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Rachel McAdams Reveals Why She Turned Down Iconic Roles, Including “The Devil Wears Prada”

Rachel McAdams has been a staple in Hollywood for over a decade, starring in some of the most iconic movies of the 2000s such as “Mean Girls” and “The Notebook”. However, fans were surprised when she turned down a role in another critically acclaimed film, “The Devil Wears Prada”. In a recent interview, McAdams shed light on why she made the decision to pass on the opportunity and the impact it had on her career. Let’s take a closer look at what she had to say.


Rachel McAdams made headlines recently when she revealed that she turned down the opportunity to star in the hit 2006 movie, The Devil Wears Prada. McAdams, who shot to fame in 2004 with her roles in Mean Girls and The Notebook, explained that she declined the role due to concerns about her mental health.

McAdams was not the only actress that was considered for the role of Andy Sachs, the movie’s protagonist. In fact, director David Frankel revealed in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly that McAdams was the studio’s first choice for the role, and had been offered the part three times. However, McAdams declined each offer, and eventually the role was given to Anne Hathaway.

While McAdams doesn’t reveal exactly which role she was offered in The Devil Wears Prada, it’s safe to assume that it was the part of Andy. In the same interview with Entertainment Weekly, Frankel revealed that the studio had originally negotiated with Hathaway for the part, but those talks fell through.

Despite turning down the role in The Devil Wears Prada, McAdams continued to receive offers for other high-profile movies, including Casino Royale, Mission: Impossible III, Get Smart, and Iron Man. However, McAdams did not take any of these opportunities, and instead took a two-year hiatus from acting. During that time, she moved back to her native Canada, where she focused on her mental health.

In a recent profile by Bustle, McAdams explained her decision to turn down these roles, saying that it was the best thing for her mental health at the time. “I felt guilty for not capitalizing on the opportunity that I was being given, because I knew I was in such a lucky spot,” McAdams said. “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.”

McAdams’ decision to prioritize her mental health over her career is one that has resonated with many people, particularly in recent years as mental health has become a more widely discussed topic. In the entertainment industry, in particular, there has been a growing awareness of the importance of mental health and the need for support systems for people in the industry.

While McAdams’ decision to turn down these roles may have been a difficult one at the time, it ultimately allowed her to come back to acting on her own terms. She eventually returned to the big screen with roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Doctor Strange and the upcoming Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She is also set to star in Lionsgate’s adaptation of the Judy Bloom book, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.

Looking back on her career, McAdams says that she has no regrets about the roles she turned down. “There’s certainly things like ‘I wish I’d done that,’” she said. “I step back and go, ‘that was the right person for that.’”

McAdams’ decision to prioritize her mental health over her career is an important reminder that success and fame do not necessarily equate to happiness. In the competitive world of entertainment, it can be difficult to step back and take care of oneself, but it is a crucial step in staying healthy and happy. McAdams serves as an example of the importance of listening to one’s intuition and taking care of oneself, even if it means turning down opportunities that may seem too good to pass up.


In conclusion, Rachel McAdams’ decision to turn down a role in “The Devil Wears Prada” may have surprised many, but her reasons for doing so were justified. It’s clear that McAdams values the integrity and complexity of characters she portrays, and she didn’t want to be type-cast as a mean girl. Her career choices have proven to be successful as she’s starred in a range of critically acclaimed films, and we look forward to seeing what she has in store for us in the future. McAdams’ ability to turn down a role for the betterment of her career is a testament to her talent, and we can’t wait to see where it takes her next.

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