John Wilson / NETFLIXNetflix
- Rachel McAdams plays an aspiring Icelandic pop singer in Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of the Fire Saga, in front of Will Ferrell.
- McAdams did sing in the movie, but his voice mixed with that of another singer.
- Originally, the film was intended to coincide with the Eurovision 2020 Song Contest, which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Rachel McAdams garnered attention for her portrayal of Sigrit Ericksdóttir, an aspiring Icelandic pop singer, in the comedy Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of the Fire Saga with Will Ferrell. But while Ferrell’s unique voice made it clear he was making his own voice, fans wondered if McAdams’ real pipes were on display on the film’s catchy soundtrack. (Haha Haha Ding Dong, anyone?)
In an interview with the AV Club to promote the film, McAdams explained how her performance came together, and that director David Dobkin had an idea that would make her appear more natural and authentic in the singing scenes.
“I was singing all the songs, and then David was putting up parts of my performance. Most of the music was done by a Swedish singer, Molly Sandén. Our voices were quite similar,” he explained. “They did some fancy stuff in the studio and put it together like that, and then I sing the song that my character is writing.”
Despite a long career, McAdams has not had to sing in many of his films, except for a memorable performance by Third Eye Blind in Game night. McAdams told ScreenRant that if he were to appear in the actual Eurovision competition, “he would probably like a ballad from Whitney Houston.”
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Sandén is a Eurovision veteran, having represented Sweden in the 2006 Eurovision Junior Contest, finishing third. Since then he released four solo albums and several singles that have gone platinum in his home country.
“When I saw the movie, I got goosebumps,” said Sandén Vanity Fair. “Because it was like, [Rachel was] me.”
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McAdams also said that his accent and acting were inspired by Icelandic pop star Björk, whom he studied to prepare for.
“I saw as much as I could of Björk. He has such a delightful and cute voice and has such a great spirit that I thought he was similar to Sigrit’s,” he said.
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McAdams’ song caught the attention of fans, who reacted on Twitter, with some specifically praising Sandén:
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There is a long history in Hollywood of actors working with professional singers on musical numbers, usually to fully copy their voices. Famous performances like Audrey Hepburn in My lovely lady, Natalie Wood in West Side Story, and Rita Moreno in West side story all involved dubbing.
McAdams may not have the powerful voice of Sandén, but she does more than enough to defend herself and charm the role of Sigrit.
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