Britney Spears explains why she has no regrets about losing out on the lead role in The Notebook. Based on the 1996 Nicholas Sparks novel of the same name, The Notebook is a 2004 film often hailed as one of the most beloved 21st-century romance films. The Notebook is directed by Nick Cassavetes and starred a leading couple of Rachel McAdams’ Allie opposite Ryan Gosling’s Noah.
Looking back on her almost casting in the period-piece The Notebook. Speaking with People, Spears said that “The Notebook casting came down to [her] and Rachel McAdams,” who was ultimately cast in the role over Spears. On losing out on the part, Spears mentioned that she is “glad [she] didn’t do it” because she would have “been acting like a 1940s heiress day and night” rather than on her album. Check out the full quote from Spears below:
The Notebook casting came down to me and Rachel McAdams, and even though it would have been fun to reconnect with Ryan Gosling after our time on the Mickey Mouse Club, I’m glad I didn’t do it. If I had, instead of working on my album In the Zone I’d have been acting like a 1940s heiress day and night.
Spears, McAdams, and Gosling Took Divergent Career Paths After The Notebook Casting
As Spears mentions, she went on from being turned down from The Notebook to working on her fourth studio album, In the Zone. This ended up being great for Spears’ career, as In the Zone peaked at no. 1 on the U.S. charts. While the album did not have the same global pull as her debut album …Baby One More Time, In the Zone featured the hit song “Toxic,” which still gets radio play today.
Meeting on the set of The Mickey Mouse Club, Gosling and Spears’ careers had similar beginnings but ended up going in vastly different directions in their careers. Today, The Notebook is a rare entry within Gosling’s oeuvre, as his career has since been populated with darker films including Drive, Blue Valentine, and The Place Beyond the Pines. Since The Notebook, Gosling has cemented himself as an A-list actor, and has been nominated for two Oscars for Best Actor, for Half Nelson and La La Land.
For McAdams, 2004 was a huge year, as it saw the release of both The Notebook and Mean Girls, both of which were arguably launching points in McAdams’ career. Since then, romance films have frequented McAdams’ career. Gosling, McAdams, and the would-be The Notebook star Spears went in starkly different directions but nonetheless saw their careers skyrocket after their casting or non-casting in The Notebook.
