McAdams was born and raised in a small town outside of London, Ontario. She developed an interest in performing at a very young age, and at twelve, participated in Original Kids Theatre Company productions. She was directing children’s theatre productions through her teenage years, and was involved in school stage productions, even winning a performance award at the Sears Ontario Drama Festival.
McAdams intended to take cultural studies at the University of Western Ontario before being persuaded by her drama teacher that a professional acting career was a viable option. She enrolled in York University’s four-year theatre program and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts honours degree in 2001. While at university, McAdams worked with the Toronto-based Necessary Angel Theatre Company.
In 2001, McAdams made her television debut in the MTV pilot Shotgun Love Dolls as Beth Swanson. She spent some time working in Canadian television and film productions before making her way to Hollywood, making her Hollywood film debut in the comedy The Hot Chick. McAdams rose to fame in 2004 with her roles in the comedy Mean Girls and the romantic drama The Notebook. Since then she has gone on to star in numerous hit films, including Wedding Crashers, The Family Stone, Sherlock Holmes, The Lucky Ones, The Time Traveler’s Wife, Morning Glory, Aloha, Doctor Strange and Midnight in Paris.
Midnight In Paris earned McAdams a SAG nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. That same year, she reprised her role as Irene Adler in Sherlock Homes: A Game of Shadows opposite Robert Downey Jr.
McAdams was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Sacha Pfeiffer in the drama Spotlight.
