Rachel McAdams is a Canadian actress who has evolved as one of the most promising actresses in Hollywood today. She is popularly known for starring movies like Mean Girls (2004), The Notebook (2004), Wedding Crashers (2005), The Time Traveller’s Wife (2009) and Sherlock Holmes (2009).
Early Life
Rachel Anne McAdams was born in London, Ontario on the 17th of November, 1978. She grew up in St. Thomas, a nearby town on the southern part of Ontario, Canada. Rachel’s mother, Sandra is a nurse while her father, Lance is a retired truck driver. The eldest of three siblings, Rachel has a younger brother, Daniel and a younger sister, Kayleen who is a celebrity make-up artist. At the age of four, she began figure skating. Earning regional honors, she competed in the sport all the way through high school. At age 10, she became involved in a summer theater camp in St. Thomas, Ontario, named the Original Kids. Eventually, the Original Kids Theater Company relocated in London, Ontario. It was there where she began appearing in classic productions like Shakespeare.
In 1995, McAdams won her first acting award at the Sears Ontario Drama Festival for the high school play called I Live In A Little Town. In 1997, McAdams graduated high school and had no plans to pursue acting but thanks to the encouragement of a teacher, she attended the Drama program in York University in Toronto. It was there where McAdams graduated with honors and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater. During her 4 year stay in York University, McAdams performed in numerous student films and stage productions. During her 4th year in York, she began working with Toronto’s renowned Necessary Angels Theater Company.
Career
Living in Toronto, McAdams made her first onscreen performance playing Hannah, the bulimic older sister of one of the lead characters in The Famous Jett Jackson. In 2001, she made her feature debut with a co-starring role in My Name is Tanino. In 2002, McAdams earns a Genie Award nomination for her supporting role for the Canadian film Perfect Pie. The Genie Award was Canada’s equivalent to the Oscar, and her nomination puts her under the Hollywood radar.
As she ventured to Hollywood, her genuine charisma landed her a starring role in The Hot Chick (2002). She plays as the mean-spirited high school girl who gets stuck in Rob Schneider’s body in the teen comedy film. She then returned to Canada playing a young star struck actress for the Canadian television series Slings and Arrows, alongside Paul Gross.
After her titular role in the film The Hot Chick, McAdams ultimate Hollywood breakthrough came for the teen comedy box office hit Mean Girls in 2004. She starred as Regina George, the “queen bee” alongside Lindsay Lohan in the movie written by Tina Fey.
Also in 2004, after the box office hit Mean Girls, McAdams goes on to play a challenging role for the film adaptation of Nicholas Spark’s novel The Notebook. From being a mean girl to a romantic lead, McAdams alongside Ryan Gosling played a young 1940’s couple separated by circumstance. Later, an off-screen romance with co-star Ryan gosling made the two one of Hollywood’s most promising young couple. Unfortunately, the two broke up in 2007.
In 2005, McAdams stars opposite Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn in the comedy blockbuster The Wedding Crashers. After playing the love interest of Owen Wilson in The Wedding Crashers, McAdams took center stage in the Wes Caven thriller Red Eye. She played a young hotel employee who was held captive on an airline flight by criminal-for-hire Jackson Rippner played by Cillian Murphy. She finished the year playing Sarah Jessica Praker’s soon-to-be sister-in-law for the holiday film The Family Stone. The Christmas film also stars Diane Keaton, Luke Wilson, Claire Danes and Dermot Mulroney.
After a busy year, McAdams decided to spend time with her friends and family in the year 2006. She was then cast in the movie Married Life which was released in 2007. McAdams played as Kay Nesbitt in the 1940-set drama co-starring Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper, Patricia Clarkson and David Wenham. In 2008, she was a cast on the film The Lucky Ones in which the story revolves around the life of three soldiers who returns home after the Iraq War.
2009 proved to be one of the best years for Rachel McAdams as she starred in three blockbuster films. First, she joined the ensemble cast of the political thriller State of Play, which includes Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Helen Mirren, Jason Bateman and Robin Wright. McAdams plays as a reporter named Della Frye. The movie is all about a team of journalist working side by side with police detectives to uncover the truth behind the death of the mistress of a Congressman. For her second movie of the year, McAdams plays the romantic lead opposite Eric Bana in the film adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger’s bestselling novel, The Time Traveller’s Wife. By December of 2009, McAdams rounded out the productive year with Guy Ritchie’s adaptation of Sherlock Holmes. She plays as Irene Adler, the femme fatale and love interest of the famous detective. Sherlock Holmes was played by Robert Downey Jr., while Dr. John Watson was played by Jude Law.
In 2010, McAdams played a morning show producer in the romantic comedy, Morning Glory, co-starring Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton. The movie was written by Aline Brosh Mckenna and was directed by Roger Michell. On June 2011, McAdams joined Owen Wilson and Kathy Bates on the romantic comedy movie Midnight in Paris, directed by Woody Allen. Midnight Paris is Woody Allen’s highest grossing movie ever.
Personal Life
From 2004 to 2007, McAdams was in a relationship with The Notebook co-star Ryan Gosling. In 2010, she had a brief relation with Sweet Home Alabama (2002) star Josh Lucas. Currently, McAdams is in a relationship with Welsh actor, Michael Sheen whom she met in July 2010, on the set of Midnight in Paris.