Rachel McAdams Was Willing To Take Any Role Just To Be In 'Mean Girls'

Rachel McAdams was so eager to be part of ‘Mean Girls’ that she says she would have gladly taken any role at all in the film.

McAdams auditioned for the movie when she was still finding her footing in Hollywood, with only a handful of screen credits to her name.

When she read the script by Tina Fey, she says she immediately called her manager to make it clear she wanted to be involved, regardless of the size of the part.

McAdams made her Hollywood debut in 2002 with “The Hot Chick” opposite Rob Schneider and Anna Faris.

Her next film was "Mean Girls," where she portrayed the film’s main antagonist, Regina George.

In an interview with People Magazine, McAdams says she was so keen to be part of the movie that she would have been happy to take on even the smallest role.

“I loved the script so much,” she said. “I remember closing that script and calling up my manager and saying, 'Please, even just playing a character that has one line I would take.’”

The dream would start to become a reality for McAdams when she landed an audition for “Mean Girls.”

The actress initially read for the lead role of Cady Heron, a part that ultimately went to Lindsay Lohan.

McAdams has since admitted that she never expected to land the role, feeling that her experience at the time paled in comparison to the scale of playing the main character.

“I was just starting out, and it was the main character,” McAdams explained. “I just did not think I was at that point in my life where I would be chosen for that.”

McAdams’s instincts ultimately proved right, as she was deemed “too old” to play Cady Heron. Instead, she was cast as Regina George and quickly embraced the fun of portraying a villain.

Speaking with the New York Times in 2018, McAdams explained why she’s drawn many similar roles ever since.

“I’m always looking for larger-than-life characters, which is probably why I like playing villains,” she said. “They get away with so much.”

The Canadian star also credited her character in ‘Mean Girls’ for being the bedrock of a long-lasting career in Hollywood.

“I have to thank Regina George for giving me some longevity,” McAdams said. “I’m forever grateful to Tina Fey and [director] Mark Waters."

McAdams has gone on to win many accolades throughout her career, with one of the most recent being a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

McAdams officially received the honor during a ceremony on January 20, 2026.

Speaking at the star’s unveiling, “The Notebook” actress reflected on her gratitude for being able to sustain steady work in the industry over the years.

“I didn't actually need to be a star,” McAdams said, per CBC Canada. “What I needed to be was a working actor. And for the past 25-plus years, I've been very lucky to do that.”

McAdams has been reflecting on her career as she promotes her latest film, “Send Help” by Sam Raimi.

The project marks a reunion for the pair, who previously worked together on “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.”

According to a report on Entertainment Weekly, Raimi was so impressed by McAdams’s work in just one scene that he was determined to collaborate with her again.

In “Send Help,” the Oscar-nominated actress plays Linda Liddle, a corporate strategist and survival enthusiast who finds herself stranded on a deserted island after surviving a plane crash.

“Teen Wolf” alum Dylan O’Brien co-stars as Linda’s CEO and the only other survivor of the accident.

“Send Help” was released in theaters across the United States on January 30, 2026, and has been positively received by critics and audiences alike.