Things You Might Not Know About The Notebook

2

9. Ryan Gosling Was the One

Ryan Gosling was director Nick Cassavetes’ only choice for Noah. He was cast because he was unknown at that point and because he was not handsome by Hollywood standards.

Source: Gran Via

3

8. Ryan Gosling Wasn’t So Sure…

Ryan Gosling wasn’t so sure that he was right for the part of Noah: “I read [the script] and I thought, ‘He’s crazy. I couldn’t be more wrong for this movie.’”

Source: Gran Via

4

7. Rachel McAdams Had some Stiff Competition

Rachel McAdams beat out several other actresses for the role of Allie. Some of them include Jessica Biel, Britney Spears, Ashley Judd and Reese Witherspoon.

s_bukley / Shutterstock.com

5

6. Rachel McAdams’ Audition

Rachel McAdams received the script the night before her audition when she was at another film’s premiere, but she still nailed it.

6

5. Ryan Gosling’s Preparation

In preparation for his role as Noah, Ryan Gosling moved to Charleston, South Carolina, and spent two months rowing the Ashley River and making furniture.

Source: Gran Via

7

4. Rachel McAdams’ Preparation

Before filming, Rachel McAdams took ballet and etiquette classes. She also had a dialect coach to learn the southern accent.

Source: Gran Via

8

3. Brown Contacts

For filming, Ryan Gosling wore brown contacts through filming because James Garner – who played his character Noah when he was older – had brown eyes.

Copyright 2004 by Debbie VanStory/Abaca

9

2. It Was Filmed in Reverse

The shots at the beginning of the film were filmed last. For the shots at the beginning if the film, Ryan Gosling had to lose twenty pounds of muscle during Christmas vacation and get rid of the beard.

(c) New Line/courtesy Everett Collection

10

1. Like Oil and Water

When they first started filming, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams didn’t get along. “Maybe I’m not supposed to tell this story, but they were really not getting along one day on set. Really not,” Nick Cassavetes said. “And Ryan came to me, and there’s 150 people standing in this big scene, and he says, ‘Nick come here.’ He’s doing a scene with Rachel and he says, ‘Would you take her out of here and bring in another actress to read off camera with me?’ ‘I said, ‘What?’ He says, ‘I can’t. I can’t do it with her. I’m just not getting anything from this.’…[later] we went into a room with a producer; they started screaming and yelling at each other. I walked out…And it got better after that, you know?”

c) New Line/courtesy Everett Collection