Rachel McAdams has returned to the spotlight, and she’s keeping it real.
The beloved actress, known for her iconic role in The Notebook, is promoting her upcoming movie, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, based on the bestselling Judy Blume book.
As she takes on the role of Margaret’s mother, Rachel has been candid about embracing the changes in her own body as she’s grown older.
In a recent interview with Bustle, Rachel reflected on her career and spoke about the importance of embracing natural beauty at all stages of life.
Accompanying the interview were stunning photographs of Rachel in various stylish looks, from latex hot pants to a sleek white gown with cutouts.
Notably, in several of the images, including one where she lounges in a black corset, her armpit hair is visible. Rachel apparently requested that the photos be edited “as minimally as possible.”
“With this shoot, I’m wearing latex underwear. But I’ve had two children. This is my body, and I think that’s so important to reflect back out to the world,” Rachel said of the photos. “It’s OK to look your best and work at it and be healthy, but that’s different for everyone.”
Rachel Mcadams for Bustle magazine (april 2023) pic.twitter.com/edMLMNB9JN
— san (@ohweisz) April 18, 2023
The photos caused a stir online, with fans praising Rachel for embracing her natural body.
Comments poured in on Bustle’s Instagram post, with one person saying, “Love her, and also love appreciating bodies that age and expand regardless of whether they’ve had children or not.” Another added, “Love her for embracing her natural beauty!!!”
In a world where beauty filters and digital manipulation have become the norm, it’s rare to see public figures pose for shoots that skip the typical editing procedures.
Fans expressed their desire to see more of this kind of authenticity in Hollywood, with comments like “want more of this in Hollywood” and “I wish I had seen similar images when I was growing up.”
In an accompanying video interview for Bustle, Rachel shared some advice she received from her mother about body hair and shaving, which she would pass on to her younger self. “I’m going to give you the advice [my mother] gave me: ‘Once you start, you can never stop,'” Rachel said. “I remember rolling my eyes about that and thinking: ‘Ugh, that’s not the fun answer.’ But it’s so true. Life is long, shaving is intense.”
She went on to add, “But if you’re going to go ahead with it anyway, watch the ankle bones, the shins… Always have shaving cream. And if you want to stop shaving again one day, that’s OK too.”
This isn’t the first time Rachel has made headlines for breaking beauty norms. In 2018, she posed for a Girls. Girls. Girls. cover shoot wearing a breast pump along with her Versace blazer and Bulgari jewels, just six months after giving birth to her son. According to the photographer, Claire Rothstein, Rachel had been casually pumping milk between shots when she came up with the idea to pose for a photograph.
Rachel recently discussed the memorable image, saying she loved the contrast between the glamour of the shoot and the authenticity of her milk-pumping moment. “I love that juxtaposition of beauty, glam, fantasy, and then truth,” she said.
Rachel McAdams is setting an inspiring example by embracing her natural body and challenging societal beauty standards. Her openness about her body hair and her decision to minimize editing in her photo shoot are a refreshing change in an industry that often promotes unrealistic beauty ideals.
Rachel’s candidness serves as a reminder that beauty is subjective and that it’s important to embrace and celebrate our bodies at every stage of life, regardless of societal norms.
