There’s a moment during Red Eye, and The Notebook, and Mean Girls, when you inevitably draw a conclusion. This conclusion has nothing to do with the movie itself, not with the director, the story, or the quality of the movie or anything like that. No, at some point during watching any of those movies, or The Family Stone, or The Wedding Crashers, you will inevitably realize that Rachel McAdams will one day be the greatest actress in movies.
There’s many up and coming actresses out there nowadays that are turning heads, so what makes Rachel stand out like that? There are many different factors that come into play here. The most obvious thing (as is the case in movies and most other media) is of course Rachel’s looks. Put it bluntly: She’s gorgeous, blending the classic good looks from Hollywood’s good old days with a modern twist. You see her in distress in Red Eye, with Cillian Murphy hovering over her, and you want to jump through the screen and punch the guy in the face. Besides the looks, though, Rachel also obviously has the talent. She takes a bad girl role like her part in Mean Girls, and while you want to hate the character, there’s a softer edge to it that makes you forgive the fact that she is a scheming bitch. And while Mean Girls can hardly be considered high art, later roles have shown Rachel giving her characters an extra layer to make her movies that little bit more interesting. She obviously likes variety too, switching from comedy, to romantic drama, to thrillers and right back again, not willing to dwell too long in one genre and thus avoiding being branded ‘Scream Queen’ or ‘The Next Sandra Bullock’.
Rachel was born in a small town near the Canadian city of London, Ontario, and it was already clear to her at a young age that she wanted to become an actress. When she was thirteen, a summer theatre camp opened close to her home, and Rachel attended with much enthusiasm. At the theatre camp Rachel played parts in Shakespeare-plays, and it was here that she decided that her chosen career path of Cultural Studies was maybe not for her after all. With the encouragement of her drama teacher in high school, Rachel went to York University and graduated there with a degree in theatre.
Rachel started a career as a TV-actress, debuting in Disney TV-series The Famous Jett Jackson, which was followed by some other small parts, but she made the step towards the big screen quickly after that. After starring in two small Canadian movies, her first big break came with her role in The Hot Chick. Yeah, it’s not very flattering to be in a body swapping comedy with Rob Schneider (ouch!), but Rachel got noticed and stepped up to the role as uber-bitch Regina George in the successful movie Mean Girls. A movie with some tough demands for the actress. “With all those miniskirts, I had to shave my legs every day,” she told IGN FilmForce. “I couldn’t even get away with a few days of stubble!” Her role in this movie was very familiar to her earlier role in The Hot Chick, but luckily Rachel broke out of teen-movies before she would become stuck in this genre. She played the female lead in The Notebook, a romantic drama that was an even bigger success than Mean Girls, and which paved the way towards many more roles.
The newfound fame came very unexpectedly for Rachel. “I haven’t figured out how to deal with it quite yet,” she told American magazine Entertainment Weekly. “It’s fun, it’s bizarre, it’s all that-but it’s exciting!” But while 2004 was a big year, 2005 proved to be even bigger. Her supporting role in smash comedy The Wedding Crashers was followed with the leading role in Wes Craven’s thriller Red Eye, a good, snappy thriller which showed a new Rachel. “I like how physical thrillers are,” she told Moviehole. “I love the action stuff, and the action sequences. And in this one, I’m running through the airport in high heels. I mean, that’s just really, really fun!” Rachel’s latest movie is The Family Stone, and we’ll have to wait and see what she will do next.
With her ever growing profile, she does not have to worry about getting good roles. “Once you start getting roles in major releases, there's obviously a lot more opportunity,” she told a Hollywood Reporter interviewer. “The scripts I get are a lot better than they used to be.” Still, the fact that everybody in Hollywood wants to make a movie with her, does not give her an urge to move to Hollywood. Instead, she prefers to spend time doing her favorite hobby, gardening, back home in Toronto, Canada. Or, as she told the Calgary Sun: “Acting is my job. It's not my life. My life is in Toronto. It's home. It suits who I am. It helps me keep my life and career in perspective.”
And her dream role? Get this: “I am waiting for somebody to make a Thundercats-movie, I would love to be Cheetara!”
Hate rachel mcadams she has to be the most overrated young actress ever. She is an average actress, and i find her looks even more bland maybe its the lack of any thing at all interesting about her that makes so many fools love her after all she'll never challenge her audience is she?
Posted by: Lucy | April 06, 2006 at 03:33 AM
ur so wrong Lucy.she's a great versatile actress and even if u don't like how she looks, ( i think she's beautiful) It's horrible that u,especially since ur a girl judge an actress on her physical appearance rather than acting ability. She's a great actress. She makes all of her characters easy to empathize with even if the character happens to be a bitch. try not to judge based on looks, in this line of work it's horrible that women have to be dolled up with tons of make up and hairspray to be taken seriously.I <33 RAchel.
Posted by: Lisa | August 05, 2006 at 04:37 PM
I love Rachel, she is pretty and a very good actress..i love the Note Book and Mean girls..... i am doing a biography on her right now!!
Posted by: susie | May 03, 2007 at 04:54 PM
I think she's very bland looking as well. I totally agree with Lucy.
Posted by: falley | June 18, 2007 at 08:00 PM
I think she's very bland looking as well. I totally agree with Lucy.
Posted by: falley | June 18, 2007 at 08:00 PM
Most importantly, I have no idea why this girl gets so much hype. she has done nothing of note and she really lacks a great deal of depth. not to mention, her looks are attractive but nothing to make you turn around and stare. she seems like a perfect actress for light movies or supporting roles...definitely not a leading lady.
Posted by: dee | August 03, 2007 at 07:50 AM
Lucy and falley, you girls are just jealous that Rachel is better and prettier than you and some of the ones I bet you like. *cough*Alba,Scar Jo*cough*
Compare the Red Eye and Island performances and then try your hardest to not sound like a retard.
Couldn't do it,huh? You are a moron after all.
Posted by: the flow | August 24, 2007 at 04:21 AM
Okay Lisa I did call Rachel bland. Which I still think she is in comparison to a lot of other celebrities. Believe me I could have been much crueller if I really wanted too. Yet I get accused of somehow betraying my gender! My dislike of Rachel has nothing to do with me turning on another girl just to be bitchy. It does however have everything to do with her being a hugely overrated actress. Your view of Rachel is your opinion, I just wish you would not twist mine to make a point.
Flow I find the accusation that I don’t like Rachel because of jealously a bit strange. Maybe you should look up Rachels imdb page, and read some of the bile that is written about other young actresses like Scarlett Johansson, Anne Hathaway, Keira Knightley and Bryce Dallas Howard all because they get more attention or roles than Rachel, now that’s real jealousy.
You mentioned Jessica Alba and Scarlett Johansson in your post. I do find Jessica Alba far more beautiful than Rachel but since I don’t think Rachel is that attractive to began with that’s not really surprising. Thing about Alba is that at least people know she’s not that great an actress, no one’s claiming she is anything more than I pretty face.
As for Scarlett Johansson I do much prefer her to Rachel as well. She’s unique looking and, is when given the right role a million times better than Rachel could be.
Okay nice try with the compare The Island with Red Eye, shall we instead try The Hot Chick with … oh sorry I don’t believe that Scarlett has been in anything as bad as the Hot Chick to compare it with. Being trueful of course Scarlett is not perfect in everything but at least when Scarlett fails it’s interesting. Rachel only chooses one note romantic leads, she’s not a great actress all she does is the same safe characters again and again. There are tons of actresses that could have done a better job in any of the roles Rachel has played. But can you see anyone replacing Scarlett in The Girl With The Pearl Earring or Lost In Translation ? (correct answer no).
Also if you look at something more representative of both there careers, like there CVs Rachel’s is considerably less prestigious than Scarletts. No Woody Allen, Christopher Nolan, Brian De Palma or Sofia Coppola on Rachel’s but hey at least she’s working with the guy who directed Flight Plan you should like that.
One last point Flow,as well as being plain offensive if you think by using the word retard to insult me will somehow make your comments more insightful or true I really do pity you.
Posted by: Lucy | September 22, 2007 at 05:23 PM
yo yo yo whats up reach im peter and i love you and i live in maryland and im 12years old
Posted by: peter galvin | February 11, 2008 at 01:29 AM
Just saw Morning Glory. Rachel McAdams' character is EXTREMELY annoying. Her performance was painful to watch. I tried my best to look happy because my wife really wanted to see it, but jeez it was hell watching this young lady "act." I hate her big teeth smile with her cheek wrinkles and her "goody goody look at how cute I am" attitude. UGH! I can appreciate a decent chick flick, but from now on I'm going to have to take a stand and avoid any future films with her. Still haven't seen The Notebook but my wife said we should watch it. It's going to be hell. Oh how I long for Steel Magnolias or Sabrina...
Posted by: Bryan | November 11, 2010 at 03:27 PM
Rachel is not yet fully the best actress of all time. Although she is extremely talented. I dont find her bland at all and she didnt look so pretty in Mean Girls the mole was kinda bugging me and the light on her face was bad. I loved the movie very mcuh. though she clearly convinced me and I thought she was going to be a bitch in most of her movies as well as most people but she didnt at all. I love how in every movie her character always convinces me and changes so much its amazing. Rachel McAdmans will be the #1 best actress. To me she already is.
Posted by: Jaylyn | April 11, 2011 at 06:14 PM
Rachel MacAdams is the most beautiful girl in this world, nobody can beat her long hair and her eye sight !
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