Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978) is a Canadian actress. After graduating fromYork University in 2001 with aBFA in theatre, she became known for her starring roles in comedy and drama films before transitioning to television and theater. She has received various award nominations, including for anAcademy Award, aBritish Academy Film Award, and aTony Award.
McAdams beganfigure skating when she was four, but turned down an opportunity to move toToronto when she was nine for pair skating training.[10] She skated competitively until she was 18, winning regional awards.[6][18][19] She has said that skating prepared her for acting by teaching her to be "in tune" with her body.[20]
McAdams attended Myrtle Street Public School andCentral Elgin Collegiate Institute.[6][21] She said that she did not enjoy academic work and often pretended to be sick to avoid going to school.[22][23] Nonetheless, she was active in student life. In addition to playing sports (including volleyball, badminton, and soccer),[24] she was on thestudent council, participated in theCrime Stoppers program, and was a member of thePeer Helping Team.[6] She worked at aMcDonald's restaurant during summer holidays for three years.[25][18]
She developed an interest in performing when she was seven, and while her parents did not discourage her, they did not "go out and find me an agent."[26] She attendedDisney andWilliam Shakespeare summer camps as a child.[26] From age 12, she participated in Original Kids Theatre Company, London productions,[27] and in her late teens directed children's theatre productions.[25] She was also involved in school stage productions, and won a performance award at theSears Ontario Drama Festival.[6][28] She was inspired by two of her teachers, who taught her English and drama, respectively, in grades 11 and 12.[28] She intended to takecultural studies at theUniversity of Western Ontario[29] before being persuaded by her drama teacher that a professional acting career was a viable option.[6][28][30]
She enrolled inYork University's four-year theatre program and graduated with aBachelor of Fine Arts honours degree in 2001.[27][31] While there, she worked with the Toronto-based Necessary Angel Theatre Company.[32]
In 2001, McAdams made her television debut in theMTV pilotShotgun Love Dolls as Beth Swanson, which was filmed duringMarch break from York University.[26] She also made her Canadian film debut that year in the comedyMy Name Is Tanino. The Italian-Canadian co-production was filmed inSicily when McAdams was 22 years old, and it marked her first time on an airplane.[33][34] McAdams later earned aGenie Award nomination in Canada for her role in the dramaPerfect Pie.[18]
In 2002, she made her Hollywood film debut withRob Schneider andAnna Faris in the comedyThe Hot Chick, which McAdams has described as a "huge milestone" in her career.[22] She played a catty high school student whoswaps bodies with Schneider's character, a small-time criminal.[18] Kevin Thomas of theLos Angeles Times felt she "emerges as a young actress of much promise".[35] Afterwards, McAdams returned to Canada to star as Kate McNab inSlings and Arrows, a comedy mini-series about backstage theatre life at the fictional New Burbage Shakespearean Festival.[36] She was written out of the second season of the program following her success in the United States.[31] She received twoGemini Award nominations for her work on the program, winning one.[37]
McAdams's break-out role came in 2004, when she starred in the comedy filmMean Girls oppositeLindsay Lohan,Lacey Chabert, andAmanda Seyfried, based onRosalind Wiseman's bookQueen Bees and Wannabes. McAdams was 24 years old when she was cast as the mean high schoolqueen beeRegina George, and she modelled her character onAlec Baldwin's performance in the dramaGlengarry Glen Ross (1992).[38][39] Mike Clark ofUSA Today praised her "comic flair"[40] while Jenny McCartney ofThe Daily Telegraph found her "delightfully hateful."[41] Mick LaSalle of theSan Francisco Chronicle felt that "McAdams brings glamour and magnetism to Regina, but also the right hint of comic distance."[42] The film grossed $129million worldwide[43] and earned McAdams twoMTV Movie Awards.[44]Mean Girls later reached No. 12 in anEntertainment Weekly list of the Greatest Ever High School Movies.[45]Tina Fey, who co‑starred in the film and wrote the screenplay, has credited McAdams with teaching her how to act in front of a camera rather than an audience: "She's a film actor. She's not pushing. And so I kind of learned that lesson from watching her."[46]
Later in 2004, McAdams starred opposite fellow CanadianRyan Gosling in the romantic dramaThe Notebook, based onNicholas Sparks'novel of the same name. She played Allie Hamilton, a wealthySouthern belle who has a forbidden love affair with Gosling's poor labourer, Noah Calhoun.[18][47] McAdams spent time inCharleston, South Carolina, prior to filming to familiarize herself with the Southern accent,[48] and took ballet andetiquette classes.[31] Filming took place from late 2002 to early 2003.[49] Although McAdams and Gosling became romantically involved in 2005, they had a combative relationship on set.[50][51] "We inspired the worst in each other," Gosling has said. "It was a strange experience, making a love story and not getting along with your co-star in any way."[52] At one point, Gosling asked the film's directorNick Cassavetes to "bring somebody else in for my off-camera shot" because he felt McAdams was being uncooperative.[51] Stephen Holden ofThe New York Times praised the "spontaneous and combustible" performances of the two leads[53] whileRoger Ebert was won over by the "beauty and clarity" of McAdams's performance.[54] Michael Wilmington of theChicago Tribune declared her "a real discovery" who "infuses young Allie with that radiant, breathlessly winning ingénue grace and charm that breaks hearts".[55] The film grossed over $115million worldwide.[56] McAdams won an MTV Movie Award and fourTeen Choice Awards.[44][57]Entertainment Weekly has said that the movie contains the All-Time Best Movie Kiss[58] while theLos Angeles Times has included a scene from the film in a list of the 50 Classic Movie Kisses.[59]The Notebook has appeared on many Most Romantic Movies lists.[60][61][62][63] "I'm so grateful to have a film that people respond to in that way", McAdams toldElle in 2011. "It was a big deal."[64]
In 2005, McAdams starred withOwen Wilson,Vince Vaughn, andBradley Cooper in the romantic comedyWedding Crashers. McAdams played a daughter of an influential politician, who is caught in alove triangle with Wilson and Cooper's characters.[65][66] McAdams listened repeatedly toFleetwood Mac's 1975 song "Landslide" to prepare for emotional scenes, and Wilson has said the song made her cry immediately: "It was like turning on a faucet."[20] She trained for a sailing certification for a boating sequence because her character was said to be an accomplished sailor.[67]Manohla Dargis ofThe New York Times felt McAdams "makes the most of her underdeveloped character" and "grows more appealing with every new role".[68] Brian Lowry ofVariety found her "a beguiling presence" who "actually creates a real character – a rarity for females in one of theselad-mag escapades".[69] From a production budget of $40million, the film grossed over $285million worldwide.[65]
Afterwards, McAdams starred oppositeCillian Murphy inWes Craven's psychological thrillerRed Eye, where she played a young hotel manager who is held captive by Murphy's character while aboard ared-eye flight. Craven has said McAdams was the only actress he considered for the part.[70] She was drawn to the relatable qualities of her character: "She was not some sweaty, tank-top-wearing,Uzi-carrying super woman".[71] Robert Koehler ofVariety found her "increasingly impressive"[72] while Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times asserted that "she brings more presence and credibility to her role than is really expected; she acts without betraying the slightest awareness that she's inside a genre. Her performance qualifies her for heavy-duty roles."[73] Upon release, the film, which was made on a budget of $26million, earned over $95million at the worldwide box office.[74] In late 2005, McAdams starred withSarah Jessica Parker andDiane Keaton in the seasonal family comedy-dramaThe Family Stone, which gave McAdams an opportunity to play a dishevelled and sardonic sister, rather than the usual "obvious" girlfriend or wife roles.[75][76] She was eager to work with Keaton and remarked, "It's never about line counts for me. It's about the people I get to work with."[77]Justin Chang ofVariety noted that "a deglammed but still radiant McAdams proves once again that she's the real deal, delivering a deliciously feisty performance".[78] Manohla Dargis ofThe New York Times felt that her "engaging screen presence holds your attention and sympathy despite the handicap presented by her character's personality."[79] The film was a commercial success: it cost $18million to make and grossed over $92million worldwide.[80]
At this point in her career, McAdams was hailed as "the nextJulia Roberts"[1] and the new "Hollywoodit girl".[2]Vanity Fair invited McAdams, along with actressesScarlett Johansson andKeira Knightley, to appear on its March 2006 cover, the annualHollywood issue. Upon arrival on the photo set, McAdams discovered it was a nude session, declined and left. She later parted ways with her publicist at the time, who had not informed her in advance.[81] Knightley later recounted, "Quite early on Rachel just said, 'No, I'm not into that.' She's a lovely girl, and I really respect her for doing that."[82] When asked about the incident in 2008, McAdams had "no regrets".[83] McAdams took a break from her film career from 2006 to 2007.[2] "There were a lot of cooks in the kitchen, a lot of voices around me, and I wanted to step away so I could hear my own voice again", McAdams said in 2013. "Truthfully, I never really wanted to be a big movie star. I never even wanted to work outside of Canada, or outside of the theatre."[84] During that period, McAdams turned down roles in the filmsThe Devil Wears Prada (2006),Casino Royale (2006),Mission: Impossible III (2006),Iron Man (2008),[85] andGet Smart (2008).[1] In February 2006, she made a one-off stage appearance inThe Vagina Monologues atSt. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Toronto to raise funds forV-Day.[86] That same year, McAdams received aRising Star Award nomination from theBritish Academy of Film and Television Arts[87] and hosted theAcademy Awards for Technical Achievement.[88]
McAdams returned to her film career in 2008. She starred withPierce Brosnan andChris Cooper in the 1940sfilm noirMarried Life where she played Kay Nesbitt, a young widow who wins the affections of Brosnan and Cooper's older characters. In preparation for the role, McAdams studied old films, particularly those ofKim Novak.[89] She has said the film shoot re-energized and re-inspired her and made her eager to continue working more often again.[90] Lisa Schwarzbaum ofEntertainment Weekly found McAdams "a particularly delightful vision after her two-year intermission".[91] Todd McCarthy ofVariety criticized her break from the big screen but felt that, despite a performance of "tender feeling", "her natural vivaciousness and spontaneity are straitjacketed" by the film noir format.[92] The film had alimited release and was a box-office failure. It grossed just over $2million worldwide, failing to recoup its production budget of $12million.[93]
Afterwards, McAdams starred withTim Robbins andMichael Peña in the road trip comedy-dramaThe Lucky Ones, a story about threeIraq War soldiers on a brief road trip back in the United States. She trained at a real boot camp, atFort Campbell, Kentucky, prior to filming.[94] In 2011, McAdams said that Colee Dunn was "probably one of my favorite characters I've ever played".[95] The film also had a limited release and Laura Kern ofThe New York Times found her "luminous as always"[96] while Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times hailed the performance as "her coming of age as an actress".[97] "Previously she has been seen mostly as a hot chick or an idealized sweetheart", he wrote. "Here she is feisty, vulnerable, plucky, warm, funny ... Watch the poignancy of the scene when she meets her boyfriend's family."[97] Owen Gleiberman ofEntertainment Weekly found her "feisty, gorgeous, and as mercurial as a mood ring".[98]The Lucky Ones is the least commercially successful film of McAdams's career as of 2012, having grossed just $266,967 worldwide.[99]
In 2009, McAdams starred withRussell Crowe,Helen Mirren andBen Affleck in the political thrillerState of Play, based on theBBC drama television series of the same name. McAdams played Della Frye, an online reporter who investigates a possible conspiracy with Crowe's character, a veteran print journalist.[100] McAdams visitedThe Washington Post's offices and met with politicians onCapitol Hill for her research.[101] Gleiberman ofEntertainment Weekly felt she was "perfectly cast as an ambitiouswonkette"[102] while Sukhdev Sandhu ofThe Daily Telegraph noted that "McAdams, with her lively eyes and large, expressive forehead, holds her own against Crowe. Mercifully, she avoids any temptation to play girly and demure to his grizzledalpha male."[103] The film grossed over $87million worldwide.[104] Also in 2009, McAdams starred oppositeEric Bana in the science fiction romantic dramaThe Time Traveler's Wife, based onAudrey Niffenegger's best-sellingnovel of the same name.[105][106] McAdams fell "madly in love" with the novel,[107] but was initially slightly hesitant to accept the role because she felt Clare Abshire, the long-suffering wife, was a "character that people have already cast in their heads".[108]Peter Travers ofRolling Stone said, "I'd watch the vibrant Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana in anything, butThe Time Traveler's Wife is pushing it."[109] Betsy Sharkey of theLos Angeles Times found her "luminous [yet], sadly, her facility as an actress is mostly wasted."[110] Writing inThe Chicago Tribune,Michael Phillips, in an otherwise tepid review, said of her performance: "Every scene she's in, even the silly ones, becomes better—truer, often against long odds—because she's in it. Her work feels emotionally spontaneous yet technically precise. She has an unusually easy touch with both comedy and drama, and she never holds a melodramatic moment hostage."[111] The film was a commercial success, earning over $101million worldwide.[112]
In late 2009, McAdams starred in the mystery/action-adventure filmSherlock Holmes withRobert Downey, Jr. andJude Law. She playedIrene Adler, an antagonist and love interest of Downey's title characterSherlock Holmes, and welcomed the opportunity to play a character who is "her own boss and a real free spirit".[113] Todd McCarthy ofVariety felt her character was "not very well integrated into the rest of the story, a shortcoming the normally resourceful McAdams is unable to do much about".[114]A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times stated, "Ms.McAdams is a perfectly charming actress and performs gamely as the third wheel of this action-bromance tricycle. But Irene feels in this movie more like a somewhat cynical commercial contrivance. She offers a little something for the ladies and also something for the lads, who, much as they may dig fights and explosions and guns and chases, also like girls."[115] The film was a major commercial success, earning over $524million at the worldwide box office.[116]
In 2010, McAdams starred with herThe Family Stone co-star Diane Keaton andHarrison Ford in the comedyMorning Glory. She played a television producer attempting to improve the poor ratings of a morning television program. The film was billed as astarring vehicle for McAdams.[117] She initially felt she was unsuited to the role saying, "I'm not funny. So I said, 'if you need me to be funny, you might want to look somewhere else'".[118] The film's directorRoger Michell had a number of dinners with McAdams and persuaded her to join the cast.[27][119] Since working with Keaton, McAdams has described her as a mentor figure.[120]Kenneth Turan of theLos Angeles Times said McAdams "gives the kind of performance we go to the movies for"[121] while Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times felt she played "as lovable a lead as anyone sinceAmy Adams inJunebug" in an otherwise "routine" movie.[122]Variety's Andrew Barker was impressed by her gift for physical comedy.[123] While Manohla Dargis ofThe New York Times felt she "plays her role exceptionally well" and is "effortlessly likable", it called on Hollywood to give her parts "worthy" of her talent. "Ms.McAdams has to rely on her dimples to get by. She does, but she could do better."[124] The film was a modest commercial success, grossing $58million worldwide from a production budget of $40million.[125] McAdams later expressed her disappointment that the film failed to find a larger audience.[64]
In 2011, McAdams starred inWoody Allen's fantasy romantic comedyMidnight in Paris with herWedding Crashers co-star Owen Wilson andMichael Sheen. The film opened the2011 Cannes Film Festival.[126] McAdams played Inez, the shrewish fiancée of Wilson's character Gil. Allen wrote McAdams' part for her, after hearing "glowing reports" from his friend and her former co-star Diane Keaton.[117] He said that he was "crazy about Rachel"[127] and wanted to give her the opportunity to play something other than "beautiful girls".[128] The film was shot on location in Paris and McAdams has said that the experience "will always have a great place in my heart".[129]The Guardian criticized that she "has morphed from the sweet thing inWedding Crashers to the dream-crushing bitch that, according to American comedies, women become once they ensnare their man".[130]Richard Corliss ofTime "felt sorry for McAdams, whose usually winning presence is ground into hostile cliché".[131] However, Kenneth Turan of theLos Angeles Times felt she "deftly handles a part that is less amiable than usual for her"[132] and A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times found her "superbly speeded-up".[133] It became Allen's highest-grossing film ever in North America[134] and was the most commercially successful independent film of 2011.[135] With a production budget of $17million, the film has grossed over $151million worldwide.[136] McAdams, along with six other members of the cast, received aScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture nomination.[137] Allen won theAcademy Award for Best Original Screenplay and the film itself was nominated for three other Academy Awards, includingBest Picture.[138]
McAdams reprised her role as Irene Adler in the mystery/action-adventure sequelSherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows,[139] but the female lead role was played byNoomi Rapace.Joel Silver, the film's producer, has said that "we always intended to have a different kind of girl for each movie" in the vein ofBond girls.[140] He found it "complicated" to persuade McAdams to return in a smaller role: "She loved being with us, but she hoped to have a bigger role."[140] Joe Morgenstern ofThe Wall Street Journal felt "she vanishes all too soon in this overproduced, self-enchanted sequel, and so does the spirit of bright invention that made the previous film such a pleasant surprise."[141] Scott Mendelson ofThe Huffington Post remarked that she "exhibits far more personality and roguish charm in her few moments here than she did in all of the previous film. Freed from the constraints of being the de-facto love interest, McAdams relishes the chance to go full-villain."[142] The film has grossed over $543million worldwide.[143]
In 2012, McAdams starred oppositeChanning Tatum in the romantic dramaThe Vow, based on a true story.[144] McAdams and Tatum played a newlywed couple who try to rebuild their relationship after a car crash leaves the wife with no recollections of who he is or their marriage. McAdams was drawn to the "roller coaster" faced by her character[145] and found it interesting that the story was told "through the guy's eyes".[146] A. O. Scott ofThe New York Times stated that "the dimply and adorable Rachel McAdams" brings "enough physical charm and emotional warmth to distract from the threadbare setting and the paper-thin plot".[147] Joseph Amodio ofNewsday felt that McAdams, "exuding her usual uncanny warmth on-screen", "is the real draw".[148] However, Betsy Sharkey of theLos Angeles Times felt she was "wasted" in the role: "She is such an appealing actress that it's hard not to wish someone could make better use" of her.[149] Mary Pols ofTime found the film an example of McAdams "coasting" in "unabashedly romantic" movies and asserted that "she's a much more versatile and clever actress" than such projects would suggest.[150] The film, financed for $30million, was a major commercial success and became her biggest box-office hit in a leading role.[151] It topped the U.S. box office and has grossed over $196million worldwide.[152][153]
In 2013, McAdams co-starred opposite Ben Affleck inTerrence Malick's romantic dramaTo the Wonder.[154] McAdams played a horse ranch worker inOklahoma and the love interest of Affleck's character.[155] She found Malick to be an "incredibly helpful" director; they discussed her character in detail and he took her on a tour of the local town, pointing out which house she would have grown up in and where she would have attended school.[64] Upon its limited theatrical American release, the film polarized film critics.[156] Oliver Lyttelton ofIndieWire noted that "McAdams has the least to do of the principals, but is wonderfully haunted and sad in her brief appearances".[157] Afterwards, McAdams starred inBrian De Palma'serotic thrillerPassion opposite Noomi Rapace. They played two business executives engaged in a power struggle.[158] De Palma saw McAdams' performance inMean Girls and decided to cast her as Christine.[159] The movie was released in selected theatres in the US. Gleiberman ofEntertainment Weekly noted that McAdams "uses her sexy billboard smile and emphatic delivery to nail a certain type of troublemaker boss who embeds her aggression in pert 'sincerity'"[160] while Robert Abele of theLos Angeles Times remarked: "McAdams and Rapace are gesturally awkward and wildly miscast—more sorority sisters in a spat than cross-generational power antagonists."[161]
In 2013, McAdams starred inRichard Curtis' romantic comedy-dramaAbout Time oppositeDomhnall Gleeson.[162]Zooey Deschanel was originally slated to play McAdams's role but dropped out shortly before filming began.[163] A fan of Curtis for years, McAdams wanted to work with him on what he stated would be his last project as a director.[164] The film was a commercial success at the international box office,[165] and McAdams had a positive reception among critics, with Leslie Felperin ofVariety praising her and Gleeson for their "radiant, believable chemistry" which "keeps the film aloft."[166] The following year, McAdams starred oppositePhilip Seymour Hoffman in an adaptation ofJohn le Carré's espionage thrillerA Most Wanted Man, directed byAnton Corbijn.[167][168][169] McAdams' attempt at a German accent was criticised by some reviewers.[170] Richard Lawson ofVanity Fair noted that McAdams had a "little less success with her accent" than her co-star Hoffman but, nonetheless, she "proves as intelligent, soulful, and magnetic a presence as ever".[171] In late 2014, McAdams received a star onCanada's Walk of Fame.[172][173]
In 2015, McAdams starred withMichael Keaton,Mark Ruffalo andStanley Tucci as journalistSacha Pfeiffer inTom McCarthy'sSpotlight, a drama about the child-abuse scandal in Boston's Catholic Church.[174] To prepare for her role, McAdams spent time with Pfeiffer.[175][176] The film garnered critical acclaim[177] and won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Though Justin Chang ofVariety felt McAdams imbued her character with "sensitivity and grit", he was nonetheless surprised by her subsequent Academy Award nomination: "[The performance] has the sort of fine-grained subtlety that voters too rarely notice. Take another look at that scene in which she gently, skillfully encourages an abuse survivor to lay bare his most lacerating secrets—a small master class in how the simple act of listening can become a conduit for compassion."[178][179] For her role, McAdams received nominations for theAcademy Award for Best Supporting Actress,Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress andScreen Actors Guild Award nominations in the categories ofOutstanding Actress in a Supporting Role and Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture.[180][181]
She next starred with herWedding Crashers co-star Bradley Cooper,Emma Stone andJohn Krasinski inCameron Crowe's romantic comedy-dramaAloha. She played the ex-girlfriend of Cooper's character, who is married to Krasinski's character with two children.[182] While the film received a negative reaction and controversy from critics and audiences alike,[183]Wesley Morris ofGrantland remarked: "Someone who can speak Crowe's language really helps. McAdams might be the best he's ever had ... [She] puts the perfect amount of air in her lines, giving the words a lightness that conflates optimism, amusement, and resignation. She's never seemed lovelier, more instinctive, or more present."[184] Mark Olsen of theLos Angeles Times felt she "plays likely the strongest, most rounded female character Crowe has ever written, a woman suddenly lips to lips with the life she has and the one she might have had, and the actress brings a grounded, unforced earthiness to the role that is a joy to watch."[185]
She co-starred withJake Gyllenhaal in the boxing dramaSouthpaw (2015), where she played the wife of Gyllenhaal's character.[186]A.O. Scott ofThe New York Times conceded: "It features some pretty appealing players. There are worse things to see at the multiplex than Ms. McAdams playing a tough cookie standing by her man."[187] She co-starred withJames Franco,Charlotte Gainsbourg andMarie-Josée Croze inWim Wenders' dramaEvery Thing Will Be Fine. The film received a U.S. limited release in December 2015.[188] Guy Lodge ofVariety remarked: "Poor McAdams, sporting sensible hair and a truly mystifying cod-Continental accent, continues her thankless run of needy, tossed-aside love interests in big-name auteur projects."[189] That same year, McAdams returned to television and starred as Det.Ani Bezzerides in thesecond season ofHBO's anthology crime dramaTrue Detective with herWedding Crashers co-star Vince Vaughn,Colin Farrell andTaylor Kitsch.[190] Richard Vine ofThe Guardian remarked: "If there's anyone with any chance of enjoying a McConaughaissance here it's probably McAdams – an actor whose characters are more usually associated with the death of the romcom than murders involving people with eyes burned out by acid. Here, her Ani is a convincing mess."[191] She received a nomination for theCritics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Movie/Miniseries for her role.[181] Also in 2015, McAdams played Buttercup in a one-off, stagedLACMA Live Read ofThe Princess Bride.[192]
The following year, McAdams voiced The Mother of The Little Girl in an animated version ofThe Little Prince,[193] and co-starred withBenedict Cumberbatch in theMarvel Cinematic Universe superhero filmDoctor Strange.[194] Peter Debruge ofVariety said McAdams played "the most competent—and human—of Marvel's window-dressing girlfriends,"[195] while Gregory Ellwood ofIndiewire remarked: "It goes without saying that McAdams will never get the credit she deserves for transforming the barely sketched out role of Strange's former medical colleague Christine Palmer into a captivating three-dimensional character that feels like an integral part of the storyline even when she isn't."[196] Also in 2016, McAdams narrated anaudiobook version ofL. M. Montgomery's novelAnne of Green Gables, released byAudible.[197]
After a year-long absence from the screen, McAdams co-starred withJason Bateman in the comedyGame Night (2018). Glenn Kenny ofThe New York Times said the film served as a "reminder that Ms. McAdams is one of cinema's most accomplished and appealing comic actresses."[198] Richard Lawson ofVanity Fair felt her character lacked "any real arc or motivation of her own", but "It's a testament to McAdams's talent and charm, then, that she doesn't get lost in the movie, asserting herself in every scene with a goofy brightness."[199] She performed some of her own stunt driving in a getaway scene.[200] Later in 2018, McAdams starred oppositeRachel Weisz inSebastián Lelio's romantic dramaDisobedience, based onNaomi Alderman's novel.[201] Manohla Dargis ofThe New York Times said McAdams "does some lovely work here to convey a woman agonizing over her existential situation".[202]
McAdams appeared as a cameo guest onSaturday Night Live in January 2024, introducingReneé Rapp as musical guest[208] and appeared as a look-a-like of herself in a comedy sketch where the look-a-like askedJacob Elordi for acting advice.[209] McAdams made herBroadway debut in 2024, starring inAmy Herzog's playMary Jane at theSamuel J. Friedman Theatre.[210] Performances started April 2 with opening night set for April 23, 2024.[211] Adrian Holden ofThe Guardian described her performance as "magnetic", adding, "The role of Mary Jane ... is a perfect fit for McAdams".[212]Variety noted that McAdams' "projection was muted at a recent performance" but added "[She] masters her portrayal of a determined caregiver continually sitting in the uncertainty of worry, despite constantly leaning toward positivity."[213] For her performance, she earned aTony Award for Best Actress in a Play nomination.[214]
McAdams is anenvironmentalist. She ran aneco-friendly lifestyle website, GreenIsSexy.org, with two of her friends for five years from 2007 to 2011.[215] Her house is powered byBullfrog renewable energy.[216] She travels around Toronto by bicycle and does not own a car,[217] but drives when in Los Angeles because it is "a harder town to cycle in".[216] She volunteered inBiloxi, Mississippi, andLouisiana[218] in fall of 2005, as part of the clean-up effort followingHurricane Katrina.[219] McAdams sat on aTreeHugger/Live Earth judging panel in 2007.[220] She appealed for donations during theCanada for Haititelethon in 2010.[221] She was involved in Matter of Trust's "hair boom" efforts following the2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.[222][223] In 2011, McAdams supported Foodstock, a protest against a proposed limestone mega quarry inMelancthon, Ontario.[224][225] In 2013, she filmed two promotional videos for the Food & Water First Movement, aiming to preserve prime farmland and source water in Ontario, Canada.[226][227] In 2014, she narrated the feature documentaryTake Me To The River, which investigates what is being done to try to save iconic rivers.[228][229] In 2021, she participated in a video produced by Stand.earth calling on the government of British Columbia, Canada to stop logging the last old growth rainforests across the province.[230]
^abcdefgCom, Canada (May 22, 2007)."Rachel McAdams' roots are in smalltown Ontario".Postmedia News. Archived fromthe original on January 8, 2016. RetrievedJanuary 25, 2017.Born at London's St. Joseph's Hospital on Oct. 7, 1978 as the first of three – her siblings are Daniel and Kayleen – to Sandra, a nurse, and Lance, a truck driver, McAdams grew up in a brick house on a quiet block of Chestnut Street in St. Thomas.
^Thompson, Bill (February 19, 2003)."Notebook pivotal for McAdams".The Post and Courier.Archived from the original on May 15, 2013. RetrievedJanuary 31, 2012.
^Dargis, Manohla (July 15, 2005)."Dudes Toasting the Newlyweds (and Their Bodacious Guests)".The New York Times.Archived from the original on September 26, 2020. RetrievedJune 26, 2020.Ms. McAdams, who grows more appealing with every new role, makes the most of her underdeveloped character, Claire, the goody-two-shoes daughter of a powerful politician (Christopher Walken, doing his usual weird thing, but doing it well).
^Lowry, Brian (July 7, 2005)."Wedding Crashers".Variety.com.Archived from the original on April 7, 2015. RetrievedJanuary 11, 2012.
^ab"The Lucky Ones".Rogerebert.com. September 25, 2008.Archived from the original on February 17, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 25, 2020.
^Gleiberman, Owen (September 24, 2008)."The Lucky Ones".Entertainment Weekly.Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 25, 2020.
^"The Luck Ones".Box Office Mojo.Archived from the original on July 4, 2011. RetrievedJune 11, 2011.
^Gleiberman, Owen (April 15, 2009)."State of Play".Entertainment Weekly.Archived from the original on June 21, 2017. RetrievedAugust 5, 2011.
^Sandhu, Sukhdev (April 24, 2009)."State of Play: review".The Daily Telegraph.Archived from the original on January 10, 2022. RetrievedJune 26, 2020.
^"State of Play (2009)".Box Office Mojo. June 18, 2009.Archived from the original on January 27, 2012. RetrievedJanuary 11, 2012.
^Fleming, Michael; McNary, Dave (April 17, 2007)."New Line finds its cast onTime".Variety.Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 25, 2020.
^McCarthy, Todd (December 14, 2009)."Sherlock Holmes".Variety.Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. RetrievedFebruary 25, 2020.
^Scott, A. O. (December 24, 2009)."The Brawling Supersleuth of 221B Baker Street Socks It to 'Em".The New York Times.Archived from the original on January 6, 2020. RetrievedJune 26, 2020.Ms. McAdams, in any case, is a perfectly charming actress and performs gamely as the third wheel of this action-bromance tricycle. But Irene, though she figures in a few of Conan Doyle's stories, feels in this movie more like a somewhat cynical commercial contrivance. She offers a little something for the ladies — who, according to airtight Hollywood corporate logic, are more likely to see a movie like this one if there's a feisty woman in it — and also something for the lads, who, much as they may dig fights and explosions and guns and chases, also like girls.
^Turan, Kenneth (November 10, 2010)."Movie review:Morning Glory".Los Angeles Times.Archived from the original on February 26, 2020. RetrievedJune 10, 2011.
^Ebert, Roger (November 9, 2010)."Morning Glory".RogerEbert.com.Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. RetrievedFebruary 4, 2012.
^Dargis, Manohla (November 9, 2010)."Plenty of Perky, Even This Early".The New York Times.Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. RetrievedJune 26, 2020.As might be expected, Ms. McAdams plays her role exceptionally well: as the young actress on the verge of the big time, who can win the boy, tame the beast, flash her panties and make you smile without making you cringe, she is a natural. Now, if she can just persuade Mr. Abrams to give her a role worthy of them both. More than 20 years ago, Holly Hunter played an unapologetically smart female professional with a quiver full of comebacks: "It must be nice," her boss says "to always think you're the smartest person in the room." To which she admits, "No, it's awful." By contrast, Ms. McAdams has to rely on her dimples to get by. She does, but she could do better.
^"Morning Glory".Box Office Mojo.Archived from the original on August 28, 2011. RetrievedJune 10, 2011.
^Sharkey, Betsy; Critic, Film (February 10, 2012)."Movie review:The Vow".Los Angeles Times.Archived from the original on February 12, 2012. RetrievedApril 17, 2020.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
