Rachel McAdams has been a staple of Hollywood for quite some time now, ever since her breakout role as Regina George in the cult classic Mean Girls, really. The actress has worked across a bunch of genres since, and in an interview to promote her upcoming film Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, adapted from the Judy Blume novel, the actress spoke about how she approaches taking on projects.
McAdams is a well-loved leading lady in the industry but has also taken time away from the spotlight when she felt overwhelmed in the past. Back in the ’00s, the actress was considered one of the “it-girls” alongside Kiera Knightly and Scarlett Johansson. However, at a shoot for the Hollywood Issue of Vanity Fair back in 2006, McAdams was asked to do the cover, only to turn up and findout that it was a nude shoot. She declined and left the set, parting ways with her publicist, apparently for not having had forewarning.
She took a hiatus to clear her head and returned in 2008, working on many films that didn’t quite seem to hit the mark for some time. But things soon picked up for her and she has starred in a number of critical and commercial successes since then including The Vow, About Time, Spotlight, her role as Dr. Christine Palmer in the MCU, and the daft but heartfelt Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Sage.
Speaking to CBS about how she chooses to take on projects, the actress said,
“For me, acting doesn’t feel easy, it always feels like, urgh, I don’t know what I’m doing. I never feel like I can totally relax doing it, so doing a project or two a year it fills my cup. Right now I am not feeling like I need to shut it down.”
Her upcoming film, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret has been a story that fans of the book have been wanting an adaption of for some time. The author, Blume, however, had not allowed it, until now. The film is a coming-of-age dramedy that explores young Margaret’s journey to understanding her family and her relationship with religion and God. McAdams plays Margaret’s mother Barbara, who has a strained relationship with her own devoutly Christian parents and is still finding her own path as a mother and individual. The film has been received very positively by audiences and critics alike.
You can catch McAdams in Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret in theatres now.