Early in her career, Adams "played in numerous types of legitimate drama". She entered films in 1915 after a brief and rather unsuccessful stint in musical comedy.
Adams worked for the Thanhouser Company in its early films and had the lead roles in that company's productions The Bird of Prey and The Phantom Witness. After a number of successful leading roles, she drifted into supporting roles in the 1920s, and, except for a brief appearance in the 1931 version of The Squaw Man, Adams disappeared from films after 1925.
On February 17, 1959, Adams died of a myocardial infarction in her Hollywood home, and is buried at Calvary Cemetery, Los Angeles.
