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Rachel McAdams

Rachel McAdams

Actor · Born November 17, 1978 (47) · London, Ontario, Canada

Screen Actors Guild Award winner · Oscar nominee · BAFTA Award nominee · 2 other major award bodies

Rachel Anne McAdams (born November 17, 1978) is a Canadian actress. A graduate of York University in 2001 with a BFA in theatre, she is known for her starring roles in comedy and drama films as well as her work in television and theater. Her accolades include nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2026, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. As a leading actress, her films have grossed over $3.4 billion worldwide. McAdams made her Hollywood film debut in the comedy The Hot Chick in 2002. She rose to fame in 2004 with her portrayal of Regina George in the comedy Mean Girls and with the romantic drama The Notebook. In 2005, she starred in the romantic comedy Wedding Crashers, the psychological thriller Red Eye, and the comedy-drama The Family Stone. She was hailed by the media as Hollywood's new "it girl", and received a nomination for the BAFTA Rising Star Award. After a hiatus, McAdams gained further prominence starring in the films The Time Traveler's Wife (2009), Sherlock Holmes (2009), Morning Glory (2010), Midnight in Paris (2011), The Vow (2012), and About Time (2013). For her portrayal of journalist Sacha Pfeiffer in the drama Spotlight (2015), she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. This was followed by roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films Doctor Strange (2016) and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), the romantic drama Disobedience (2017), the comedies Game Night (2018) and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020), the comedy-drama Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. (2023), and the horror-thriller Send Help (2026). On television, she starred in the second season of the HBO anthology crime drama series True Detective (2015), earning a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Movie nomination. She made her Broadway debut playing a struggling single mother in Amy Herzog's play Mary Jane (2024) for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play. Description above from the Wikipedia article Rachel McAdams, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
November 17, 1978 (47)
From
London, Ontario, Canada
Works as
Actor
Titles
40 on MovieCove · 44 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 13% in 30 days

What are Rachel McAdams' films like?

Across their 35 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Genres

Comedy11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Drama7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 73rd percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Action6 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 91st percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Crime3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 72nd percentile
: browse their Crime movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 71st percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile
: browse their Biography movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
29%
Self
25%
Morality
22%
Survival
8%
Power
6%
Ideas
6%
Society
4%
Romantic love9 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity6 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship6 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth4 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose5 titles, browse their movies with this themePower3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 33 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 17 · Serious 7 · Dark 9

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 16 · Stylized 8 · Heightened 9

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 9 · Charged 14 · Intense 10

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 11 · Shifting 16 · Whiplash 6

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 14 · Some laughs 13 · Funny 6

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 12 · Even-paced 14 · Relentless 7

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

A split, not a type: Casual 16 · Engaged 12 · Full focus 5

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 13 · Affecting 10 · Heavy 10

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 23 · Open-ended 7 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

28 analyzed roles

Usually the Ally: 6 of 28 analyzed roles.

Ally
6 of 28
Hero
5 of 28
Shapeshifter
5 of 28
Trickster
3 of 28
Herald
3 of 28
Shadow
2 of 28
Threshold guardian
2 of 28
Mentor
2 of 28
Show the 28 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
16
Melancholic
12
Romantic
8
Warm
8
Joyful
8
Other
46

How their films linger

Hopeful15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 6 with a twist

  • Happy12
  • Bittersweet19
  • Ambiguous4

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Rachel McAdams' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 34 of their 40 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (9).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Rachel McAdams' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

44 credits, 40 with a MovieCove page; 15 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Send Help(2026)

    as Linda Liddle

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret.(2023)

    as Barbara Simon

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness(2022)

    as Dr. Christine Palmer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • What If...?(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Christine Palmer (voice)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Marvel Studios: Legends(2021)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Christine Palmer (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all shows

  • Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga(2020)

    as Sigrit Ericksdottir

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Dave(2020)

    Show 3 episodes · as Rachel McAdams

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Explained(2018)

    Show 1 episode · as Narrator (voice)

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all shows

  • Disobedience(2017)

    as Esti Kuperman

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Game Night(2018)

    as Annie

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Doctor Strange(2016)

    as Dr. Christine Palmer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Sonic Sea (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Narrator (voice)

  • Spotlight(2015)

    as Sacha Pfeiffer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Little Prince(2015)

    as The Mother (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Southpaw(2015)

    as Maureen Hope

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Aloha(2015)

    as Tracy Woodside

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • Every Thing Will Be Fine(2015)

    as Sara

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • A Most Wanted Man(2014)

    as Annabel Richter

    Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films

  • True Detective(2014)

    Show 8 episodes · as Antigone 'Ani' Bezzerides

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • About Time(2013)

    as Mary

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • To the Wonder(2012)

    as Jane

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Passion(2012)

    as Christine Stanford

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • The Vow(2012)

    as Paige Collins

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows(2011)

    as Irene Adler

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Midnight in Paris(2011)

    as Inez

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Morning Glory(2010)

    as Becky Fuller

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • Sherlock Holmes(2009)

    as Irene Adler

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • The Time Traveler's Wife(2009)

    as Clare Abshire

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • State of Play(2009)

    as Della Frye

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • The Lucky Ones(2008)

    as Colee Dunn

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Married Life(2007)

    as Kay Nesbitt

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • The Family Stone(2005)

    as Amy Stone

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Red Eye(2005)

    as Lisa Reisert

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Wedding Crashers(2005)

    as Claire Cleary

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • The Notebook(2004)

    as Allie Hamilton

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all films

  • Mean Girls(2004)

    as Regina George

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Slings and Arrows(2003)

    Show 6 episodes · as Kate McNab

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • My Name Is Tanino(2002)

    as Sally Garfield

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • The Hot Chick(2002)

    as Jessica

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Perfect Pie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Patsy at 15

  • Guilt by Association(2002)

    as Danielle Mason

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Earth: Final Conflict(1997)

    Show 1 episode · as Christine Bickwell

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all shows

  • 2034 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor

  • BARRE VALE ♡ (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Actor's Assistant

Career shape

Star power in the 99th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 44 titles, 42 of them dated from 1997 to 2026; peak year 2014.

Biggest box office

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

$956M worldwide

Highest rated

Spotlight (2015)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

True Detective (2014)

Film career

MilestoneAward winNomination
19972026

Peak 2014 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Top draw in 28 MovieCove titles. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting43 of 44: 43 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score74thOther crew1 of 44: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1990s1 · acting2000s15 · acting2010s19 · acting2020s7 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 22% of 32 roles
02071217

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

Awards

a Screen Actors Guild Award and 1 other major award from 8 major nominations, 2006–2019.

WinNomination
  1. 2019
    • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Actress in a Comedy
  2. 2016
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
    • +2 other major bodies · 1 win and 1 nomination
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Supporting Actress
      • Independent Spirit Award, won
  3. 2012
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
  4. 2006
    • BAFTA Award, nominated

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Rachel McAdams' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 73rd percentile, the median of all 33; across their 33 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Approval · how many liked their films

75thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Reach · how many have seen their films

97thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 33

Midcredits score across 40 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up19
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

20 of their 40 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved12
  • Crowd Pleaser20
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor

To the Wonder (2012)

61st percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Spotlight (2015)

Midcredits 99th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the acting 75/100 in their films, across 33 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 50. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Rachel McAdams' work okay for kids?

Across up to 31 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore28 titles8–72 · median 34 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity31 titles16–61 · median 41 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity29 titles24–76 · median 42 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs28 titles14–54 · median 35 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense29 titles9–66 · median 38 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Rachel McAdams work with?

People who share at least 2 of Rachel McAdams' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Hans Zimmer shares the most, 3.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles