Rachel McAdams (born October 7, 1976) is a Canadian actress.

McAdams was born in London, Ontario, Canada, and grew up in nearby St. Thomas, Ontario. McAdams and actor Ryan Gosling, as well as working together in films, were born in the same hospital (St. Joesph's Hospital) in the same city. At the age of four, she took up competitive figure skating. She took up acting at age thirteen at a summer theater camp. She attended Central Elgin Collegiate Institute in St. Thomas from grade nine to OAC. She later graduated from York University with honours, where she studied theatre. Currently Rachel is dating and living with fellow Canadian (and London-native) actor Ryan Gosling, whom she co-starred in the movie The Notebook. It is rumored that an engagement may been in the near future since they were spotted looking at rings.

She had a large role in the film The Hot Chick, alongside Rob Schneider, but her career really took off when she starred as "Regina George", queen-bee and resident bitch of her school, in the 2004 hit Mean Girls. She starred opposite Hollywood It-Girl Lindsay Lohan (who was ten years her junior). Mean Girls got McAdams's name into many homes around the United States, as it was such a big hit. She followed Mean Girls with the film adaptation of Nicholas Sparks' novel The Notebook, alongside Ryan Gosling. In 2005, she played the engaged daughter of an important political leader in The Wedding Crashers, and starred in the suspense thriller Red Eye. Her most recent role is in the new comedy The Family Stone where she stars alongside Diane Keaton, Craig T. Nelson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dermot Mulroney, Luke Wilson and Claire Danes. McAdams' role in "The Notebook" allowed her to play something of a perfectly idealized romantic female lead, and legions of young women have identified with the film's emotional, albeit somewhat predictable, classic narrative.

McAdams received critical acclaim for both roles and was honoured for her work, most recently a record number of five nominations, and three wins, at the MTV Movie Awards in 2005.

In December 2005, Rachel was #1 on MuchMusic's "Who To Do: 20 Sexiest Girls" list. This list is aired each year, and there is also a separate list for guys. Rachel beat competition including Beyonce Knowles, Jessica Alba, and Jessica Simpson.

McAdams was voted the #101 on FHS's list of Sexiest Women in the World (2005).