Rachel McAdams Turned Down “The Devil Wears Prada” To Avoid Being In Mainstream Films

One of the most iconic movies from the last decade could have had a different leading star if she accepted the offer and didn't have other plans in mind. Anne Hathaway did a spectacular job at convincing us she was being unfairly bossed around as an assistant at a fashion magazine. She landed the role because Rachel McAdams' movies have been less mainstream and she turned down The Devil Wears Prada.

Though it doesn't feel like it's 13 years old, it came out in 2006 and starred a variety of famous faces we know and love.

The leading role went to Anne Hathaway, and Meryl Streep played her demanding editor-in-chief boss. Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, and Adrian Grenier had big parts in it too.

But Variety first reported that originally the casting team wanted McAdams to play Hathaway's character, Andy Sachs. 

"Fox wanted a big movie star to play Andy, and pursued Rachel McAdams," they wrote. "Although she was co-starring in the studio’s The Family Stone, McAdams turned down Prada multiple times, citing her desire to step away from mainstream material."

Just two years before the movie came out, the Canadian actress starred in two of the most iconic but mainstream films out there: The Notebook and Mean Girls, both in 2004. 

[rebelmouse-image 25963206 photo_credit="Mean Girls | IMDb" expand=1 original_size="1528x1000"]

According to her IMDb page, right now she has two projects in the works. Eurovision is currently in post-production with no set release date and has a cast including Will Ferrell, Pierce Brosnan, and Demi Lovato. She also has a leading role opposite Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law in Sherlock Holmes 3 currently in pre-production and set for release in 2021.

After turning down the role of Andy, the 41-year-old was in the movies Married Life in 2007, The Lucky Ones in 2008, and in 2009 she was in State of Play, The Time Traveler's Wife, and Sherlock Holmes. 

Perhaps her most mainstream movie of all was The Vow in 2012 where she starred opposite Channing Tatum. We can't blame her for how well she portrays characters from Nicholas Sparks' novels.

McAdams is totally absent from social media and lives a very private life. She has a mansion in L.A. and a home in Toronto she shares with her boyfriend, Jamie Linden, and their one-year-old son. According to People, he was born in April 2018 and his name hasn't been shared.  

Luckily, we have two projects to look forward to from her in the near future.

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