended to remain at Tottenham for the remainder of his recently signed four-year contract, despite reported interest from other clubs, then, in December, he was awarded the BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year trophy. On 19 March 2011, it was announced he would then extended his stay at the club until 2015. On 17 April, Bale was honoured with the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, as voted for by his peers.


title: Gareth Bale

text: With Spurs, he rose to international attention during the 2010–11 UEFA Champions League with Tottenham.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale scored his first goal of the 2011–12 season on 24 September 2011, in an away game against Wigan Athletic. The game ended in a 2–1 victory for Tottenham. He added his second and third goals of the season on 30 October with two goals against Queens Park Rangers in a 3–1 home win. He continued his good form with the first goal in a 3–1 victory over Fulham the following week, whilst also setting up Aaron Lennon who made it 2–0 on the stroke of half time. The first goal against Fulham was later ruled by the "dubious goals committee" to be an own goal by Chris Baird.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 3 December, Bale scored the first goal in Tottenham's 3–0 victory over Bolton Wanderers. He marked the goal with a tribute to Gary Speed by holding up his left boot, with "R.I.P Gary Speed" stitched on it, in front of the Bolton fans. On 27 December, Bale scored twice to give Tottenham a 2–0 win against Norwich City. On 5 January 2012, Bale was one of the players voted into the 2011 UEFA Team of the Year. He scored his third brace of the season as he scored twice against Wigan, on 31 January to take his tally to ten goals for the season. In January 2012, he was named Premier League Player of the Month for the second time in his career, after three goals and two assists in the Premier League for the month. On 27 June, Bale signed a new four-year contract, committing his future to the club until 2016.


title: Gareth Bale

text: For the 2012–13 season, Bale changed his squad number from 3 to 11 as he was "not a left-back anymore" and had asked the club for a "higher number". On 16 September 2012, Bale scored his first goal of the 2012–13 season against Reading in a 3–1 away victory. On 29 September, Bale scored the second goal in Tottenham's 3–2 away victory over Manchester United, their first win at Old Trafford since 1989.


title: Gareth Bale

text: He scored his first Premier League hat-trick in a 4–0 away win on Boxing Day against Aston Villa. On 5 January 2013, Bale scored in the FA Cup third round fixture against Coventry City as well as assisting Clint Dempsey on both of his goals in a 3–0 win. On 30 January, Bale scored a magnificent solo effort in the 1–1 draw with Norwich City. Bale then scored against West Bromwich Albion in a 1–0 away win on 3 February. Bale then took his goal tally of the season to 15 goals with a brace against Newcastle United in a match which Spurs won 2–1. This took Spurs into third place, and strengthened their Champions League ambitions.


title: Gareth Bale

text: In Bale's next game, he scored directly from two free kicks, one from 35 yards out just before half time and another from 25 yards out in the dying seconds of injury time, to give Tottenham a 2–1 victory over Lyon in the first leg of their Europa League round of 32 tie on 14 February. This took Bale to a tally of ten goals in his previous ten appearances. In Tottenham's Premier League match against West Ham on 25 February, Bale scored the first and third in a 3–2 win for Tottenham. His second, a long range dipping strike from over 30 yards, in the dying stages of the game, capped a world class performance. This was his eighth goal in six games.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 3 March, Bale scored against Arsenal in a North London derby that Tottenham won 2–1. On 7 March, Tottenham faced Inter Milan in the Europa League, with Bale scoring the opening goal and Tottenham winning 3–0. Bale's run of good form in the early months of 2013 saw him win Premier League Player of the Month for February as well as the BBC Goal of the Month in both January and February for his strikes against Norwich City and West Ham United respectively. On 4 April, Bale injured his right ankle in the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final against Basel. On his return from injury, Bale scored a goal and assisted Clint Dempsey as Tottenham beat Manchester City at White Hart Lane.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 28 April, Bale won both the PFA Players' Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year after his excellent showing in the 2012–13 season. A week later, on 2 May 2013, he added the FWA Footballer of the Year Award from the Football Writers' Association, making Bale one of only two players who have won all three in the same season – the other being Cristiano Ronaldo, who won them in 2007. Bale scored the winning goal against his former club Southampton on 4 May. The goal gave Spurs a 1–0 win as well as being Bale's 20th in the Premier League in his 200th appearance for Spurs. On 19 May, Bale scored a 90th-minute goal from 25 yards out. This goal gave Spurs a 1–0 win over Sunderland, but was not enough to give them Champions League football for the following season.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 1 September 2013, Spanish club Real Madrid announced that they had reached an agreement for the transfer of Bale, signing a six-year deal in a then world record deal. The Spanish press (and Real Madrid TV) reported that Bale had cost £77 million (€91 million), while the British press reported a world record transfer fee of £85.3 million (€100 million), which would be above Cristiano Ronaldo's transfer record fee of £80 million (€94 million). However, in January 2016, documents pertaining to the transfer were leaked by Football Leaks which confirmed a world record transfer fee of €100.8 million (£85.1 million). Bale's record was surpassed in August 2016 by Paul Pogba's record fee of €105 million (£89.2 million). Bale was assigned the number 11 shirt at Madrid.


title: Gareth Bale

text: The first half of Bale's season was plagued by injuries; of Real's first 16 games after his signing, Bale missed five and was substituted on or off in six others, playing only five full games. Bale scored on his Real Madrid debut, a goal coming in the 38th minute against Villarreal, before being substituted later in the game for Ángel Di María. Bale's second appearance for Madrid came in a 6–1 victory over Galatasaray in the Champions League. Although Bale only played the final 26 minutes, his free kick led to Cristiano Ronaldo's second goal of the game. On 28 September 2013, Bale made his home debut as a second-half substitute in a 1–0 loss to local rivals Atlético Madrid.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Following a brief appearance against Juventus in the Champions League, Bale made his "El Clásico" debut on 26 October, but was substituted in the 61st minute. Barcelona won the game 2–1, and Bale's performance drew some media criticism. Four days later, he scored two goals and assisted two in a 7–3 victory against Sevilla. Following his impressive performance the Spanish press nicknamed Bale "The Cannon".


title: Gareth Bale

text: In November, he assisted a further two goals in Madrid's 3–2 victory over Rayo Vallecano, before scoring in a 2–2 draw with Juventus in the Champions League. He then scored a 25-yard free kick against Galatasaray in the Champions League, a match which Madrid won 4–1 despite being a man down. On 30 November, Bale rounded off the month with his first hat-trick for Real Madrid, as well as assisting Karim Benzema, in a 4–0 victory over Real Valladolid. It was a "perfect hat-trick": one goal with a header and one with each foot.On 26 February 2014, he scored twice in Real Madrid's 6–1 win against Schalke 04 in the Champions League round of 16 first leg. He then scored one of the team's three goals in a 3–0 quarter-final win over Borussia Dortmund on 2 April, taking him to five Champions League goals for the season. In La Liga, he scored four goals in three matches between gameweeks 31 and 33, as Real Madrid defeated Rayo Vallecano (5–0), Real Sociedad (4–0) and Almería (4–0).


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 16 April, Bale scored the winning goal for Real Madrid with five minutes remaining in the 2014 Copa del Rey Final against rivals Barcelona. Considered one of the best goals of his career, Bale outsprinted Barcelona defender Marc Bartra from the halfway line (with Bale running off the field at one point) before converting past goalkeeper José Manuel Pinto. In the post match interview Bale stated, "I had to get round the player and go off the pitch to do it", while his Real Madrid teammate Xabi Alonso commented, "It was incredible, I have never seen anything like it". The goal was Bale's 20th of the season and his first in a "Clásico" fixture.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 24 May, Bale scored in the 110th minute of the extra time period to put Real Madrid 2–1 up against city rivals Atlético Madrid in the 2014 UEFA Champions League Final, as "Los Blancos" won their tenth European Cup. The goal made Bale the first Welshman to score a goal in a European Cup/Champions League final. Bale finished his debut season with 22 goals and 16 assists in all competitions. Real Madrid's attacking trio of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano, dubbed "BBC", finished the season with 97 goals.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale started the 2014–15 season in good form, playing the full 90 minutes and assisting Cristiano Ronaldo's first goal in a 2–0 win at the Cardiff City Stadium against Sevilla to win the 2014 UEFA Super Cup. After the match, his performance was described as "amazing" by Ronaldo. Six days later, Bale scored his first goal of the season in a 4–2 away loss to Real Sociedad. Bale scored twice in Real's 8–2 win over Deportivo La Coruña on 20 September 2014.


title: Gareth Bale

text: In December 2014, Bale scored in a third major final, the second goal in a 2–0 win over San Lorenzo, to help the club win the FIFA Club World Cup. In a match against Espanyol on 10 January 2015, Bale was booed by a section of Madrid fans who adjudged him as being selfish in shooting for goal and not passing to Ronaldo. Bale was defended by Carlo Ancelotti over this plus difficulties at the end of the season. On 18 April, Bale sustained a calf injury against Málaga.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale scored twice in Real's win over Real Betis in September 2015. His two goals took the total number of goals of Madrid's attacking trio of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo to 200 goals since they first played together in 2013.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 20 December 2015, he scored four goals in a 10–2 victory over Rayo Vallecano. On 9 January 2016, Bale scored his second hat-trick of the season in Madrid's 5–0 defeat of Deportivo La Coruña in Zinedine Zidane's first match as head coach of "Los Blancos". After being sidelined since 19 January, due to a calf injury he sustained in a 5–1 league victory at home against Sporting Gijón, during which he had also scored the opening goal of the match, Bale returned to the pitch on 5 March; he made a substitute appearance in Real Madrid's 7–1 home win over Celta Vigo, scoring Real Madrid's final goal of the match.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 20 March 2016, Bale scored his 43rd La Liga goal in a 4–0 defeat of Sevilla to surpass Gary Lineker as the highest scoring British player in the competition's history. On 23 April, Bale scored twice as Real Madrid came from 0–2 down to win 3–2 at Rayo Vallecano. Bale was a regular starter when the team won the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League. He assisted the team's only goal and went on to score in the penalty shoot-out win over Atlético Madrid in the final.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 30 October 2016, Bale signed a new contract with Madrid until 2022. On 22 November 2016, Bale damaged his ankle tendons during the 2–1 victory at Sporting CP that would rule him out for up to four months. On 23 April, Bale made his 100th appearance in La Liga in a 3–2 home defeat to Barcelona, but was forced off after sustaining an injury.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Despite suffering several injuries during the season, he managed to feature 19 times for Madrid as they won their 33rd La Liga title. After missing more than a month, he returned to action for the 2017 UEFA Champions League Final, which Madrid won.


title: Gareth Bale

text: The 2017–18 season saw some improvement in Bale's goalscoring record across the league, cup competitions, and in the Champions League. He featured in Real Madrid's victories in both the 2017 UEFA Super Cup and the 2017 Supercopa de España, and he also featured in the club's victorious 2017 FIFA Club World Cup campaign, winning a third trophy before 2018 had even begun. In La Liga, he made 26 appearances and scored 16 goals but Real Madrid were unable to reclaim the title, finishing in third.


title: Gareth Bale

text: The 2017–18 UEFA Champions League saw Bale scoring once prior to the final. This goal came from the match against Borussia Dortmund in the group stages, when he opened the scoring in a 3–1 victory in Germany. In the 2018 UEFA Champions League Final, Bale scored two goals, the first an overhead kick from the edge of the 18-yard box – regarded as one of the greatest goals in Champions League history – before a speculative 40-yard strike that went through the hands of goalkeeper Loris Karius, resulting in a 3–1 victory over Liverpool, to help Real Madrid win their thirteenth Champions League trophy. He became the first substitute to score twice in a Champions League final and was named man of the match.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Following the break-up of the BBC trifecta with Ronaldo's transfer to Juventus, and the replacement of Zidane by new manager Julen Lopetegui, Bale was ever-present during August 2018, and was awarded "Cinco Estrellas Mahou" for the Real Madrid Player of the Month, scoring against Getafe and Girona along the way.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 19 December 2018, Bale scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 win over Kashima Antlers in the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup. He became the third player to score a hat-trick in a FIFA Club World Cup match after Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suárez. He also became the third player to score in three editions of the competition after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He was awarded the Golden Ball after Real Madrid won the competition by beating Al Ain FC 4–1 in the final.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 9 February 2019, Bale scored his 100th goal for Real Madrid after scoring the team's third goal as a substitute in a 3–1 away win over cross-city rivals Atlético Madrid; however, he was also the source of controversy in the media following the match, due to the "provocative" goal celebration that he made towards the opposition fans.


title: Gareth Bale

text: In July 2019, he was close to leaving the club, according to manager Zinedine Zidane, but later that month a proposed transfer to Chinese club Jiangsu Suning was called off by Real Madrid. In October 2019, Bale was said to be "angry" at Real Madrid and wanted to leave, but later that month Zidane said Bale had never asked to leave. Ex-Real Madrid president Ramón Calderón also said that Bale should return to Tottenham Hotspur. He made 16 appearances during the league season, as Real Madrid won the 2019–20 La Liga.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 19 September 2020, Bale returned to Tottenham Hotspur on a season-long loan. He came off the bench to score the winner in Tottenham's 2–1 home win over Brighton & Hove Albion on 1 November, his first goal since returning to the club. On 3 December, Bale scored his 200th career goal in a 3–3 draw against LASK in the Europa League. He scored a brace and got an assist in a 4–0 win over Burnley on 28 February 2021. Bale once again scored twice in Tottenham's 4–1 victory against Crystal Palace on 7 March, bringing his tally to six goals in six games. On 2 May, Bale scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 win against Sheffield United. The hat-trick was only his second in the Premier League and his first since his return to Tottenham. On 23 May 2021, Bale came off the bench to score two goals against Leicester City in a 4–2 away victory which led Tottenham to a 7th-place finish, ensuring qualification to the Europa Conference League.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale's appearances during the 2021–22 season were severely limited. Bale's agent, Jonathan Barnett, confirmed in May 2022 that Bale would leave Real Madrid after the 2021–22 season. On 1 June, Bale himself published an open letter on Twitter confirming his exit.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 27 June 2022, Los Angeles FC announced that they had signed Bale to a 12-month contract using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) with options through 2024. Prior the announcement, Bale announced on his social media that he would be joining the MLS side.


title: Gareth Bale

text: He made his debut on 17 July as a 72nd-minute substitute in a 2–1 win at Nashville SC. In his next appearance, on 23 July, he came on as a 65th-minute substitute against Sporting Kansas City, scoring his first goal for the club in a 2–0 victory. Bale made 12 total appearances in the regular season for LAFC, starting two matches, but remained mostly unused as the club won the Supporters' Shield. He made his first playoff appearance in the MLS Cup as a substitute, where his header in the 128th minute tied the match at 3–3 and sent it to a penalty shootout. His goal was the latest goal in MLS history. LAFC won the shootout and their first MLS Cup title.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale was selected by Wales at the end of the 2005–06 season for a friendly against Trinidad and Tobago on 27 May 2006. In the match in Graz, Austria, he replaced David Vaughan after 55 minutes and assisted Robert Earnshaw's winning goal in a 2–1 victory. At 16 years and 315 days old, Bale became the youngest player to play for Wales, breaking a record held by Lewin Nyatanga who set that three months earlier; this record was itself superseded by Harry Wilson in October 2013.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Wales youth guru Brian Flynn commented that Bale was potentially a future star of the game, comparing his technical ability to that of Ryan Giggs. On 7 October 2006, Bale became the youngest ever goalscorer for the senior national team, scoring a free kick in a Euro 2008 qualification match against Slovakia. After a long injury lay-off, he returned and started in the World Cup qualifier against Finland on 10 October 2009. On 14 October, he played a part in Wales' final World Cup qualifier by setting up David Vaughan to score the opening goal against Liechtenstein and won the free kick that led to the second, Aaron Ramsey's first at senior level.


title: Gareth Bale

text: In December 2010, Bale was awarded the BBC Cymru Sports Personality of the Year trophy. On 12 October 2012, Bale scored both goals for Wales in a 2–1 victory over Scotland in a 2014 World Cup qualifier. He won his 100th Wales Cap during a World Cup Qualifying Match on 13 November 2021 against Belarus at the Cardiff City Stadium where he played 45 Minutes being substituted at half time.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 9 September 2014, Bale scored two goals, one with a header and another with a free kick, as Wales beat Andorra 2–1 in their first match of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. In doing so, he became Wales' joint 10th all-time top-scorer with 14 goals, alongside John Hartson. Bale scored two goals on 28 March 2015, in a 3–0 win away in Israel. On 12 June, his 50th cap, he scored the only goal to defeat Belgium in a home qualifier, taking Wales above the Belgians to the top of Group B. He headed Jazz Richards' cross on 3 September in a 1–0 away win over Cyprus, putting Wales three points away from qualification. With qualification to UEFA Euro 2016 achieved (the country's first major finals since the 1958 FIFA World Cup), on 13 October 2015, Bale scored his seventh goal of the qualifying campaign in Wales' final qualifier against Andorra at the Cardiff City Stadium.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 11 June, Bale scored the first goal in Wales' clash with Slovakia in their opening game of UEFA Euro 2016 from a free kick, helping his country secure a 2–1 win and, in the process, lead them to their first win in a tournament in 58 years. His goal saw him become the first Welsh player to score at a major international tournament since Terry Medwin's goal against Hungary at the 1958 FIFA World Cup. He then followed this up by scoring another opening free kick goal against England in the second group game, though Wales went on to lose the game 2–1; this made Bale the first player to score two free kicks at a European Championship since Germany's Thomas Häßler in 1992. Bale scored his third goal of the tournament in a 3–0 win over Russia, making him their all-time top scorer in major tournaments, ahead of Ivor Allchurch who scored twice in the 1958 World Cup; he also helped to create the second goal of the match, which was scored by Neil Taylor. In the last 16 against Northern Ireland at the Parc des Princes, Bale sent in the cross from which Gareth McAuley scored an own goal to give the Welsh victory. Wales were eliminated following a 2–0 defeat to eventual champions Portugal in the semi-final of the tournament on 6 July.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 5 September 2016, Bale scored twice in a 4–0 win over Moldova in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification game. This brought him to 24 international goals, surpassing both Ivor Allchurch and Trevor Ford, and behind only Ian Rush's 28. On 22 March 2018, with 29 goals, Bale became Wales' all-time top-scorer surpassing Ian Rush's 28, thanks to his first hat-trick in his international career in a 2018 China Cup match against China.


title: Gareth Bale

text: In May 2021, he was selected as captain of the Wales squad for the delayed UEFA Euro 2020 tournament. At the finals, he provided the assists for Aaron Ramsey and Connor Roberts's goals in Wales's second group match on 16 June, a 2–0 win over Turkey; he helped his country qualify for the round of 16, in which they were beaten 4–0 by Denmark.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 24 March 2022, Bale scored two goals in the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying playoff semi-finals in a 2–1 win against Austria which sent Wales to the playoff final. In the playoff final against Ukraine on 5 June, delayed due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine earlier in the year, Bale's free-kick was deflected into the net by Ukraine captain Andriy Yarmolenko, giving Wales the lone goal in a 1–0 victory. Initially credited as an own goal for Yarmolenko, the decisive goal was subsequently awarded to Bale at the end of June. Wales qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1958. Bale called it "the greatest result in history for Welsh football," and further that it "means everything. It's what dreams are made of." Bale, as captain led the Welsh team in singing along to the unofficial anthem of the team, "," which was performed live by Dafydd Iwan after the final whistle. After the match, "The Guardian" opined on the occasion that "what can be said now is that nobody has ever achieved more in a Wales shirt."


title: Gareth Bale

text: In November 2022, Bale was named in the Wales squad for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. In the team's opening group stage game against the United States, after going down by one goal in the first half, Bale was awarded a penalty kick after being fouled in the box, and converted. This was the first goal scored by Wales in a World Cup finals tournament since 1958 and earned his side a draw with the United States. This proved to be Wales's only point and goal of the tournament, as they finished last in Group B, and were eliminated in the first round.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale, who met the age criteria to play in the 2012 London Olympics, said in May 2011 "I want to play in the Olympics" for the Great Britain Olympic football team, in defiance of the FAW. On 28 October 2011, Bale became the first player to be photographed modelling the British 2012 London Olympics football supporters' shirt. In response, FAW chief executive Jonathan Ford said: "Our position remains unchanged. We are not for Team GB. Gareth can make his own choices and make his own decisions. But we are not going to stop anyone playing." On behalf of Bale, a spokesman said "while he is 100% Welsh, he is also British".


title: Gareth Bale

text: At the end of June 2012, Bale pulled out of the tournament with a back injury. On 29 June, he advised the Team GB football manager, Stuart Pearce, that he would not be available for selection as he had aggravated an old back and hip injury during a training run. In view of the short recovery time between the end of the Olympics and the start of the Premier League season, Bale had decided to withdraw rather than exacerbate the problem. Bale recovered from his injury in good time to be included on Spurs' pre-season tour of the United States, scoring against LA Galaxy on 24 July and against New York Red Bulls a week later. Between these matches, Bale also played against Liverpool when he was injured in a tackle by Charlie Adam.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale's appearances in Spurs' pre-season tour coincided with Team GB's Olympic matches, where they drew with Senegal before victories over the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay took them through to the knockout stages, where they lost to South Korea following a penalty shoot-out. Bale's withdrawal from the Team GB squad attracted calls for sanctions against him including a ban from the rest of Spurs' pre-season tour but, in the absence of an official complaint by Team GB, these were not carried out. Spurs' manager, André Villas-Boas, defended the player insisting that Bale "had recovered quicker than expected". The club's stance was supported by British Olympic Association chairman Lord Moynihan.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Tottenham released a statement in relation to Bale's non-selection for Team GB, they stated that "Gareth sustained an injury as he built up his fitness ahead of joining up with Stuart Pearce's side. MRI scan reports were sent to the FA medical team on 29 June 2012. He was subsequently not selected on the basis of this injury and the inability to predict recovery time. This decision was not taken lightly and made only after consultation with Team GB's medical team, who were in agreement after seeing the medical reports."


title: Gareth Bale

text: One of the fastest footballers in the world at his peak, Bale started out as an offensive left-back or wing-back at the beginning of his career. It was at Tottenham Hotspur that his manager Harry Redknapp decided to utilise Bale's pace and played him as a left winger, where he developed into a world class player. He is predominantly known for his speed, strength, stamina, and heading ability, but also possesses good technique and ball control. His skills, combined with his acceleration and physicality, allow him to get past defenders regularly and make runs into space, where he is able to score or create. Bale is also a free kick specialist, and is known for employing the "knuckleball" technique (popularised by Juninho Pernambucano) when taking free kicks. As he moved further forward onto the wing, he began to score goals on a regular basis with powerful strikes from outside the penalty box. In addition to his athletic and offensive capabilities, Bale has also drawn praise in the media for his work-rate and defensive contribution off the ball.


title: Gareth Bale

text: As Bale has developed into one of the most dangerous left wingers in the world, his style of play has won admiration from managers, current and past players such as Luís Figo, José Mourinho, Igor Štimac, and Dani Alves. Bale has been described as a footballer with "tremendous speed, great crossing ability, a great left foot and exceptional physical qualities". Former Liverpool player and BBC Sport football pundit Mark Lawrenson said in 2011: "What makes Gareth Bale so special? Simple. He is one of the quickest players I've ever seen, but he has another gear and the ability to find that extra pace within the next stride. He has the ability to perform and use his technique at great pace."


title: Gareth Bale

text: During the 2011–12 season, Harry Redknapp experimented with using Bale in a free role, as an attacking midfielder, or as a second striker. The following season, André Villas-Boas, deployed Bale in this role on a more permanent basis. Since joining Real Madrid, Bale has usually been deployed as a winger, but mostly on the right flank, due to the presence of Cristiano Ronaldo on the left, a position which enables him to cut into the centre and strike on goal with his stronger left foot; he has also been used in a more attacking role on occasion, as a striker or centre forward, courtesy of his goalscoring, movement off the ball, and ability to make attacking runs, while his elevation, strength, and heading accuracy have seen him excel in the air in this role. However, in spite of his playing ability, his playing time during his later seasons with Real Madrid was largely limited by recurring injury struggles.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale is widely regarded as one of the greatest wingers of his generation, one of the greatest Welsh players of all time, and the best British player of his generation. After a Champions League group stage match against Inter Milan on 2 November 2010, teammate Rafael van der Vaart said, "Everyone is scared of him [Bale]. Maicon is one of the best defenders in the world, and he's killed him." "El Mundo" praising Bale for his performance wrote, "Bale combines the height and build of an 800-metre runner like Steve Ovett with the acceleration and directness of a rugby winger like Bryan Habana. And, when he gets to the byline, he delivers curling crosses like a Brazilian".


title: Gareth Bale

text: According to his Wales teammates, Bale is a pivotal, inspirational, and uplifting figure for the squad. Welsh international Neil Taylor speaking of Bale's positive influence on the team's psyche and performance said, "There's a belief about the team when he's in it. He makes everyone around him play better."


title: Gareth Bale

text: With the spotlight increasing on Bale following his performances, in October 2012 his Spurs manager Harry Redknapp put him in the same class as both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. He said: "He's an amazing, amazing talent and he's after the Ronaldos and Messis of this world and he's getting better and better. He's almost unplayable when he's on his game. He is a genuine world-class player. There's nobody he couldn't play for. He'd improve any team."


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale has been accused of diving by sections of the British media. However, this has been denied by Bale, Harry Redknapp, and Wales coach Chris Coleman. On 29 December 2012, Bale picked up his third yellow card for simulation for the 2012–13 season. It was his fifth for simulation since the start of the 2011–12 season, and no other Premier League player had more than two cautions for simulation in that time. Between August 2008 and his departure from the Premier League, he was booked eight times for simulation. The next most-booked players were shown three yellow cards each. Bale was ranked twelfth on ESPN's list of the world's most famous athletes in 2016, while "The Guardian" listed him as the seventh-best footballer on the planet in the same year.


title: Gareth Bale

text: During his time at Real Madrid, Bale was praised in the media for his decisive performances in important matches. Despite his ability and achievements, however, Bale became less popular with the club's fans during his final years with the team due to his perceived inconsistency and lack of commitment. Moreover, his injury struggles has led some pundits to accuse him of failing to live up to his potential, in particular following his perceived decline in his later seasons at Real Madrid, despite his success and his high level of performance in his first few seasons with the club.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Their first child was born in Cardiff on 21 October 2012, and their second daughter was born in the same city on 22 March 2016. On 17 July 2016, Bale announced he and Rhys-Jones were engaged. On 9 March 2018, Bale announced that he and his fiancée were expecting their third child. Later that year, on 8 May, the couple announced the birth of their son. They married in June 2019. Bale was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2022 Birthday Honours for services to association football and charity.


title: Gareth Bale

text: On 26 March 2013, Bale filed an application with the Intellectual Property Office to register a logo based on his heart shaped goal celebration along with his squad number (eleven) to be used on a range of merchandise such as clothing and footwear. Bale is featured in EA Sports' "FIFA" video game series, and he has appeared on the British, Irish and Middle Eastern covers of "FIFA 14", alongside global cover star Lionel Messi. His 'heart' goal celebration is featured in "FIFA 14".


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale has endorsed several companies in his career and has current deals with Adidas, EA Sports, Lucozade and BT Sport. In 2014, Bale was the first player to wear the Adidas F50 crazylight football boots. In 2015, he unveiled the Adidas X15 football boots.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Active on social media, Bale has over 35 million Instagram followers, and earns $185,000 per sponsored post, the second highest-paid Briton after David Beckham. In 2016, ESPN ranked Bale twelfth on its list of the world's most famous athletes.


title: Gareth Bale

text: In November 2014, Bale appeared in FIFA's "11 against Ebola" campaign with a selection of top football players from around the world, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Xavi and African star Didier Drogba. Under the slogan "Together, we can beat Ebola", FIFA's campaign was done in conjunction with the Confederation of African Football and health experts, with the players holding up eleven messages to raise awareness of the disease and ways to combat it.


title: Gareth Bale

text: In April 2020, he and his wife Emma donated £1 million to health boards in Wales and Spain to help in the fight against the Coronavirus pandemic. In October 2020, Bale gave £15,000 for Christmas hampers in Swansea, Wales.


title: Gareth Bale

text: Bale has a replica of the 17th hole — the island green — at TPC at Sawgrass in his back garden. "El Confidencial" cited golf as the reason why he spent so much time out injured for Real Madrid. Bale was interviewed in Episode 179 of "The Erik Anders Lang Show" podcast where he said his golf handicap was "between a three and a four".


title: Shiva

text: Shiva (; ), also known as Mahadeva (; ]), or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hinduism.


title: Shiva

text: Shiva is known as "The Destroyer" within the Trimurti, the Hindu trinity which also includes Brahma and Vishnu. In the Shaivite tradition, Shiva is the Supreme Lord who creates, protects and transforms the universe. In the goddess-oriented Shakta tradition, the Supreme Goddess (Devi) is regarded as the energy and creative power (Shakti) and the equal complementary partner of Shiva. Shiva is one of the five equivalent deities in Panchayatana puja of the Smarta tradition of Hinduism.


title: Shiva

text: Shiva has many aspects, benevolent as well as fearsome. In benevolent aspects, he is depicted as an omniscient Yogi who lives an ascetic life on Mount Kailash as well as a householder with his wife Parvati and his three children, Ganesha, Kartikeya and Ashokasundari. In his fierce aspects, he is often depicted slaying demons. Shiva is also known as Adiyogi Shiva, regarded as the patron god of yoga, meditation and the arts.


title: Shiva

text: The iconographical attributes of Shiva are the serpent around his neck, the adorning crescent moon, the holy river Ganga flowing from his matted hair, the third eye on his forehead (the eye that turns everything in front of it into ashes when opened), the trishula or trident as his weapon, and the damaru drum. He is usually worshipped in the aniconic form of lingam.


title: Shiva

text: Shiva has pre-Vedic roots, and the figure of Shiva evolved as an amalgamation of various older non-Vedic and Vedic deities, including the Rigvedic storm god Rudra who may also have non-Vedic origins, into a single major deity. Shiva is a pan-Hindu deity, revered widely by Hindus in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Indonesia (especially in Java and Bali).


title: Shiva

text: According to Monier Monier-Williams, the Sanskrit word "" (, also transliterated as "shiva") means "auspicious, propitious, gracious, benign, kind, benevolent, friendly". The root words of in folk etymology are "śī" which means "in whom all things lie, pervasiveness" and "va" which means "embodiment of grace".


title: Shiva

text: The word Shiva is used as an adjective in the Rig Veda (), as an epithet for several Rigvedic deities, including Rudra. The term Shiva also connotes "liberation, final emancipation" and "the auspicious one"; this adjectival usage is addressed to many deities in Vedic literature. The term evolved from the Vedic "Rudra-Shiva" to the noun "Shiva" in the Epics and the Puranas, as an auspicious deity who is the "creator, reproducer and dissolver".


title: Shiva

text: Sharma presents another etymology with the Sanskrit root "-", which means "to injure" or "to kill", interpreting the name to connote "one who can kill the forces of darkness".


title: Shiva

text: The Sanskrit word ' means "relating to the god Shiva", and this term is the Sanskrit name both for one of the principal sects of Hinduism and for a member of that sect. It is used as an adjective to characterize certain beliefs and practices, such as Shaivism.


title: Shiva

text: Some authors associate the name with the Tamil word ' meaning "red", noting that Shiva is linked to the Sun (', "the Red one", in Tamil) and that Rudra is also called "Babhru" (brown, or red) in the Rigveda. The "Vishnu sahasranama" interprets "Shiva" to have multiple meanings: "The Pure One", and "the One who is not affected by three Guṇas of Prakṛti (Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas)".


title: Shiva

text: Shiva is known by many names such as Viswanatha (lord of the universe), Mahadeva, Mahandeo, Mahasu, Mahesha, Maheshvara, Shankara, Shambhu, Rudra, Hara, Trilochana, Devendra (chief of the gods), Neelakanta, Subhankara, Trilokinatha (lord of the three realms), and Ghrneshwar (lord of compassion). The highest reverence for Shiva in Shaivism is reflected in his epithets ' ("Great god"; ' "Great" and "deva" "god"), ' ("Great Lord"; ' "great" and "" "lord"), and "" ("Supreme Lord").


title: Shiva

text: Sahasranama are medieval Indian texts that list a thousand names derived from aspects and epithets of a deity. There are at least eight different versions of the "Shiva Sahasranama", devotional hymns ("stotras") listing many names of Shiva. The version appearing in Book 13 () of the "Mahabharata" provides one such list. Shiva also has "Dasha-Sahasranamas" (10,000 names) that are found in the "Mahanyasa". The "Shri Rudram Chamakam", also known as the "Śatarudriya", is a devotional hymn to Shiva hailing him by many names.


title: Shiva

text: The Shiva-related tradition is a major part of Hinduism, found all over the Indian subcontinent, such as India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia, such as Bali, Indonesia. Shiva has pre-Vedic tribal roots, having "his origins in primitive tribes, signs and symbols." The figure of Shiva as we know him today is an amalgamation of various older deities into a single figure, due to the process of Sanskritization and the emergence of the Hindu synthesis in post-Vedic times. How the persona of Shiva converged as a composite deity is not well documented, a challenge to trace and has attracted much speculation. According to Vijay Nath:


title: Shiva

text: An example of assimilation took place in Maharashtra, where a regional deity named Khandoba is a patron deity of farming and herding castes. The foremost center of worship of Khandoba in Maharashtra is in Jejuri. Khandoba has been assimilated as a form of Shiva himself, in which case he is worshipped in the form of a lingam. Khandoba's varied associations also include an identification with Surya and Karttikeya.


title: Shiva

text: Scholars have interpreted early prehistoric paintings at the Bhimbetka rock shelters, considered to be from pre-10,000 BCE period, as Shiva dancing, Shiva's trident, and his mount Nandi. Rock paintings from Bhimbetka, depicting a figure with a trident or trishul, have been described as Nataraja by Erwin Neumayer, who dates them to the mesolithic.


title: Shiva

text: Of several Indus valley seals that show animals, one seal that has attracted attention shows a large central figure, either horned or wearing a horned headdress and possibly ithyphallic, seated in a posture reminiscent of the Lotus position, surrounded by animals. This figure was named by early excavators of Mohenjo-daro as "Pashupati" (Lord of Animals, Sanskrit '), an epithet of the later Hindu deities Shiva and Rudra. Sir John Marshall and others suggested that this figure is a prototype of Shiva, with three faces, seated in a "yoga posture" with the knees out and feet joined. Semi-circular shapes on the head were interpreted as two horns. Scholars such as Gavin Flood, John Keay and Doris Meth Srinivasan have expressed doubts about this suggestion.


title: Shiva

text: Gavin Flood states that it is not clear from the seal that the figure has three faces, is seated in a yoga posture, or even that the shape is intended to represent a human figure. He characterizes these views as "speculative", but adds that it is nevertheless possible that there are echoes of Shaiva iconographic themes, such as half-moon shapes resembling the horns of a bull. John Keay writes that "he may indeed be an early manifestation of Lord Shiva as Pashu-pati", but a couple of his specialties of this figure does not match with Rudra. Writing in 1997, Srinivasan interprets what John Marshall interpreted as facial as not human but more bovine, possibly a divine buffalo-man.


title: Shiva

text: The interpretation of the seal continues to be disputed. McEvilley, for example, states that it is not possible to "account for this posture outside the yogic account". Asko Parpola states that other archaeological finds such as the early Elamite seals dated to 3000–2750 BCE show similar figures and these have been interpreted as "seated bull" and not a yogi, and the bovine interpretation is likely more accurate. Gregory L. Possehl in 2002, associated it with the water buffalo, and concluded that while it would be appropriate to recognize the figure as a deity, and its posture as one of ritual discipline, regarding it as a proto-Shiva would "go too far".


title: Shiva

text: According to Anthony, the Old Indic religion probably emerged among Indo-European immigrants in the contact zone between the Zeravshan River (present-day Uzbekistan) and (present-day) Iran. It was "a syncretic mixture of old Central Asian and new Indo-European elements", which according to Beckwith borrowed "distinctive religious beliefs and practices" from the Bactria–Margiana Culture. At least 383 non-Indo-European words were borrowed from this culture, including the god Indra and the ritual drink Soma.


title: Shiva

text: The Vedic beliefs and practices of the pre-classical era were closely related to the hypothesised Proto-Indo-European religion, and the pre-Islamic Indo-Iranian religion. The similarities between the iconography and theologies of Shiva with Greek and European deities have led to proposals for an Indo-European link for Shiva, or lateral exchanges with ancient central Asian cultures. His contrasting aspects such as being terrifying or blissful depending on the situation, are similar to those of the Greek god Dionysus, as are their iconic associations with bull, snakes, anger, bravery, dancing and carefree life. The ancient Greek texts of the time of Alexander the Great call Shiva as "Indian Dionysus", or alternatively call Dionysus as ""god of the Orient"". Similarly, the use of phallic symbol as an icon for Shiva is also found for Irish, Nordic, Greek (Dionysus) and Roman deities, as was the idea of this aniconic column linking heaven and earth among early Indo-Aryans, states Roger Woodward. Others contest such proposals, and suggest Shiva to have emerged from indigenous pre-Aryan tribal origins.


title: Shiva

text: Shiva as we know him today shares many features with the Vedic god Rudra, and both Shiva and Rudra are viewed as the same personality in Hindu scriptures. The two names are used synonymously. Rudra, a Rigvedic deity with fearsome powers, was the god of the roaring storm. He is usually portrayed in accordance with the element he represents as a fierce, destructive deity. In RV 2.33, he is described as the "Father of the Rudras", a group of storm gods.


title: Shiva

text: Flood notes that Rudra is an ambiguous god, peripheral in the Vedic pantheon, possibly indicating non-Vedic origins. Nevertheless, both Rudra and Shiva are akin to Wodan, the Germanic God of rage ("wütte") and the wild hunt.


title: Shiva

text: According to Sadasivan, during the development of the Hindu synthesis attributes of the Buddha were transferred by Brahmins to Shiva, who was also linked with Rudra. The Rigveda has 3 out of 1,028 hymns dedicated to Rudra, and he finds occasional mention in other hymns of the same text. Hymn 10.92 of the Rigveda states that deity Rudra has two natures, one wild and cruel (Rudra), another that is kind and tranquil (Shiva).


title: Shiva

text: The term Shiva also appears simply as an epithet, that means "kind, auspicious", one of the adjectives used to describe many different Vedic deities. While fierce ruthless natural phenomenon and storm-related Rudra is feared in the hymns of the Rigveda, the beneficial rains he brings are welcomed as Shiva aspect of him. This healing, nurturing, life-enabling aspect emerges in the Vedas as Rudra-Shiva, and in post-Vedic literature ultimately as Shiva who combines the destructive and constructive powers, the terrific and the gentle, as the ultimate recycler and rejuvenator of all existence.


title: Shiva

text: The Vedic texts do not mention bull or any animal as the transport vehicle ("vahana") of Rudra or other deities. However, post-Vedic texts such as the Mahabharata and the Puranas state the Nandi bull, the Indian zebu, in particular, as the vehicle of Rudra and of Shiva, thereby unmistakably linking them as same.


title: Shiva

text: Rudra and Agni have a close relationship. The identification between Agni and Rudra in the Vedic literature was an important factor in the process of Rudra's gradual transformation into Rudra-Shiva. The identification of Agni with Rudra is explicitly noted in the "Nirukta", an important early text on etymology, which says, "Agni is also called Rudra." The interconnections between the two deities are complex, and according to Stella Kramrisch:


title: Shiva

text: In the "Śatarudrīya", some epithets of Rudra, such as ("Of golden red hue as of flame") and ("Flaming bright"), suggest a fusing of the two deities. Agni is said to be a bull, and Lord Shiva possesses a bull as his vehicle, Nandi. The horns of Agni, who is sometimes characterized as a bull, are mentioned. In medieval sculpture, both Agni and the form of Shiva known as Bhairava have flaming hair as a special feature.


title: Shiva

text: According to Wendy Doniger, the Saivite fertility myths and some of the phallic characteristics of Shiva are inherited from Indra. Doniger gives several reasons for her hypothesis. Both are associated with mountains, rivers, male fertility, fierceness, fearlessness, warfare, the transgression of established mores, the Aum sound, the Supreme Self. In the Rig Veda the term "" is used to refer to Indra. (2.20.3, 6.45.17, and 8.93.3.) Indra, like Shiva, is likened to a bull. In the Rig Veda, Rudra is the father of the Maruts, but he is never associated with their warlike exploits as is Indra.


title: Shiva

text: Indra himself may have been adopted by the Vedic Aryans from the Bactria–Margiana Culture. According to Anthony,


title: Shiva

text: The texts and artwork of Jainism show Indra as a dancer, although not identical generally resembling the dancing Shiva artwork found in Hinduism, particularly in their respective mudras. For example, in the Jain caves at Ellora, extensive carvings show dancing Indra next to the images of Tirthankaras in a manner similar to Shiva Nataraja. The similarities in the dance iconography suggests that there may be a link between ancient Indra and Shiva.


title: Shiva

text: A few texts such as "Atharvashiras Upanishad" mention Rudra, and assert all gods are Rudra, everyone and everything is Rudra, and Rudra is the principle found in all things, their highest goal, the innermost essence of all reality that is visible or invisible. The "Kaivalya Upanishad" similarly, states Paul Deussen – a German Indologist and professor of philosophy, describes the self-realized man as who "feels himself only as the one divine essence that lives in all", who feels identity of his and everyone's consciousness with Shiva (highest Atman), who has found this highest Atman within, in the depths of his heart.