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Internet split as Rachel McAdams reveals why she declined major roles after 'The Notebook' and 'Mean Girls' success

Rachel McAdams took a hiatus from acting and turned down some significant roles, including 'Casino Royale', 'Mission: Impossible III', and more

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: At the height of her Hollywood success, Rachel McAdams claims that she took a break from everything and turned down some significant offers to "stay sane." McAdams claimed that she turned down a part in the 2006 film 'The Devil Wears Prada'. As per a Bustle feature that was published on Tuesday, April 18, McAdams turned down significant offers because she thought it was best for her mental health at that moment.

The 44-year-old 'Mean Girls' actress displayed her unedited, unretouched natural beauty that embraces her body by flaunting her unshaven armpits in the Bustle image. According to the online women's magazine, the actress and mother of two reportedly requested that her photographs be modified as little as possible. Currently, McAdams is promoting the movie version of 'Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret' by Judy Blume.

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'I felt guilty'

Following the success of 'Mean Girls' and 'The Notebook' in 2004 and deciding to take a break from acting, McAdams turned down several major roles during her two-year break. In the Tuesday Bustle feature, McAdams claimed that she had offers for parts in movies including 'Casino Royale', 'Mission: Impossible III', 'Get Smart', and 'Iron Man', all of which were released between 2006 and 2008. As per McAdams, she declined those offers because she thought it would be best for her mental health at the time, reports BuzzFeed News.

McAdams explained to Bustle, "I felt guilty for not capitalizing on the opportunity that I was being given, because I knew I was in such a lucky spot." 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." In the movie 'The Devil Wears Prada,' which eventually starred Emily Blunt, Anne Hathaway, and Meryl Streep; McAdams did not say which role was offered to her.

Some of the movies McAdams rejected not only became box office successes but also had enduring cultural effects. Daniel Craig's run as James Bond began with the Eva Green-starring film 'Casino Royale.' The Marvel Cinematic Universe was established with the release of 'Iron Man,' featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow. McAdams would later become a part of it with the release of 'Doctor Strange' in 2016 and 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness' in 2022.

"There’s certainly things like ‘I wish I’d done that," McAdams remarked. "I step back and go, ‘that was the right person for that,’" the 'Notebook' star added.

McAdams has no regrets, and many of her older movies, including 'The Notebook' and 'Mean Girls,' are now considered classics. In preparation for a new film based on Tina Fey's Tony-winning Broadway version, 'Mean Girls' is currently being given a musical makeover. After performing the role on Broadway, Renee Rapp is taking over for Rachel McAdams as Regina George, per Variety.

'Normalize taking breaks and not having FOMO'

Internet is divided over the actress' decision of taking a two-year break from the entertainment industry. One fan wrote, "NORMALIZE TAKING BREAKS AND NOT HAVING FOMO." A second fan followed, "She's bigger than those movies let's be honest." Another fan wrote, "Rachel does great work in everything she takes on." Someone else tweeted, "She’s Rachel McAdams… she TURNED these roles down, not the other way."

However, there's another set of netizens who were criticizing the 'Mean Girls' star for throwing it all away at the peak of her career. One such user tweeted, "Rachel McAdams would have been the perfect Andy Sachs! Can't believe she turned down the role. #TheDevilWearsPrada #Regrets" A second one wrote, "Oh rachel you had so much on your table and you had your plate empty for no reason." A third Twitter user wrote, "Imagine what her career would be like now if she had taken those roles. Oh well, you snooze, you lose." Another one chimed in, "Wait…why did she turn them down? What roles did she take instead? I always wondered why she didn’t have an even bigger career. Taking at least ONE of these roles would have changed that."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.