Who is Rachel McAdams? Rachel Anne Macadams is a Canadian actress born on November 17, 1978. Through high school, McAdams acted in local productions. Afterwards, she went on to study theater at York University in Toronto, where she performed in several stage and student film productions.
McAdams attended York University in Toronto for four years – and left with a degree in Theatre. Later, she moved on to Canadian television and film and in 2002 she made her Hollywood film debut in the comedy The Hot Chick.
Top 5 Movies McAdams Has Starred In
- The Notebook (2004)
McAdams starred in this romantic drama opposite fellow Canadian actor Ryan Gosling based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks. The Story is about Noah, a poor yet passionate young man who falls in love with a rich young woman named Allie (McAdams) giving her a sense of freedom. However they are soon separated because of their social differences. The Notebook has appeared on many most romantic movie lists and is the 15th highest grossing romantic drama movie of all time.
- Mean Girls (2004)
McAdams starred in the comedy film Mean Girls where she played the iconic mean high school queen bee Regina George. The film focuses on a girl ‘Cady’ who joins a high school and befriends Janice and Damian who warn her to stay away from the plastics, the A-list girl clique at her new school. Mean Girls received generally positive reviews and critics lauded McAdams performance.
- Midnight In Paris (2011)
McAdams starred in this fantasy comedy film along former co-star Owen Wilson who she previously worked with in Wedding Crashers. The film is about a nostalgic screenwriter who goes on a trip to Paris with his fiancee family and finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920’s every day at midnight. Back in 2011, the film opened at the famous Cannes Film Festival.
- Spotlight (2015)
McAdams starred in this biographical crime drama Spotlight. Spotlight is a true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core. Spotlight won the Academy Award for Best Picture, along with Best Original Screenplay, from six total nominations.
- Red Eye
McAdams starred in this American psychological film Red Eye where a woman (McAdams) is kidnapped by a stranger on a routine flight. Threatened by the potential murder of her father, she is pulled into a plot to assist her captor in attacking a politician. McAdams shows off her versatility in this film and was praised by Variety for her “increasingly impressive performance.”
Awards McAdams Has Won For Her Performances
- She was awarded a Genie Award for her work on 2002s ‘Perfect Pie’.
- She also received a Gemini Award for her contributions to the comedy ‘Slings and Arrows’ in 2004.
- ‘Mean Girls’ earned McAdams two MTV Movie Awards in 2005.
- McAdams won a MTV Movie Award and four Teen Choice Awards for her work in ‘The Notebook’ in 2004 and 2005.
- For her role in Spotlight she was awarded a Screen Actors Guild Award, Critics’ Choice Movie Award, Satellite Award, and Independent Spirit Award in 2015/2016.
She may have made her name in romantic comedies and dramas, but there can be no doubt that she is a versatile actress. McAdams has received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Rising Star and also a Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress along with many other nominations.
5 Movies McAdams Almost Starred in
- Get Smart (2008) – She would have taken Hathaway’s spot as Carell’s skilled colleague, Agent 99.
- Mission: Impossible III (2006) – She turned down this role, a chance to be in one of the greatest franchises of all time.
- Casino Royale (2006) – McAdams missed her chance as Bond Girl when she turned down the role in Casino Royale. The poker scene in this film, where the characters are playing Texas Hold’em, has to be one of the best card game scenes in a James Bond film. There are many websites where you can play poker and gamble on casino games yourself, such as playing the 18+ Ultimate Texas Hold’em game at 21.co.uk.
- Devil Wears Prada (2006) – We would have loved to see a weird attempt at making Rachel McAdams look dowdy and then later, fabulous. However, in the end the role went to Anne Hathaway.
- Silver Linings Playbook (2012) – McAdams auditioned for this however the role was later given to Jennifer Lawrence who ended up winning an Oscar for her performance in the film.