It appears that, for a few years at least, the only person who wasn’t trying to make Rachel McAdams happen was the Canadian star herself. The actor, who for a certain generation will always be Queen Bee Regina George, has recently revealed she turned down some startlingly good roles between 2006 and 2008. However, she’s not too fussed about all of that, especially as she’s set to star in an adaptation of the iconic teen book Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume.
In a recent Bustle profile, McAdams broke one of the cardinal rules of Hollywood and revealed some of the huge movies she turned down roles in. However, she’s not the only star who’s recently been more forthright about where their career could have gone. Nicholas Hoult recently discussed how he didn’t get parts in The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick, and a host of other blockbusters. Matt Damon is famous for turning down the huge payday that is James Cameron’s Avatar series, which for all its cliche plotting and overreliance on CGI is a guaranteed money maker. Even Brad Pitt has discussed how he turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix, which most of the world has breathed a collective sigh of relief about.
But none of these tops the run of rejecting hits that McAdams went on when she moved back to Canada after the startling success of Mean Girls and The Notebook. But just what movies did she turn down? And what roles was she due to play in them?
What are the biggest movies Rachel McAdams turned down?
As per the Bustle profile, McAdams turned down five huge films between 2006 and 2008. These films were:
- The Devil Wears Prada
- Casino Royale
- Mission: Impossible III
- Iron Man
- Get Smart
McAdams was forthright when discussing these missed opportunities, telling Bustle: “There’s certainly things like ‘I wish I’d done that.’[But] I step back and go, ‘That was the right person for that.’”
At the time, she was slightly worried that she might be missing out on something special, but she decided she had to stay true to herself:
“I felt guilty for not capitalizing on the opportunity that I was being given, because I knew I was in such a lucky spot. But I also knew it wasn’t quite jiving with my personality and what I needed to stay sane.There were definitely some anxious moments of wondering if I was just throwing it all away, and why was I doing that? It’s taken years to understand what I intuitively was doing.”
The five movies listed above all ended up being box-office smashes, even if the critics weren’t so enamored with some of the films. Casino Royale especially was huge, bringing the Bond franchise back to life in a way that made it seem fresh and exciting. And, who could forget that Iron Man effectively launched the MCU, which has now grown to basically be its own industry within the film industry? With that said, she has dipped her toe into the world of Marvel with a part in the Doctor Strange films, so she’s not exactly missing out on that moneymaker — although the Doctor Strange films are (rightly) not considered anywhere near as good as the Iron Man franchise, so there might be some regret there.
What roles would Rachel McAdams have played in these films?
While the Bustle profile doesn’t go into detail about the specific roles McAdams turned down in these films, it’s pretty easy to guess.
In Get Smart, she would have almost certainly played the role of Agent 99, which ended up being taken by Anne Hathaway. We doubt this one plays too much on McAdams’ mind, as it’s not exactly the best film, and compared to the others, didn’t make anywhere near as much money — a mooted sequel was quashed early on, and several of those involved in the project have confirmed it’s far too late to now try again.
In The Devil Wears Prada, it’s likely McAdams would again have taken the role played by Hathaway, Andy. And, for all of the Wedding Crashers star’s charm, most watchers would agree that Hathaway was perfect for the role, bringing an eagerness and humor to the character that further elevated an already great film. With that said, it would have been interesting to see how the Canadian would have added her own unique take to the part, as she’s certainly talented enough to add different dimensions to the character compared to what Hathaway managed.
When it comes to Mission: Impossible III, McAdams would have likely taken on Michelle Monaghan’s part, which wasn’t exactly the most challenging for a performer who’d already shown they had an excellent range and depth. With that said, Monaghan now has near-constant cameos in the Mission: Impossible series, and even an actor as talented and successful as McAdams knows a constant stream of income is always a good thing in a career as topsy-turvy as showbiz. However, as shown by the roles she seems to take nowadays, a payday isn’t McAdams’ biggest criterion when it comes to taking on a job.
For Iron Man, the role she would have probably taken was Pepper Potts. While we have no doubt she would have done brilliantly in the role, she was definitely a little too young for the part at the time, and Gwyneth Paltrow (for all her dangerous pseudoscientific beliefs) did a stand-up job as Tony Stark’s smart assistant and eventual love interest. With that said, McAdams might have also taken on the role of journalist Christine Everhart, who was played by Leslie Bibb. That part was a little small time, though, especially as McAdams would have still been riding high off The Notebook.
Casino Royale might be McAdams’ biggest regret, as the Bond film wasn’t just a much-loved reboot of a hugely successful franchise, but the Bond girl in it (Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green) was a genuinely rounded and complex character, marking a departure from what was usually accepted as a love interest for the famous British spy. However, Green was truly brilliant in the role, and it’s hard to see anyone — even McAdams — doing as good a job.
What is Rachel McAdams doing now?
As mentioned above, McAdams is set to star as Barbara Simon in the film adaptation of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. As the mother of the titular character (played by Transparent‘s Abby Ryder Fortson), it’s a nuanced and intriguing part that’s been built out almost entirely by the director and McAdams herself, as the source material doesn’t delve too much into the character. One of the things that McAdams and the rest of the team (with Blume’s permission) delved into was Barbara’s sexuality, which makes sense as the book is effectively about growing up and getting to grips with the parts of adulthood many parents feel embarrassed to talk to their kids about. McAdams, a mother herself, said of this aspect of the role: “I was worried some days. ‘Is this too much? Is this distracting?’ I hated thinking about that. Why do I even care? But it’s hard not to!”
There have also been persistent rumors of a Mean Girls return. Writer and star of the original film Tina Fey adapted the movie for Broadway, and after huge success (including a Tony award), she’s now bringing the musical version to the big screen. Reneé Rapp, who played Regina George on stage, will be taking on the part again in the musical film, which is already generating a lot of buzz. When asked if she and the rest of the original Plastics would be making a return, McAdams said she was fairly sure it wouldn’t happen, as much as she’d love it to: “I don’t see a way to shoehorn us in. If Tina [Fey] can figure it out, I’m there, for sure.”
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is due to open at the end of this month, and early reviews are looking good.
Published: Apr 19, 2023 11:28 am