(TC) Rachel McAdams’ Unwitting Meme Magic: The Game Night Line That Broke the Internet!
Rachel McAdams had no idea one of her lines from Game Night was a popular meme. Despite being an Academy Award-nominated actress for the 2016 drama Spotlight, McAdams is perhaps better known for her romantic lead and comedic performances, beginning with her breakout role as Regina George, the leader of the Plastics in Mean Girls. One of McAdams’ most high-profile performances to date has come in 2016’s Doctor Strange as Christine Palmer, a role she reprises in the sequel Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, releasing May 6.
Another one of McAdams’ memorable comedic performances came in 2018’s Game Night, reminding audiences how funny the Oscar-nominated actress can be. From directing duo John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein, the action-comedy follows McAdams and Jason Bateman as a couple whose weekly game night with friends is turned into a real-life mystery after one of them is kidnapped by apparent burglars. Game Night is packed with outrageous scenes and quotable dialogue, though one line in particular uttered by McAdams when she encounters an assassin (“Oh, no, he died!”) has lived on as a popular internet meme.
During an interview with IndieWire promoting Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, McAdams was asked about her thoughts on the line living on and continuing to pop up in online spaces. However, the actress admitted she had no clue her simple four-word Game Night line had become such an internet sensation. After she was informed, McAdams was delighted to hear how beloved the line and her delivery of it is. Read her response below:
“Wow, thank you! Tell my agent. I’m just kidding. That’s so funny. We were on a tarmac in the middle of Georgia and it was probably about 4:00 in the morning, so that may have added to the feeling. I don’t know, but that’s very funny. Well, thank you for telling me. That’s nice to know!”
The line in question is spoken by McAdams’ character, Annie Davis, during the climax of the film when one of the kidnappers chasing the titular Game Night gang is engulfed by a jet engine and killed. Annie, who is both surprised and exhausted after her near brush with death, simply acknowledges the obvious by saying, “Oh, no, he died!” with the actor’s deadpan delivery adding to the comedic effect. The line, arguably the film’s funniest and most memorable, has spawned various GIFs and quick video edits which are frequently shared on various social media platforms like Twitter and TikTok.
In 2018, Game Night was an immediate critical success and also a veritable hit during its theatrical run (grossing $117 million on a $37 million budget). It must be especially gratifying for the filmmakers and cast and to know their work continues to be enjoyed to this day; especially McAdams, whose charm and deadpan delivery turned what could have been a throwaway line into a memorable moment. McAdams’ latest and very different Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness performance can be seen in theaters from this Friday.
