If there’s a breakout movie character in 2025, it’s unquestionably Gladys, the villain of Zach Cregger’s second feature film “Weapons” played by the unbelievable — and, until now, wholly underutilized — Amy Madigan. Madigan, who’s otherwise known for “Field of Dreams” and a recurring role on “Grey’s Anatomy,” is now firmly in the spotlight thanks to Gladys, who — spoiler alert! — is some sort of possibly ancient witch who invades a town and uses its residents as human juice boxes to restore her energy. Thanks to her entirely unique and garish look consisting of bright, smeared lipstick, a bizarre red wig with baby bangs, and mismatched clothes, Gladys has become one of the more recognizable horror characters in recent memory, but it’s Madigan’s incredible performance that brings the bizarre horror to life.
According to a profile in The Hollywood Reporter, though, Madigan was on the verge of quitting acting entirely before Cregger, thankfully, saw fit to cast her in “Weapons.” As her husband and fellow industry veteran, Ed Harris, told interviewer David Canfield, “There was a long period of time where she really didn’t work at all, or very little. She was considering just stopping and giving up on it.”
Madigan then chimed in, telling Canfield that sometimes people would confront her about her career in the wild. “Let’s say I’d be in the airport and someone recognized me — they’d go, ‘Oh, are you still acting?’ or ‘So what are you doing? Did you give up acting?’ ” Madigan recalled. “Those kinds of questions, just straight out!”
Then, thankfully, “Weapons” came along and changed everything for Madigan almost overnight. “I was telling everybody, ‘Hey, I’m going to play this really wild lady,'” Madigan shared. “Then it came out, and it turned into something else.”
Weapons is one of the best horror movies of the year — thanks to Aunt Gladys
Throughout the profile, Amy Madigan told David Canfield that she did understand that, as a character actor, she might not be considered for relatively understated or typical roles. “I understand that I’m not the leading lady — I’m a character actor, and I like doing things with my body,” Madigan mused. “Maybe that was confusing to people, or what they were looking for was not me.”
To that point, she apparently told Ed Harris, before getting “Weapons,” that she felt like people had “retired” her, to which Harris said, “Just wait. Something is going to come your way that’s going to get you everything that you need.” He was certainly right! Zach Cregger, who previously said that “Weapons” wouldn’t work without Madigan as Gladys, knew right away that he had to cast her. Not only was he a longtime fan of her work, but he just sensed that she was perfect for the role.
“Whenever she was onscreen, I was kind of dazzled — and I never really got why she wasn’t all over the place,” Cregger says of Madigan’s body of work. “So when her name came up, there was no downside. I was like, ‘She can do it. She’s amazing. She just fits right in.'” The two of them discussed the role over lunch, and he tried to play it cool before basically offering her the role on the spot.
Still, it wasn’t a sure thing right away, despite Cregger’s excitement. “Zach wasn’t sure if the powers that be wanted somebody with a bigger name,” Harris revealed to Canfield. “Amy was really patient. She really wanted to play this character.” The rest, as they say, is history.
The role of Gladys has given Amy Madigan an astounding second act already
Not only is Gladys a role that, in a just world, would earn Amy Madigan an Oscar nomination, she’s also an Internet sensation. Just search “Gladys Weapons” on TikTok or Instagram Reels and watch different comedians in smeared lipstick and bright clothes spoof the character. Madigan isn’t online, but Zach Cregger is: “I’ll call her every now and again, and I’ll be like, ‘Amy, are you aware of what’s going on?’ She’s like, ‘No! Tell me.'”
Madigan also spoke to the fact that the queer community has wholeheartedly embraced Gladys as a camp icon. “As you very well know, the gay community has really taken to Gladys,” Madigan said proudly. “That’s really great — especially in this framework of the demonization of anybody other than a cis person — for the trans community. I think they really appreciate Gladys’ drag and makeup and how confident she is. So that’s a really nice cherry on top of all this.”
Ultimately, Madigan is just pleased that people like the movie — and that new opportunities are, apparently, coming her way. As Harris revealed to Canfield, “She’s been offered a couple of things already that she’s said no [to], that she just didn’t want to do. She has always been really selective, not that she’s had that much to choose from. I hope that she gets some great opportunities in the future.”
Madigan confirmed that, saying, “People have already reached out, like, ‘Here it is, we want you,’ in various forms. That’s different in a way that feels new.” That’s richly deserved, and as a huge fan of Madigan who loved her in “Weapons,” I certainly hope we see a lot more of this venerated actress as soon as possible.
