Most famous for her role in 'The Notebook': Who is Rachel McAdams?

Her full name is Rachel Anne McAdams was born on November 17, 1978 in London, Ontario, Canada. She was born to her nurse mother, Sandra, to her nurse and truck driver father, Lance McAdams. She has a sister named Kayleen and a brother named Daniel. McAdams has Scottish, English, Irish and Welsh roots.

McAdams started skating when she was four years old. She skated competitively until the age of 18, participated in many competitions and won regional awards. McAdams was educated at Myrtle Street Public School and the Central Elgin Collegiate Institute. Active in student life, McAdams also played many sports, including volleyball, badminton, and football. From the age of 12 she has been involved in Original Kids Theater Company productions and school stage productions in London. Most importantly for McAdams was winning a performance award at the Sears Ontario Drama Festival. She enrolled in the theater program of York University in Toronto and graduated with honors in 2001 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

In 2001, McAdams made her television debut as Beth Swanson in "Shotgun Love Dolls." She also made her Canadian debut with the comedy "My Name is Tanino" in the same year. She later received a Canadian Genie Award nomination for her role in the drama "Perfect Pie" (2002).

She followed up in 2002 with the teen comedy film "The Hot Chick" in which she co-starred with Rob Schneider and Anna Faris. McAdams described the role as a "big milestone" in her career. Later, McAdams returned to Canada to play the role of Kate McNab in the mini comedy series "Slings and Arrows." She received two Gemini Award nominations for her performance and was able to win one, she.

McAdams' breakout role came when she co-starred with Lindsay Lohan, Lacey Chabert and Amanda Seyfried in the teen comedy film "Mean Girls" (2004), directed by Mark Waters. The movie earned McAdams two MTV Movie Awards. The film subsequently ranked 12th on Entertainment Weekly's Best High School Movies Ever list.

Later in 2004, she appeared with Ryan Gosling in the romantic drama film "The Notebook" based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. Before filming, McAdams spent time in South Carolina taking ballet and etiquette lessons to get to know her Southern accent. The lead roles and performances in the film were praised by critics and had a worldwide financial success of over $115 million. McAdams won one MTV Movie Award and four Teen Choice Awards for her performance. The kiss in the movie was named the Best Movie Kiss of All Time, while the Los Angeles Times included a scene from the movie on its list of 50 Classic Movie Kisses. At the same time, the movie was featured on many Most Romantic Movies lists.

In 2005, she appeared in the romantic comedy "Wedding Crashers" with Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Bradley Cooper. Saying that her character is a successful sailor, McAdams also received training to get a sailing certificate. The film was a success, grossing over $285 million worldwide from a standard production budget.

Later, McAdams appeared with Cillian Murphy in Wes Craven's psychological thriller "Red Eye." Shot on a small budget, the film was a healthy financial success at the box office. In 2005, McAdams starred in the family comedy-drama film "The Family Stone" with Sarah Jessica Parker and Diane Keaton. The film was a commercial success and costing $18 million to make, it grossed over $92 million worldwide.

McAdams decided to take a break from her film career from 2006 to 2007. McAdams later said that there was a lot of noise around her and she wanted to get away and hear some of her own voice, she said. That same year, McAdams was nominated for the Rising Star Award from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

She returned to her film career in 2008. She appeared in the 1940s noir film "Married Life" with Pierce Brosnan and Chris Cooper. She said that filming inspired her again and made her willing to continue working more often again. The movie was a box office failure and did not even make up for its production budget. She then starred with McAdams, Tim Robbins and Michael Peña in the road trip comedy-drama film "The Lucky Ones," which tells the story of three Iraq War soldiers. The film grossed small worldwide, making it the least financially successful film of McAdams' career as of 2012.

McAdams appeared alongside Russell Crowe, Helen Mirren and Ben Affleck in the political thriller "State of Play"(2009) based on the BBC drama television series. The film was a healthy success, grossing over $87 million worldwide. That same year, McAdams appeared with Eric Bana in the science fiction romantic-drama film "The Time Traveler's Wife," based on Audrey Niffenegger's bestselling novel of the same name. The film was a financial success.

In late 2009, McAdams starred in the mystery/action-adventure movie "Sherlock Holmes" with Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law. The film was both a huge financial success and critically positive reviews. In 2010, McAdams starred in the comedy "Morning Glory" with Diane Keaton and Harrison Ford. The movie was advertised as a lead role for McAdams. McAdams, who initially thought she was unsuitable for the role, later accepted the left and was praised for her performance. The film was a modest box office success and McAdams expressed disappointment with the film.

In 2011, McAdams appeared in Woody Allen's fantasy romantic comedy "Midnight in Paris" with Owen Wilson and Michael Sheen. For the film, which was shot in Paris, McAdams said the experience "will always have a wonderful place in my heart." The film was also a success with the revenue it achieved in response to the most commercially successful independent film and production budget of 2011. McAdams, along with other actors, earned a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture. The director won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The film was nominated for three other Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

McAdams reprized her role in the mystery/action-adventure sequel "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"(2011), but was played by another actress. The film was a success, grossing over $543 million worldwide. In 2012, McAdams appeared with Channing Tatum in the romantic drama film "The Vow," based on a true story. The lead stars played a newlywed couple trying to re-establish their relationship after a car accident and after the wife couldn't remember who she was or their marriage. McAdams found it interesting that the story was told "through the man's eyes". The film was a huge commercial success and became the biggest box office hit starring McAdams. It also broke the US box office record, grossing over $196 million worldwide.

In 2013, McAdams co-starred with Ben Affleck in Terrence Malick's romantic drama film "To the Wonder." Upon its limited release in the United States, the film received mixed reviews from film critics. McAdams then appeared in the lead role with Noomi Rapace in Brian De Palma's erotic thriller "Passion."

In 2013, McAdams appeared with Domhnall Gleeson in Richard Curtis' romantic comedy-drama "About Time." McAdams, who has been a fan of Curtis for years, wanted to work with her when she stated it would be her last project as a director. The film was a commercial success at the box office, with McAdams receiving positive reviews from critics. In late 2014, McAdams also earned a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.

In 2015, McAdams appeared in Tom McCarthy's film "Spotlight," a drama about the child abuse scandal at the Boston Catholic Church. The film garnered critical acclaim and won the Academy Award for Best Picture for its elaborate story and cast performances. For her performance, she was nominated for an Academy Award, a Critics' Choice Movie Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination in several categories.

She later starred in Cameron Crowe's romantic comedy-drama "Aloha" with Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone and John Krasinski. The film received negative reactions and controversy from both critics and audiences. She then appeared with Jake Gyllenhaal in the boxing drama "Southpaw" (2015) and with James Franco, Charlotte Gainsbourg, and Marie-Josée Croze in the drama "Every Thing Will Be Fine" (2015). That same year, McAdams returned to television and starred in the second season of HBO's anthology crime drama True Detective. She was nominated for a Critics' Choice Television Award for her role.

The following year, McAdams starred alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero movie "Doctor Strange." She appeared in the film as the role of Christine Palmer, Strange's former medical colleague. After being away from the screens for a year, she starred in the comedy "Game Night"(2018) with Jason Bateman.

Later in 2018, McAdams starred in the romantic drama movie "Disobedience" based on the novel by Naomi Alderman. In 2020, she appeared in the Netflix musical comedy "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga" with Will Ferrell as the lead role.

McAdams reprized her role in the superhero sequel "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." The movie, which was released in May 2022, was successful at the box office, despite receiving mixed reviews. McAdams will then star in "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret," slated to hit theaters in April 2023.

Personal life

McAdams dated actor Ryan Gosling from 2005 to 2007. The couple briefly reunited in 2008. From 2010 until 2013, McAdams was in a relationship with a movie co-star, Michael Sheen. In 2016, McAdams began dating American screenwriter Jamie Linden. The couple had a son, Linden, born in April 2018. In August 2020, she confirmed that McAdams is also expecting her second child. In an interview McAdams gave in May 2022, she said she gave birth to a baby girl.

One of McAdams' favorite hobbies is shopping in vintage clothing stores. She is the first actress to be nominated for 5 MTV Movie Awards in the same year and won 3 of these awards. McAdams lives with her younger brother Daniel McAdams in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.