Amy Madigan Talks Her Love of ‘Original, Vibrant, Difficult, Hard’ Independent Films on the Spirit Awards Carpet

Amy Madigan earned an Oscar nomination for starring in “Weapons,” one of the most acclaimed studio movies of 2025. But when she attended the 41st annual Independent Spirit Awards as a presenter, she made sure to show her love for independent art in all of its forms

“It means new, original, vibrant, difficult, hard, winning, forward motion,” Madigan said when asked about her preferred definition of the word “independent.”

Madigan joined IndieWire and Lavazza for a Coffee Break on the blue carpet, where she answered some fun Light Roast questions before taking the plunge into more challenging Dark Roast questions.

“One morning I came into the makeup trailer very very early, and everyone had their own take on what Gladys looked like,” she said when asked about a favorite memory from the set. “I thought ‘Isn’t this fun!’ And then I went on the set hours later after I did everything, and the crew was dressed up in their interpretation of Gladys… It was totally ridiculous and crazy, so that’s a really good memory.”

Madigan also opened up about her first impressions of Zach Cregger’s script, saying that she was inspired by the lack of backstory provided for Aunt Gladys and the freedom that it created for her.

“When I first read the script, I just thought it was so well-written,” she said. “It was so tight, there wasn’t anything wasted. And Gladys wasn’t explained, which I loved. When Gladys entered into it, I just said ‘Oh I know this person, I love her, I know how to do this.’”