Rachel McAdams has shared an insight into her decision to stop shaving her armpit hair after showcasing her natural looks in a new interview shoot.
The star showed off her armpit hair in a raw and minimally edited photoshoot, and in the accompanying video interview for Bustle, the 44-year-old reflected on her relationship with body hair removal.
Sharing words of wisdom with her teenage self, the Notebook star shared her advice for a young person looking to start shaving.
“That’s the advice my mom gave me: ‘Once you start, you can never stop,'” she began. But it’s so true, life is long and shaving is intense.”
Go for it: Rachel McAdams has shown her support for those who decide to stop shaving their armpit hair after showing off her own in a new photoshoot
Revealing: The 44-year-old opted to celebrate her body in a raw photoshoot that shows off her armpit hair
She continued: “But if you’re going to go ahead with that anyway, watch out for the ankle bones and shin.”
Recalling her first shaving experience, Rachel added, “You’re going to go to Bible camp thinking it’s okay to shave without shaving cream and it’s going to be awful. Always have shaving cream with you.’
The About Time star then made it clear that she supports those who don’t want to remove their body hair, adding, “And if one day you want to stop shaving, that’s fine too.”
The Mean Girls actress made headlines with her new shoot as she celebrated her body and highlighted her natural beauty by requiring minimal edits to the images.
Her armpit hair was on display as she lay on a plush couch, while it was also seen in a different shot of Rachel posing in a sleeveless white dress.
Rachel, who shares a son and daughter with partner Jamie Linden, told Bustle, “I’m wearing latex underwear on this shoot. But I have two children. That’s my body and I think that’s so important to give back to the world.”
“It’s okay to look good and work at it and be healthy, but it’s different for everyone,” she added.
The Game Night star is currently promoting her upcoming film Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, adapted from the hugely popular book by Judy Blume.
Listen closely: The Mean Girls star shared words of wisdom about her teenage self in a video accompanying the new interview shoot
“This is my body”: According to the article, the images were minimally edited at the request of Rachel herself
In her lengthy interview with Bustle, Rachel admitted she still feels “guilty” about taking a two-year hiatus from Hollywood at the height of her career in the mid-2010s to “stay sane.”
While reflecting on her shocking decision to turn down starring roles in The Devil Wears Prada, Casino Royale, Mission: Impossible III, Iron Man and Get Smart, the actress revealed that after her break, she decided she’d decided to leave asked if she would “throw it all away.”
“I felt guilty for not taking the opportunity that was given to me, knowing I was in such a happy place,” she confessed. “But I also knew it didn’t quite fit my personality and what I needed to stay sane.”
Though she occasionally regrets not taking on a role, the Oscar nominee said she always takes a step back and thinks, “That was the right person for it.”
Throwback: The star recalled a series of teenage experiences in the video
Back in action: In her lengthy interview with Bustle, Rachel admitted she still feels “guilty” about taking a two-year hiatus from Hollywood
During her brief hiatus from acting, the mother-of-two said she wasn’t initially aware “why” she was taking some time off.
“It took me years to understand what I was doing intuitively,” Rachel explained to Bustle, nodding to prioritize her sanity as she grappled with navigating fame at a young age.
She continued: I think I always felt it would be okay; either it will work or not.’
Ultimately, she credits her breaks in acting over the years for “really” helping her feel “empowered.”
“It helped me feel like I was taking some control back. And I think it kind of allowed me to come in through a different door,” she added.
Staying true to herself: The breakup happened in the mid-2010s at the height of her career, and the star revealed she has no regrets about the decision
Upcoming: Rachel is currently promoting her upcoming film Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret, adapted from the hugely popular book by Judy Blume
The performer later explained that becoming a household name following her roles in Mean Girls, The Notebook and Wedding Crashers made her feel like an overnight sensation.
The transition from a recent York University graduate who worked at McDonald’s for three years to an A-lister was staggering.
“You don’t go to theater school to learn how to do it. There’s no book on how to do that,” she said, referring to public acknowledgment and having fans ask for selfies.