Rachel Anne McAdams was born on November 17, 1978, in London, Ontario, Canada. Her mother, Sandra Kay (née Gale), is a nurse, and her father, Lance Frederick McAdams, is a truck driver and furniture mover. She has two younger siblings, Kayleen and Daniel. McAdams was raised in St. Thomas, Ontario. She began figure skating at the age of four and competed until she was eighteen. She attended Myrtle Street Public School and Central Elgin Collegiate Institute. McAdams graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre from York University in Toronto in 2001.
McAdams’s early acting credits include roles in the Canadian series The Famous Jett Jackson (1998) and Slings and Arrows (2003), for which she received a Gemini Award nomination. Her film debut was in the 2002 comedy My Name Is Tanino.
McAdams achieved mainstream recognition in 2004 with her roles in the teen comedy Mean Girls and the romantic drama The Notebook. Mean Girls became a critical and commercial success, establishing McAdams as a rising star. The Notebook further solidified her position in Hollywood.
McAdams has starred in a diverse range of films across various genres. Some of her most notable works include: