Rachel McAdams thinks being mysterious makes her a better actress.

Rachel McAdams

Rachel McAdams

The 'True Detective' star - who previously dated Ryan Gosling - believes keeping her private life out of the spotlight helps her to play a myriad of different characters.

She said: "You want people to buy you as just about anything. So if they think that you're one thing, it's hard to slip into, you know, all these other things."

However, the Canadian-born beauty - who has since relocated to Los Angeles where she lives "within jogging distance" of her younger sister - was happy to share the pair's favourite past times and enjoys hiking with her sibling.

She told Marie Claire magazine: "I think this is my favourite LA stint ever.

"We try to do a different [hike] on each weekend. You get up here, and the sun is shining and the palm trees are swaying, and you think, you know, this really is not bad at all."

The 'Aloha' actress is well respected in Hollywood by her peers, including recent Oscar nominee Emma Stone.

The 'Birdman' star recently said: "I have been a huge fan of Rachel's for over 10 years. The natural talent she has is pretty clear and pretty amazing. Her choices are never one-note or unexplored. She makes you care. That's a real gift."