Rachel McAdams turned down roles in 'The Devil Wears Prada' and 'Casino Royale' at the peak of her fame

• Rachel McAdams opened up to Bustle about big Hollywood roles she turned down.
• McAdams was uncomfortable being photographed nude by Annie Leibovitz.
• She's playing the mother, Barb, in "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret," set for theater release on April 28.

Rachel McAdams opened up about her two-year break from Hollywood in a recent interview with Bustle.

Back in 2006, McAdams made the decision not to pose for a Vanity Fair cover alongside Scarlett Johansson and Keira Knightly when she found out the other actors had agreed to pose nude.

Despite having legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz behind the camera, McAdams was uncomfortable with the shoot. "It wasn't something I could ever possibly see myself doing," McAdams told Los Angeles Times back in 2015.

It was following this event that McAdams made the decision to return to Canada for two years — where she had grown up — and spend time with her family in Toronto. It was also during this time that she turned down big roles in movies that include "The Devil Wears Prada," "Casino Royale," "Mission: Impossible III," "Iron Man," and "Get Smart," she told Bustle.

McAdams told Bustle, "There were definitely some anxious moments of wondering if I was just throwing it all away, and why was I doing that? It's taken years to understand what I intuitively was doing."

McAdams isn't the only celebrity to discuss iconic roles they turned down. In January 2021, Michelle Pfeiffer told The New Yorker she turned down the role of Clarice Starling in"The Silence of the Lambs" because of how the movie wrapped up.

"I was uncomfortable with that ending. I didn't want to put that out into the world," Pfeiffer said. The film went on to sweep five big categories at the Academy Awards, including best actress for Jodie Foster.

And in October 2020, George Clooney revealed that originally he and Paul Newman were meant to share the leading male role in The Notebook, with Clooney playing the younger version of Newman. Clooney didn't think he would be able to take on the role with Newman, eventually telling Newman, "I can't play you. I don't look anything like you. This is insane," according to Deadline. The 2004 movie went on to star McAdams as rich girl Allie, with Ryan Gosling and James Garner taking on the younger and older roles, respectively, of mill worker Noah.

McAdams will be starring in the film adaptation of the classic Judy Blume pre-teen novel "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." She will be taking on the role of 11-year-old Margaret's mother, Barb. The film is set for theater release on April 28.