Rachel McAdams

Rachel Anne McAdams is a Canadian actress known for her work across film, television, and theater. Over her career as a leading actress, her feature films have grossed more than $3.4 billion worldwide. Her industry recognition includes nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award, as well as a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame awarded in 2026.

McAdams was born on November 17, 1978, in London, Ontario, and raised in St. Thomas. She is the eldest of three children born to Sandra, a nurse, and Lance McAdams, a truck driver. She began competitive figure skating at age four, continuing until she was 18 and winning regional awards. Developing an interest in performing at age seven, she participated in local youth theater companies, summer drama camps, and high school stage productions. She attended Myrtle Street Public School and Central Elgin Collegiate Institute before enrolling in York University's theatre program, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts honours degree in 2001.

In 2001, McAdams made her television debut in the pilot Shotgun Love Dolls and her film debut in the Canadian-Italian comedy My Name Is Tanino. After receiving a Genie Award nomination for her performance in the drama Perfect Pie, she made her Hollywood film debut in the 2002 comedy The Hot Chick and appeared in the Canadian television series Slings and Arrows, winning a Gemini Award. Her major career breakthrough arrived in 2004 with her starring roles as Regina George in the comedy Mean Girls and Allie Calhoun in the romantic drama The Notebook. In 2005, she starred in the romantic comedy Wedding Crashers, the psychological thriller Red Eye, and the comedy-drama The Family Stone, earning a nomination for the BAFTA Rising Star Award.

Following a career hiatus from 2006 to 2007, McAdams returned to screen acting in 2008 with roles in the film noir Married Life and the comedy-drama The Lucky Ones. She gained further prominence starring in a succession of feature films, including The Time Traveler's Wife (2009), Sherlock Holmes (2009), Morning Glory (2010), Midnight in Paris (2011), The Vow (2012), and About Time (2013).

In 2015, McAdams portrayed journalist Sacha Pfeiffer in the drama Spotlight, earning a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. That same year, she starred in the second season of the HBO crime drama series True Detective, receiving a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination. Her later film credits include the Marvel Cinematic Universe productions Doctor Strange (2016) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), the romantic drama Disobedience (2017), the comedies Game Night (2018) and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020), the comedy-drama Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023), and the horror-thriller Send Help (2026). In 2024, she made her Broadway debut in Amy Herzog's play Mary Jane, earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Actress in a Play.