birthdays: Rachel McAdams (info)

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Rachel McAdams

Rachel Anne McAdams was born on November 17, 1978 in London, Ontario, Canada, to Sandra Kay (Gale), a nurse, and Lance Frederick McAdams, a truck driver and furniture mover. She is of English, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish descent. Rachel became involved with acting as a teenager and by the age of 13 was performing in Shakespearean productions in summer theater camp; she went on to graduate with honors with a BFA degree in Theater from York University. After her debut in an episode of Disney's The Famous Jett Jackson (1998), she co-starred in the Canadian TV series Slings and Arrows (2003), a comedy-drama about the trials and travails of a Shakespearean theater group, and won a Gemini award for her performance in 2003.

Her breakout role as Regina George in the hit comedy Chicas malas (2004) instantly catapulted her onto the short list of Hollywood's hottest young actresses. She followed that film with a star turn opposite Ryan Gosling in the adaptation of the Nicholas Sparksbestseller El diario de Noa (2004), which was a surprise box office success and became the predominant romantic drama for a new, young generation of moviegoers. After filming, McAdams and Gosling became romantically involved and dated through mid-2007. McAdams next showcased her versatility onscreen with the manic comedy De boda en boda (2005), the thriller Vuelo nocturno (2005), and the holiday drama La joya de la familia (2005).

McAdams then explored the independent film world with El juego del matrimonio (2007), which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival and also starred Pierce Brosnan, Chris Cooper and Patricia Clarkson. Starring roles in the military drama Tipos con suerte(2008), the newspaper thriller La sombra del poder (2009), and the romance The Time-Traveler's Wife (2009) followed before she starred opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in Guy Ritchie's international blockbuster Sherlock Holmes (2009). McAdams played the plucky producer of a failing morning TV show in Morning Glory (2010), the materialistic fiancée of Owen Wilson in Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris (2011), and returned to romantic drama territory with the hit film Todos los días de mi vida (2012) opposite Channing Tatum. The actress also stars with Ben Affleck in Terrence Malick's To the Wonder (2012) and alongside Noomi Rapace in 'Brian DePalma''s thriller Passion(2012).

In 2005, McAdams received ShoWest's "Supporting Actress of the Year" Award as well as the "Breakthrough Actress of the Year" at the Hollywood Film Awards. In 2009, she was awarded with ShoWest's "Female Star of the Year." As of 2011, she has been romantically linked with her Midnight in Paris co-star Michael Sheen. - IMDb Mini Biography By: jatza

Trade Mark

Fair complexion with a few small moles on her face and neck

Trivia

Attended Original Kids Theatre Company in London, Ontario.

Her father, Lance, is a truck driver and her mother, Sandy, is a nurse. She has a younger sister, Kayleen McAdams, and a younger brother, Daniel.

Born in the same hospital as El diario de Noa (2004) co-star Ryan Gosling in St. Joseph's Hospital, London, Ontario.

In 1995, she received an acting award for her role in the one-act high school play "I Live in a Little Town" when it was presented at the prestigious Ontario Showcase at the Sears Drama Festival.

Studied theater at York University in Toronto, where she appeared in numerous stage and student film productions. During her senior year, she played a child in "The Piper", a workshop led by a creative team from Toronto's Necessary Angel Theatre Company.

Worked at a McDonald's for three summers with her sister, Kayleen McAdams, and her brother, Dan McAdams.

Was told to partly model the character of Regina George after Alec Baldwin's performance in Éxito a cualquier precio (1992).

Received a record five MTV Movie Award nominations in a single year.

Graduated from York University in Toronto with honors & a B.F.A. in theater

Formerly a vegetarian.

She donated many signed head-shots to Rocky Stone to be auctioned off to raise money to buy more toys for less fortunate kids as part of the Toy Mountain Campaign.

She has English, Welsh, Irish, Scottish, and distant Dutch, ancestry (including American-born forebears). One of her paternal great-grandfathers was born in Wales, while her maternal grandfather was born in Plymouth, England, to an English father and a Scottish mother.

Attended David Rothenberg's on-camera acting class in Toronto with fellow actors Scott Speedman, Kenneth Mitchell, Polly Shannon and David Sutcliffe.

In December 2005, she was #1 on MuchMusic's "Who To Do: 20 Sexiest Girls" list. This list is aired each year, and there is also a separate list for guys.

Ranked #14 on the Maxim magazine Hot 100 Women of 2005 list.

Ranked #17 on Maxim's Hot 100 Women of 2006 list.

Was in consideration for the role of Sue Storm in Los cuatro fantásticos (2005), but Jessica Alba was cast instead.

Named #51 in FHM magazine's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2006" supplement. (2006).

While a student at York University, she lived in the same "house" as Ron Sparks in Vanier Residence.

Had to turn down the female lead in El último beso (2006) due to scheduling conflicts. The role was eventually given to Jacinda Barrett.

Was considered for the role of Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale (2006), before the role was given to Eva Green.

She was voted the #101 on FHS's list of Sexiest Women in the World (2005).

Is a vegetarian again.

Lives in the popular Los Angeles neighborhood of Silverlake. Other Silverlake locals include Beck, Bo Barrett, Christina Ricci, Jason Lee and Ryan Gosling.

Older sister of Kayleen McAdams.

Chosen by Empire magazine as one of the 100 Sexiest Stars in film history (#68). [2007].

Was engaged to actor and co-star Ryan Gosling twice throughout their three year relationship - once in 2006, then again in 2008.

She doesn't own a car. As part of her daily contribution to help conserve energy, she rides her bike or takes the bus.

Co-founder of www.greenissexy.org, a website which helps raise awareness about the environment.

Was Jon Favreau's first choice to play Pepper Potts in Iron Man (2008), but she turned the role down. Gwyneth Paltrow was subsequently cast instead.

Likes shopping at Vintage clothing stores.

Originally auditioned for the role of Cady in Chicas malas (2004), before being cast as Regina.

Avoided flying airplanes until age 22.

Auditioned for the role of Sophie for the musical Mamma mia! (2008) but lost out to actress Amanda Seyfried. Seyfried had lost out to McAdams previously for the role of Regina when they both co-starred in Chicas malas (2004).

Her favorite actresses include: Joan Cusack, Juliette Lewis, Kate Winslet, Laura Dern, Renée Zellweger and Samantha Morton. She also considers Elizabeth Taylor and Audrey Hepburn to be her role models.

She would love to work with Daniel Day-Lewis, James Franco and Sam Rockwell.

She is allergic to horses.

Learned to drive after a bike accident.

Learned to appreciate rugby from Russell Crowe.

Publicist has announced that Rachel does not have a Twitter account (August 2009).

Was in consideration for the role of Rachel Dawes in El caballero oscuro (2008), but Maggie Gyllenhaal was cast instead.

Was in consideration for the role of Daisy Buchanan in El gran Gatsby (2013), but Carey Mulligan was cast instead.

Ranked #48 in the 2010 FHM list of "100 Sexiest Women." Previously she was ranked #50 in 2008 and #89 in 2006.

Ranked #15 in the 2007 Ask Men Australia top 99 "most desirable women" list.

Ranked #35 on the Ask Men 2011 list of the Top 99 Most Desirable Women.

Ranked #63 in the 2011 FHM list of "100 Sexiest Women in the World".

Ranked #47 in the 2011 FHM Australia list of "100 Sexiest Women in the World".

Ranked #48 in the 2010 FHM UK list of "100 Sexiest Women in the World".

Ranked as having one of the "Most Beautiful Famous Faces" by "The Annual Independent Critics List of the 100 Most Beautiful Famous Faces From Around the World." She was ranked #43 in 2010, #62 in 2009, #88 in 2008, #32 in 2007, and #47 in 2006.

In her lead roles for 3 book-to-film love stories, Rachel has played an artist and painter - El diario de Noa (2004), Más allá del tiempo (2009), and Todos los días de mi vida (2012).

Was in a relationship with actor Michael Sheen from July 2010 until early 2013.

Named Philip Seymour Hoffman as her favorite actor in a 2009 interview.

Between 2009 and 2013, Rachel McAdams starred as the love interest of a time traveler three different times: The Time Traveler's Wife, Midnight in Paris, and About Time.

Filming El hombre más buscado (2014) in Hamburg, Germany. [September 2012]

Filming Passion (2012) in Berlin, Germany. [March 2012]

Filming Sherlock Holmes (2009) in London, England. [January 2009]

Filming Una cuestión de tiempo (2013) in London, England. [June 2012]

Played the love interest of time travelers in three movies, Una cuestión de tiempo (2013), Midnight in Paris (2011) and Más allá del tiempo (2009).

From 2011-2015, Rachel McAdams has been reunited with her Wedding Crashers (2005) co-stars: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Bradley Cooper on other projects. She and Wilson reunited in Midnight In Paris (2011), Vince Vaughn in the second season of True Detective and Bradley Cooper in Aloha (2015).

Though Aloha (2015) was the first time she and co-star Emma Stone had worked together, both actresses had worked with the film's main star Bradley Cooper in other movies: McAdams-Cooper in Wedding Crashers (2005) and Stone-Cooper in The Rocker (2008).

She and her Aloha co-star Emma Stone both starred in romance movies with Ryan Gosling. In both their films with Gosling, the actresses do a love scene with the actor in the home his character lives in, after having come in from out of the rain.

Lives in the upscale Harbord Village neighborhood in the Annex District of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Personal Quotes

As strange as movie making is, doing love scenes for the first time with someone you've never even said hello to does work in terms of having a fresh quality to a relationship.

It takes a lot of time, commitment and a choice. I've chosen this path, but it's not to say I'm not open to love or whatever comes my way. You never close doors.

The craziest thing I've ever done to get a guy's attention? I admit I stalked someone. I showed up at a restaurant where I knew the guy worked, and we were actually good friends and had lost touch, and I pretended that I didn't know he worked there. And then ran into him and, "Oh my God, you work here? I had no idea." It's the most manipulative thing I've done in my entire life, but it all worked out very well, so I have no regrets.

The most romantic thing, a lovely boy bought me a dress once. He got my measurements, actually they were from El diario de Noa (2004) and I had them sitting somewhere, and he found them and bought me this dress, tailor-made, this beautiful little black cocktail dress. And I thought that was very, very classy.

I want to try a lot of things that I haven't tried. You know, I did a thriller (Vuelo nocturno(2005)) after this, because it was so different and it was a genre I hadn't worked in yet. Then I did a beautiful family ensemble drama. And next? I don't know. I might go off to do a small independent in New York. I'm not sure. The quality of material is important but, basically, I'm open to anything. I like to stay open to anything.

A friend of mine had this great theory about the Teletubbies (1997), that it's preparing us for being mindless. And getting us ready for living in an underground world. When they build the underground world because we can no longer breathe the air that it will look like Teletubbie land.

I don't know, I like to go on really different types of dates. Going someplace new or some new part of the city, something that's not your average thing. Something where you just go have an adventure together.

I guess you have to be really open to your acting partners and believe in the story.

I have a certain curiosity for life that drives me and propels me forward.

I once made a (it was supposed to be a 30-minute) bean salad that took me like 6 hours.

I want to work with great directors and try not to put too much pressure on myself and just read things for the story and recognize when I'm drawn to something for the right reasons and try to maintain some sanity.

I've discovered as I've grown up that life is far more complicated than you think it is when you're a kid. It isn't just a straight-forward fairytale.

I've sort of heard that "it" girl thing, but not really. Hearing it from a few people doesn't solidify it in my mind and I wouldn't know how to solidify that title. It's so elusive and what does it mean, I don't know?

I'll put on a punk rock T-shirt, a '50s style skirt, and a pair of flip-flops. I like to mesh a whole bunch of things together.

I'm a sucker for those sweeping love stories. When I read the script (El diario de Noa(2004)), I couldn't stop crying! I just had such a powerful, instantaneous reaction - it was written so well.

I was not popular in high school, I know every actress says that, but really, I was a big geek.

Paramount sent them nine-foot-high (theater lobby) cutouts of me. They say, "You don't have to come home, we've got you in every room of the house!"

Most of the time, people will just pass me by, or if they do realize, they'll say something like, "My girlfriend said that was you, but I didn't believe her."

I did (training in) tennis, ballet, swing dancing, piano, art class and etiquette. I also did French dialect, but then it was mixing me up with my Southern dialect, so we stuck to Southern!

I wanted to be a secretary, I love paper clips and staplers.

If I hurt someone, if I were to accidentally poke someone's eye out, I would laugh. And then I'd say, 'I'm sorry, I really do feel bad,' but then I'm on the floor rolling.

Yeah. I still live in Canada, so it's not quite the same. And when I'm in L.A., I'm in a car; you don't have the contact with the public. It's not so bad. It's still pretty much the same. I still feel pretty normal-ish.

I've been very lucky so far. I haven't had any bad experiences as far as fan encounters. They don't really recognize me. I think it has to do with my hair. I change it all the time. I like changing my hair color and sometimes it's just not for a role. Usually, I just do it for me.

I guess each relationship is different. That's what I love about relationships. Even when they end, you've learned so very much, so much to take into your next relationship and to take into your life. It's the greatest thing that comes out of an ending - so it depends on the person - On what she learned about herself when her relationship with Ryan Goslingended.

I would love to have kids someday; I actually can't imagine not having them. My parents have been married for 36 years. They [Lance, a mover, and Sandy, a nurse] have a pretty honest, straightforward relationship that I hope to have myself. - On having her own kids someday.

You never really know the person you're sleeping beside. You have a right to your secrets, but that's very difficult when you're supposed to be someone's partner. - On marriage as a minefield of secrets, as suggested in El juego del matrimonio (2007).

What about nudity in films? Nudity for fictional characters is as normal and mundane as eating breakfast. What bothers me is our culture's obsession with nudity. It shouldn't be a big deal, but it is. I think this overemphasis with nudity makes actors nervous. There's the worry about seeing one's body dissected, misrepresented, played and replayed on YouTube. - On nudity in films.