McAdams’ latest role takes Strange new turn
As part of the Doctor Strange world promotional tour, Rachel McAdams was in Toronto recently to chat up the Marvel superhero flick.
In the Scott Derrickson-directed fantasy, McAdams plays Dr. Christine Palmer, an ex-girlfriend and colleague of Doctor Strange, played by Benedict Cumberbatch. She has to deal with him before and after his elaborate transition.
That occurs when Strange, a surgeon, severely damages his hands in a car wreck, then seeks an almost impossible cure. His search for a remedy takes him to Kamar-Taj in Kathmandu, where he meets the immortal Ancient One (Tilda Swinton), who trains Strange in the art of conjuring magic and alternate dimensions.
Last year, McAdams earned an Oscar nomination for her performance as a reporter in the newspaper procedural Spotlight.
She’s dabbled in other genres, too, including a co-starring role in two high-concept Sherlock Holmes pictures after breaking out in the teen flick Mean Girls and the romantic drama The Notebook.
Doctor Strange marks her introduction into the superhero world. The always-engaging McAdams offers her thoughts:
On acting opposite Cumberbatch:
“You always hope people you admire are just as great in person,” McAdams says. “And he’s really one of the good human beings and a great actor.
“And he was so easygoing that you didn’t think for a minute he had the weight of playing Doctor Strange on his shoulders.”
On the interplay between their doctors:
Derrickson “came up with this idea where they already had been in a relationship and came out the other side,” McAdams says. “It was a better jumping-off point for us.”
On defining Dr. Palmer, an amalgamation of characters from the comics:
“There was some creative freedom because of that, and it took the pressure off,” McAdams says.
On collaborating with filmmaker Derrickson:
“Scott was so excited about doing this movie,” McAdams says. “He’s a self-proclaimed disciple, but he always had an eye on the humour and kept it going.”
On portraying a doctor after shadowing neurosurgeons at Toronto and London hospitals:
“Everything was super-fascinating and in a pinch I could probably suture someone up now,” McAdams says. “And, it was so nice to wear scrubs all the time on set.”
On turning down an opportunity to do a shift on an Air Evac helicopter:
“I am so sad I had to turn it down because I’m a terrible flyer and I am really queasy about blood,” she says.
On rumours of another Mean Girls and a third Sherlock Holmes movie:
“I personally have not heard a thing for either,” McAdams says. “Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but it’s still nice to be wanted.”
On her recent joke suggesting her Regina George character from Mean Girls would probably be working on Donald Trump’s presidential campaign:
“I know I am going to be in trouble for that,” McAdams says. “I was just being silly.”