Every huge movie Rachel McAdams turned down: “I felt guilty for not capitalising”
When an actor hits the big time, the pressure is on to maintain that position so as not to end up as one of those who rise up in a flash, only to fade back into the darkness, touted as ‘wasted potential’.
At the same time, it can be hard to know where to go next; just because you’ve scored a role that got you recognised doesn’t mean you’re suddenly ready to appear in every blockbuster sent your way. Opportunities might certainly come knocking, but it’s OK to close the door sometimes and reassess what you want, which is what Rachel McAdams did following the success of Mean Girls and The Notebook, and for that, she has no regrets.
The mid-2000s saw her receive offers to star in some movies that would perform super well, with the most notable being The Devil Wears Prada, where she almost played Andy, a role that instead cemented Anne Hathaway’s status in Hollywood, but she ultimately rejected it, even though she was offered the part three times.
You’d think that being offered roles in movies slated to be box-office hits would be exciting, but the reality seems to be a lot more overwhelming. McAdams was suddenly thrust into the spotlight, the glittering lights of the silver screen shining down on her and forcing her to consider where it is that she wanted her career to go.
“There’s certainly things like ‘I wish I’d done that,” she admitted to Bustle, adding, “I felt guilty for not capitalising 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.”
It’s important to look out for your well-being, especially in an industry as complex as Hollywood, even if that means turning down some big movies because you gut feeling says so, she the actor highlighted: “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.”
Additionally, she turned down several action flicks that certainly would’ve lined her pockets, like Mission: Impossible III and Casino Royale, and gained considerable star power, but she had to stick with what her gut was telling her: it wasn’t going to be the end of the world to turn these films down.
Another huge one was Iron Man, the film that kickstarted the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and while she might’ve missed out the first time around, she has since been able to breathe a sigh of relief after securing herself a place in the MCU with her role as Christine Palmer in Doctor Strange and its sequels.
Finally, another comedy role that was ultimately played by Hathaway, Agent 99 in Get Smart, alongside Steve Carell, saw McAdams with no qualms in letting these roles slip away to her peer. Luckily, she can reflect on her decisions with maturity, noting, “I step back and go, ‘That was the right person for that’”, and maybe more actors should be like McAdams.
