Who's that girl?

Interview, August, 2005 by Jorge Cueto, Pam Snyder

Dear Interview,

I have to confess that I'd seen both The Notebook and Mean Girls and failed to realize that the star of the former and the Lindsay Lohan sidekick in the latter were one and the same--until I picked up your July issue that is. Actress Rachel McAdams is blessed with a real talent for losing herself in a role, not to mention that special kind of blank canvas-like beauty that can transform itself into whomever or whatever a performance requires it to. As McAdams gets more famous and recognizable (and my guess is that that day is fast approaching), it will be interesting to see whether she'll be able to hold on to that powerful, chameleonic quality of hers; but for now I look forward to those occasions when, reading the credits at the end of the film, I'll have the satisfaction of knowing that she pulled yet another one by me without my having a clue who she was.

JORGE CUETO Miami

Dear Interview,

One of the consistent pleasures of your magazine is the great photography, and no single photographer has been more pleasing in the last year than Max Vadukul. From Natalie Portman to Hilary Swank and now Rachel McAdams, he manages to capture the beauty of an actress without ever making her look like anything other than a powerful and interesting individual. Other photographers who think femininity can only be captured by putting a woman in a bikini would be wise to learn from his example.

PAM SNYDER Philadelphia