Rachel McAdams was raised in St. Thomas, Ontario. Starting at the age of four, she competed in figure skating. By the age of 13, she was performing in Shakespearean productions in summer theater camp.In high school, McAdams intended to apply to college to study cultural studies, because studying theater would be "a bit of a joke". At the last minute, a drama teacher encouraged her to audition to be a drama major. She eventually majored in theater at York University and graduated with honors and a B.F.A. deg - www.imdb.com

A competitive figure skater since age 4, McAdams quits at 18 in favor of acting. "Getting up at 5 a.m. was a constant struggle," she tells Elle. "I hung up my boots and haven't picked them up since." That's not to say she doesn't miss the sport. "I miss skating," she tells Parade. "But I used to get so nervous before competitions. I'd wake up in a cold sweat. I don't miss that." She later graduates with honors in drama from Toronto's York University. - www.people.com

After only a handful of movie and TV roles, Rachel McAdams made a splash as Regina George, the catty teen villain in the 2004 comedy Mean Girls (starring Lindsay Lohan). A graduate of York University (just outside Toronto), McAdams began her onscreen career in 2000. Mean Girls was the best and last of a string of roles in which McAdams played teen girls; her impressive dramatic turn as Ryan Gosling's lover in The Notebook (2004, starring James Garner) caused her to be hailed as an up-and-comer. By the end o - www.answers.com