Rachel McAdams might have Mean Girls, The Notebook and The Time Traveler’s Wife to her name – but her costar Abby Ryder Fortson has revealed she had not watched any of her movies before they took on mother and daughter in the hit movie Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret.
In fact, the 15-year-old hadn’t even met her on-screen mom until the day before they began filming for the big screen adaptation of Judy Blume’s famous novel in 2021.
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Abby revealed that she only saw Rachel’s breakout performance in smash-hit comedy, Mean Girls (2004), late last year as she finally got the chance to discover why her costar was universally praised for her performance as the film’s antagonist, Regina George.
‘In November, my mom, my brother and I all sat down to finally watch Mean Girls. My brother’s ten so we had to explain a couple of things that I don’t think he knew about before, which was quite quite hilarious. It was such a funny, funny movie. She was really great.’
The Ant-Man star noted that when it came time to first dip her toe into Rachel’s impressive film catalog, she chose to watch Dr. Strange – since both stars have appeared in movies within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Are You There God? It’s Me Margaret star Abby Ryder Fortson had not watched any of Rachel McAdams’ previous work before they played mother and daughter in the hit movie
Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Abby revealed that she only saw Rachel’s breakout performance in smash-hit comedy, Mean Girls (2004), late last year
‘Honestly, I hadn’t seen a single film that Rachel was in before I met her,’ she said. ‘And then I watched Dr. Strange because it was Covid and we were running through all the Marvel films in my family.’
Despite not having a deep knowledge of Rachel’s work before they met, Abby explained that the pair were able to instantly form the rapport needed to portray the mother-daughter bond which won the hearts of movie fans last year.
‘Honestly, it is one of my favorite things to do as an actor,’ she said. ‘I meet this random person that I’ve never seen before in my life, and I just go “Hi, you’re my mother now. I love you and we’re gonna have a beautiful relationship”.’
She continued: ‘It’s honestly so much fun. Rachel was so lovely to work with, she really made it easy to pretend like she was a wonderful mother because I know that she is. She’s a great mother to her kids and just such a lovely spirit. She’s a wonderful person to be around and to get to work with.’
In the film, which won rave reviews, Rachel plays Barbara, mom to the main character, an 11-year-old named Margaret (played by Abby).
Their lives are thrown into disarray as their family relocates from New York City to the suburbs of New Jersey, all while Margaret navigates the challenges of puberty.
First released as a novel by Judy Blume in 1970, the story has raised a generation of young readers.
The 15-year-old hadn’t even met her on-screen mom until the day before they began filming for the big screen adaptation of Judy Blume’s (pictured center) iconic novel
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret was first released as a novel by the famed author in 1970
Reflecting on the success of the movie with fans old and new, Abby said: ‘I just feel so honored that everyone loves it as much as we do’
Had there been any apprehension about such a beloved text being brought to life, the success of the movie was cemented by the fact it was ranked as the second best new release in 2023 on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie only came behind Japanese animated sports film, The First Slam Dunk, which was released in Japan last year before hitting US cinemas in July 2023.
Reflecting on the success of the movie with fans old and new, Abby said: ‘I just feel so honored that everyone loves it as much as we do. It was really one of my most favorite projects that I’ve ever worked on.
‘It’s so near and dear to my heart because I think it’s such a beautiful story of figuring yourself out and realizing that it’s okay to be yourself. I’m just so happy that it was so well received, and well loved by so many.’
She continued: ‘It’s so wonderful that the story gets to have this new life almost. I’ve loved to hear from younger fans of the film saying, “It helped me like realize things about myself or helped me be kinder to myself. I think it’s so wonderful that it gets to touch so many kids as well as every one of every single age.”
Abby also praised those who helped get the film made, adding: ‘We don’t get many films like this anymore that are just something that everyone can watch that are positive, that are about little tiny real life feelings and awkward situations.
Abby also gushed about getting to share scenes with acting legend Kathy Bates, who plays her grandmother Sylvia Simon
Despite not having a deep knowledge of Rachel’s work before they met, Abby explained that the pair were able to instantly form the rapport that won the hearts of audiences
‘I think it’s really lovely that we had the chance to bring a film like this into the world because we’ve had kind of a bad couple of years and I think it’s I think it’s the perfect time for films like Margaret.’
Abby also gushed about getting to not only star alongside Rachel but sharing scenes with acting legend Kathy Bates, who plays her grandmother Sylvia Simon.
She had nothing but praise for the pair as she said: ‘I admire Kathy and Rachel so much – from the projects that they’ve chosen, to the dedication to their work. I feel so honored that I was able to get to work with them and they’re both such wonderful actresses.
‘I feel like we have the Margaret family and we all are very supportive of each other’s work and I feel like I could reach out to them for any sort of advice.’
Born to actors John Fortson and Christie Lynn Smith, Abby has successfully forged her own path in Hollywood as a child actor.
She was named one of The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 30 Stars Under the Age of 18, cementing her status as one to watch in coming years.
The success of the movie was cemented by the fact it was ranked as the second best new release in 2023 on Rotten Tomatoes
The movie only came behind Japanese animated sports film, The First Slam Dunk, which was released in Japan last year before hitting US cinemas in July 2023
Looking ahead, Abby explained that she hopes to have a career much like her co-stars where she continues to tell stories that resonate.
‘As an actor, I think that the most important thing to me is that when I read a script, I want to care about the story,’ she began. ‘It seems like the most simple thing in the world but there’s so many stories out there. I want my art, the things that I make to matter to people.’
She continued: ‘I want when they look up and I want them to be able to see themselves in the character or be able to put themselves in another person’s shoes.
‘I want my art to make a difference in the world and to really do good, in the smallest of ways just trying to make world a tiny bit of a better place.’