2004’s The Notebook pushed Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams’ careers to new heights, and since its release the film has garnered the title of a cult classic, thanks to their impeccable chemistry. And while Gosling and McAdams were the eventual picks to star in the romantic drama, certain other prominent stars came close to grabbing the roles, with one actress being Jessica Biel.
Even though several actors, including Britney Spears, were also reportedly in talks to star as the film’s lead, Biel came closest to garnering the role of Allie despite having a bloodstained audition.
Jessica Biel Had a Bloodier Audition for The Notebook
Before a young Rachel McAdams was finalized to star alongside Ryan Gosling in the Nick Cassavetes-led film, several other A-listers came close to surpassing McAdams, especially Jessica Biel. Strangely, the Blade: Trinity Star’s audition for The Notebook was much bloodier than one would expect for a romantic drama, which is reasonable as she was busy filming The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. But despite being covered in blood, Biel didn’t back down from giving her best shot at the role and was left disheartened after losing it.
“That’s one that I wanted so badly,” She stated. “I was in the middle of shooting Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and I auditioned with Ryan Gosling in my trailer—covered in blood. [Director] Nick Cassavetes put me through the wringer in an interesting, excitingly creative way. But there’s a million that get away. We’re gluttons for punishment. It’s just rejection.”
Although it’s reasonable to assume she would’ve done a great job as Allie following her impeccable acting skills, producer Mark Johnson did come forward to explain why she was rejected.
The Reason Why Rachel McAdams Was Selected Over Jessica Biel
Reflecting on the audition process for the role of Allie Hamilton, producer Mark Johnson revealed that 9 pretty well-known stars auditioned for the role, including Jessica Biel. But despite having great individual performances, no one came close to matching the chemistry that Rachel McAdams had with Ryan Gosling, which eventually led them to cast the two in The Notebook.
“We tested 10 actresses with Ryan, nine of them were very well known.” Said Johnson. “We went around with a video camera and looked for people that were working and interrupted them from their movies, and some of them were really, really great. But when Ms. McAdams came in and read, it was apparent that she was the one.”
While Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling had their fair share of differences, which led to some taxing circumstances on sets, the duo did eventually get along to deliver a gripping film.
The Notebook is available to stream on Max.
Source: Huffington Post
