Orange wig. Big grin. Makeup that would make a clown do a spit take. In Zach Cregger’s “Weapons,” Amy Madigan became an instant horror icon as scheming, supernatural Aunt Gladys. With the snap of a twig, she uses witchcraft to turn people into her mindless thralls. Moviegoers won’t ever look at sticks the same way.
Compelling villains don’t always think they're villains. As you got to know Gladys, what did you discover about how she viewed herself and her motivations?
Per the script, I’m the antagonist. I’m supposed to be the bad guy, but Gladys doesn’t think she is. Gladys is someone who’s doing exactly what she needs to do to survive. Her back is pushed against the wall. I think that she’s been doing this for a while. She comes to town, you see her doing okay, then you see her not doing well at all. She gets other people to do things for her, so she has a remove, in a way, from what the end result is and her actual participation.
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She’s very confident in what she’s doing. She has great follow-through. You know, it’s like the adage: A woman’s gotta do what she’s gotta do. And this woman does.
The character has such a distinct look. How did the transformation influence your performance?
We had an entire team of hair, makeup, special effects, costumes—incredible people. We created it from the ground up, with Zach Cregger always overseeing it. It took us a while to find all these things, and in doing that, every step of the way, Gladys revealed herself more and more to me.
I think Gladys thinks she looks great. She’s very particular about her look—what earrings she has, what brooch she has on, how she applies her makeup. It’s not just slapped on. It’s precisely how she wants it to be.
I wish I had her confidence in my day-to-day life. She knows what she has to do. She will not be deterred from that.
What’s one of the best acting lessons you’ve ever learned?
I have an outgoing personality, and sometimes it’s gotten in my way. I am always reminding myself—in my younger days, in my middle career—to just hold back a bit, and to really listen.
Who gave one of your favorite 2025 screen performances?
It’s “One Battle After Another.” Regina Hall as Deandra has such an intense positioning in the group. And her silence—there’s somebody who had to listen. Her silence and her eyes. When she says, “You have to listen to me,” you listen to her. She’s prepping in her silence to get her to the point that she says those things. I’ve always been a fan of her work.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.