Highlights
- Rachel McAdams almost lost her role in Mean Girls because she was considered too old to play a high schooler.
- McAdams took a two-year break from acting at the height of her career, which affected her net worth and future opportunities.
- Despite turning down major roles in popular movies such as The Devil Wears Prada and Iron Man, McAdams has no regrets and prioritized her mental health over her career.
Rachel McAdams made her Hollywood debut in the comedy The Hot Chick in 2002. But she didn’t rise to international fame until two years later, when she starred in The Notebook alongside Ryan Gosling and in Mean Girls, co-starring Lindsay Lohan. She was so good as Regina George that it’s hard to believe that McAdams almost lost the role because she was deemed too old to play a high schooler at the time!
Back in the early 2000s, McAdams was set to become Hollywood’s “it” girl. Some even suspected she was going to become the new Julia Roberts, due to her successful run in rom-coms. Despite this, McAdams chose to take a two-year break from acting at the height of her career, which ended up affecting her net worth and future career opportunities. Does the actress regret her decision?
Rachel McAdams Took A Break From Acting At The Height Of Her Career, And It Cost Her
After starring in Mean Girls and The Notebook in 2004, Rachel McAdams became one of the biggest young stars in Hollywood. In 2005, she starred in the movies Wedding Crashers, Red Eye, and The Family Stone. She also earned a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Rising Star that same year.
Although her career was just getting started, McAdams decided to take a break from acting in 2006. "There were a lot of cooks in the kitchen, a lot of voices around me, and I wanted to step away so I could hear my own voice again", McAdams told The Times in 2013. "Truthfully, I never really wanted to be a big movie star. I never even wanted to work outside of Canada, or outside of the theatre."
During her hiatus, McAdams went back to Canada and even made a one-off stage appearance in The Vagina Monologues at St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in Toronto for a fundraising event. Although she enjoyed the piece and quiet, she ultimately returned to acting in 2008, by starring in the 1940s-themed film noir movie Married Life alongside Pierce Brosnan and Chris Cooper.
In a recent interview, McAdams opened up about her two-year break from acting. "I guess I always had a sense that it would be OK; either it's going to work out or it's not," she told Bustle, adding that the time she spent away from the spotlight "really helped me feel empowered." She further added, "It helped me feel like I was taking back some control. And I think it sort of allowed me to come in from a different doorway."
Rachel McAdams’ Net Worth Suffered Because Of Her Two-Year Break From Hollywood
Although she admits that taking a break from acting was what she needed at the time, Rachel McAdams revealed that she used to feel guilty because she had to turn down some major roles. "I felt guilty for not capitalizing on the opportunity that I was being given, because I knew I was in such a lucky spot," she told Bustle. "But I also knew it wasn't quite jiving with my personality and what I needed to stay sane."
During her time away from Hollywood, McAdams had to turn down major roles in movies such as The Devil Wears Prada, Casino Royale, Get Smart, Mission Impossible III, and even Iron Man, meaning that she could’ve starred in a superhero movie years before Doctor Strange. "There were definitely some anxious moments of wondering if I was just throwing it all away, and why was I doing that?" she said about turning down these great roles.
Ultimately, McAdams’ net worth suffered because of her decision. Turning down the role of Andy in The Devil Wears Prada was probably her worst decision ever. The role ultimately went to Anne Hathaway, boosting her career, and the movie made over $326 million at the box office. However, McAdams seems to have no regrets over this “There’s certainly things like, ‘I wish I’d done that,’” she told Bustle. “I step back and go, ‘That was the right person for that.’”
Nowadays, McAdams has a net worth of $25 million, most of which comes from his career as an actor. It’s clear that, if she hadn’t turned down so many great opportunities, she would have an even bigger wealth. But ultimately, the actress seems happy with her decision to prioritize her mental health over her career.
Is Rachel McAdams Back In Hollywood For Good?
Most recently, fans feared that Rachel McAdams had retired from acting for good after she took another small break in 2019. This time around, McAdams chose to pause her career for a bit to spend more time with her partner Jamie Linden and their son and daughter. But it seems that she’s back on track.
Earlier this year, McAdams starred in the coming-of-age film Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, which is her first non-Marvel role in a while. She also appeared in three episodes of the Hulu comedy series Dave. So, it’s safe to say that she’s not retiring any time soon.
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