Rachel McAdams Names the Film That Changed Everything for Her

Rachel McAdams has played a wide mix of roles, but many people still connect her name to two movies from the mid 2000s. One made her a pop culture villain everyone loved to hate. The other turned her into a modern romance icon. Even with such a varied career, one much older movie had a big impact on how she approached acting.

McAdams first grabbed attention in 2004 with Mean Girls. Her performance as Regina George instantly stood out. The character was cruel, charming, and totally confident. It became one of the most quoted roles of that decade and helped push McAdams into the spotlight.

Soon after, she showed a very different side in The Notebook. That film made her a staple of romantic dramas and proved she could carry emotional stories with ease. Over the years, she moved between genres without getting stuck in one lane. She did comedy, drama, sci-fi, and even superhero films.

At some point, fans started wondering what movies shaped her taste growing up. McAdams answered that question in the 2007 book You Gotta See This. In that interview, she shared that her favorite movie of all time is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory from 1971. She called it so weird and such a creepy movie.

She was especially drawn to Veruca Salt. McAdams said the character was awesomely horrible to the maximum. That performance clearly stuck with her. The film itself is famous for its strange tone, dark humor, and Gene Wilder’s unforgettable take on Willy Wonka.

McAdams later admitted that Veruca Salt helped shape how she played Regina George. The spoiled attitude and total lack of self-awareness gave her a reference point. She used that energy to help build Regina’s personality, turning her into someone who felt over the top but still believable.

The influence shows how older movies can quietly shape modern performances. A character from a 1970s fantasy film ended up helping define one of the most famous teen movie villains ever made.

Today, McAdams continues to move between projects with ease. She recently returned to darker material with Send Help, a survival thriller directed by Sam Raimi, released in January. She also earned strong praise for her Broadway role in Mary Jane, which showed a completely different side of her acting range.

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