I think Rachel McAdams is SO pretty, but I’m not feeling this Marie Claire editorial for the June issue. My biggest problem might be Rachel’s attempt at some kind of ombre hair. She doesn’t necessarily have to go back to red (although she was beautiful as a redhead), but I’m really tired of that half-fried-blonde look. Anyway, Rachel covers Marie Claire to promote Aloha (the Cameron Crowe movie with Emma Stone and Bradley Cooper), plus True Detective. I’m really looking forward to True Detective and I have high hopes that Rachel will break the series out of a “white dudes with issues” rut. Some highlights from the interview:
On her role in True Detective as Detective Ani Bezzerides: “I love the exploration of someone who has such a different background from you. That exploration runs to compassion, and to cracking yourself open and creating more understanding of how weird and amazing life is.”
On her character in True Detective: “I love that she’s not the girlfriend or the wife… She doesn’t really care what everyone thinks; she feels no responsibility for other people’s feelings. She’s not trying to be charming, which isn’t always the case with a leading lady. There’s [usually] sort of a responsibility to be a little bit likeable… Not that you want to be a horrendous character, just a little more human.”
On calling time-out after the Mean Girls-Notebook-Wedding Crashers trifecta: “I had to kind of reassess and go, What did I want this [success] to be, and how did I expect it to look?”
On prepping with the Ventura County Police Department and the LAPD for True Detective: “I don’t know how they do it every day. I was like, ‘I’m going to get a hash brown from McDonald’s and go to bed.'”
On the type of characters she likes to play: “I prefer to be a villainess. There’s something a bit more delicious about their wickedness.”
I think she’s right about women feeling like they have to play “likeable” characters. And to be fair, many male actors feel the same way. I wonder if people are going to have a problem with Rachel playing a harder woman, a woman who isn’t sunshine and romance? Rachel could have positioned herself as the next big “sweetheart,” the go-to rom-com girl, but I wonder if she was really interested in that. She seems to be more interested in doing character work, or maybe that’s what she’s told herself after her career faltered for several years. Anyway… I still believe in her and want her to do good work. Here’s hoping!
Photos courtesy of Jan Welters/Marie Claire.
The rom-com move would’ve been a bad idea – not many of those being made anymore 🙁
Sigh. I actually miss Rom-coms. You can throw in some plot to make them more interesting, think Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn in Charade….
I enjoyed her in the 2012 movie, The Vow, with Channing Tatum. For half f the movie she had darker hair. It was either brown or reddish. I can’t remember. Her face was stunning with beautiful skin, expressive face, beautiful eyes. Then a little over halfway through her hair is blonde, and her features just faded away, nothing popped out on her face. It made such a huge difference going blonde. She went to a more generic prettiness. I wish she would stay away from being blonde, but she seems to gravitate towards it at times.
I don’t know what happened to her career. It seemed more like she did pick some duds like some have said. But it’s like she was the next big actress coming up and then in some forgettable movies, and no one thought of her anymore.
I agree! I don’t know why so many women (i.e. Kate Winslet, Emma Stone) opt for the blonde look that doesn’t really go with their coloring, especially since their own natural hair color is so much prettier. Take it up or down a shade, but the bleached out look is so bland
Emma Stone is another one. What made these two special on screen, the camera loved their faces, just faded away on screen with blonde hair. They lost the “it” factor and became another average blonde on screen. Nicole Kidman did it also and lost her uniqueness, although still picked some great roles like Cold Mountain.
Emma Stone is in fact a natural blonde, though I agree she looks way better as a redhead and I think she agrees; the only times I’ve seen her blonde are always for roles and then she goes back to red.
Rachel is a natural blonde, at least it was when she started out. That’s probably why she always goes back. I used to work at her old agency in Canada and she was one of the kindest and most talented actors on our roster. She deserves every success she gets!!
People keep staying Emma Stone is a natural blonde, but in her early appearances and when she famoulsy appeard on the game show as a teenager she very much had brown hair.
Emma Stone is from AZ and trust me it’s amazing how many women try to claim “natural blonde.” I don’t think it really counts if your hair darkened naturally as a child. And yet here a lot of women seem to use that as a justification to bleach the ever living daylights out of their hair.
Yeah she really looks basic as a blonde. Just because someone says they are a natural blonde doesn’t mean that their natural color is a light blonde. It could be dirty blond or another shade of a darker blond color. So when they dye it the generic blonde, it’s doesn’t match their skin.
After that Morgan Freeman Header, I totally read this as though “hash browns” was some new slang for “hash brownies” LOL! I took me minute to realize you actually meant potatoes.
@Gigi lol so did I
Me three. Serves me right for reading this blog.
Add me to the growing list of misreaders, too. I’m just going to blame the 80’s …
Add me to the misreading following. Made perfect sense to me!
Me six. Wishful thinking I guess.
Lovely looking lady, but I don’t believe she chose for her career to be what it is now.
She went fro some big parts that she did not get, and starred in more duds than hits.
But thats the way it works in Hollywood, ‘dems the shakes’ as they say.
You win some lose some.
Hopefully True Detective would bring some steam back, but seconds/sequels rarely match the originals (especially with different directors).
Wait…. does this mean Amanda Seyfried is the biggest star from Mean Girls?
Just go with Tine Fey being the biggest star from Mean Girls.
I like her so much!!
Hash browns!
That’s my take away….must have hashbrowns!
Right!
And they’re so bad when you see the oil from the hashbrown has made the wax paper holding it clear, but they’re so good.
If I go to McDonalds it’s a few orders of hashbrowns.
Is just me or she kinda looks like Jessica Biel in that cover?
I love Rachel McAdams for no other reason than I think she’s a doll, but wtf is going on with her hair in the promos for TD? It’s bordering on Chad Kroeger’s Top Ramen hair and I’m not even going to make a fellow Canadian joke about it.
I noticed that as well but they probably tried to make her look less attractive with those fried hair. They made Farrell look like creepy uncle Bert with that mustache for the very same reason. Taylor Kitsch fills the quota for one attractive detective per precinct.
I’m kinda digging Colin’s turd stache tho.
They’d have to give Rachel a turd ‘stache to make her look unattractive.
Yeah it’s bad hair but the face!
She is so pretty, and one of my favorites in Hollywood. I like that she appreciates what real detectives do…I feel the same way whenever I spend some time in my kids’ schools, I don’t know how teachers do it every day!
she is a living DOLL.
love her.
her styling in the notebook is where she should live…
it suited her SO much, red hair included.
she’s got the 50s vibe all the way.
and i think she’s a multidimensional actress.
oh, did i say that i LOVE her?!
+ 1
She’s one of my favorites. I really like to watch her on the screen. There is something very compelling about her face and her expressions.
I would rather eat hash browns than do most things
Ditto that.
Hash browns with all the things.
Yes! But they must crispy.
I hate soggy hashbrowns.
Is this an option? Can I eat hashbrowns instead of going to work today?
yes, you have my permission
Haha!
The message really backfired on her. Hashbrowns are a treat!
Word.
Nah, french fries FTW.
I mean, if we’re talking fried potatoes here.
Otherwise, pizza and cookies.
By dating Colin Farrell (she is, there are snaps of them looking cozy at a restaurant) she’ll lose some of the sweet chic persona – maybe seem a little edgier.
Tho he’s made improvements in himself, he’s still got some “truth” issues to deal with. Colin’s life looks rather like a complicated mess. I hope she’s just in it for fun and doesn’t get too involved. She’s so darling.
PS. I’m glad he’s at least with someone close to his age. Running after teenagers and early 20-somethings just isn’t appealing.
Why would anyone date Colin Farrell after Emma Forrest’s book about him? Is my question. That book totally destroyed any lingering fantasy crush I had on him; I can’t imagine knowing that he is/used to be that person, and then making a conscious choice of dating him.
Farrell fastly falls in love ,it’s all!
I really don’t think she’s dating Colin or Jake G for that matter. I hope she has more sense. Too bad she didn’t get to work with Cary Fukunaga. That would have been a hot couple.
Yes I saw that photo of them looking VERY cozy at a restaurant. I think he’s a good guy who’s made a lot of mistakes in his past. Colin and Rachel are such a gorgeous couple.
And I read Emma Forest’s book and am still a big Colin fan. He did dump her but many celebs have done much worse things to women.
I read that book – I actually wanted Colin to fun for his life from her! She came across so obsessive and stalkerish, I kind of didn’t blame him for dumping her.
I don’t usually read Marie Clare, but I can’t wait to get my hands on this one. I ADORE Rachel. She is my no. 1 girl crush. Can’t WAIT for True Detective.
She is actually one of my favorite actresses working today, and I have never seen the Notebook. I am actually looking forward to Aloha even though Bradley Cooper makes my skin crawl. He is such a creeper, and I really wish someone else were in the lead, but even with him, it looks like it may be a really good movie.
Did you see her in About Time with Domhnall Gleeson? So beautiful even with ridiculously short bangs.
I loved that movie. So beautiful. I want to visit Cornwall because of it.
She was fantastic in Time Traveler’s Wife. The movie was blah but she lit up the screen whenever she showed up.
Agreed. I actually liked the movie better than the book- the book was pretty painful- but you can’t go wrong with Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana. I have seen almost all of her movies except the Notebook. Everyone I know LOVES the Notebook and I think it was filmed near where I live in South Carolina. I live nearish to where Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively got married. Women around here always list the Notebook and Gone with the Wind as their favorite movies. I don’t watch it so when it comes up in conversation I can say that I haven’t seen it. But then I have to listen for 5 minutes about why I need to see it. I don’t do Nicholas Sparks is usually how I end it.
She reminds me of Mary Stuart Masterson.
I love her! I thinks she looks best with blond hair though, like in Mean Girls. Regina’s hair is my dream hair.
I feel like a jerk even posting this but I think she is an unremarkable actress onscreen. I don’t get the Rachel McAdams love. Sorry!
You Jerk!
Just kidding.
I feel the opposite, but hey, different strokes for different folks. You keep doing you.
I agree! she seems so boring to me
I could see her being the next big actress..her eyes are so expressive. She has true talent and given the right role she will shine. Team Rachel!
I feel like we have all been waiting for Rachel to join the A-list… for years. She has ALL the makings of a superstar but for whatever reason (and it might be by choice), she has been in the same career mode for a while now. I only say that because she had an unbelievable hot streak with Mean Girls and The Notebook, and it really looked like she was the next (and much more likable) Julia Roberts. I love her!
True. I’ve always questioned why she’s not an A-lister yet, since she’s got everything. And I love her too.
I love her and always have but think she tried to be like Gosling by trying for edgy roles while turning down the big mainstream ones that were offered ( devil wears prada and so many others). Problem is, that strategy works for dudes who ride out the pretty boy years and become leading men at 30, but for women it is not forgiving. Jlaw matched with bcoop prime example. She didn’t strike while the iron was hot and stalled because of it.
Rachel seems like such a lovely, down to earth person. She really deserves some success – maybe a Golden Globe for True Detective next year?
I’m surprised the gossip blogs aren’t talking about all the time she’s been spending with Colin Farrell. There was a photo of them on twitter last week looking VERY cozy at a restaurant. I think that could be a very hot romance!
I hope it isn’t a very hot romance that becomes a very hot mess. I can totallyl see that and I don’t want it to happen. I think of Claire Danes falling for Billy Crudup and then falling off the radar for years cause she was destroyed for a while.
I love her. She’s just so charming. You guys should watch one of her ‘duds’ Morning Glory. She’s so good in it and it’s not like a usual rom com at all. Career is placed well ahead of the man, well ahead. She has to deal with a man who is a diva and is trying to ruin her show. It’s just a great movie. I adore her to pieces.
Morning Glory was very underrated. Didn’t care for Harrison Ford acting like a grumpy grandpa that’s for sure but she was cute.
Words can’t describe how beautiful Rachel is both inside and out. I had the chance to briefly chat with her a few years ago and she’s even more beautiful in person and so ridiculously sweet. She’s been a favorite ever since and I’m constantly cheering for her success. Hopefully all her recent career moves/roles she’s picking will pay off.
” She’s not trying to be charming, which isn’t always the case with a leading lady. There’s [usually] sort of a responsibility to be a little bit likeable…”
Really? I was under the impression that , in order to fight that stereotype, the character of the jaded and/or tough as nail, don’t give a damn leading lady was quite common. Maybe I’m biased with the kind of shows I pick (The wire, Saving Grace, Damages etc…).
And my favorite leading lady who didn’t go for likeable will always be Jane Tennison (Prime Suspect). Helen Mirren is my gold standard when it comes to woman detective on TV. But good luck to McAdams.
Boring.
People literally only like her because she’s next-door approachable pretty.
She’s got nothing else going on.
I don’t know I think she’s very low key and sincere. She’s charming in her roles and is an environmentalist. I probably have blinders on for her because I just find her so lovely.
I think rachel just had a dinner with collins as a co-star. She also had a meeting with jake, emma, bradley…
Her comments on her character have me interested in it. I am glad to read “she is not the girlfriend and her other comments.
looking forward to more woman characters like that so maybe I can watch some American TV and movies instead of movies with subtitles. LOL