The 2004 romantic drama film The Notebook starring Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling is one of the most beloved romance movies of all time. It cemented the careers of both lead actors, allowing them to receive several awards and putting their names in the mainstream spotlight. Their onscreen kiss under the pouring rain has even been widely recognized as one of the best movie kisses of all time. Honestly, fans can’t see anyone else playing the roles of Allie and Noah, and we think the same. But did you know that there was another big name tied to the film? Princess of Pop Britney Spears was actually in the running for the role of Allie.

Britney Spears’ audition clip for The Notebook

After two decades of keeping it under lock and key, The Notebook casting director Matthew Barry has finally shared the elusive audition clip of Britney Spears trying out for the role of Allie. In the screen test clip, the 41-year-old singer is seen in tears while addressing Ryan Gosling’s Noah.

In an exclusive interview, Barry told Daily Mail that Britney actually beat out the likes of Scarlett Johansson, Claire Danes, Kate Bosworth, Amy Adams, Jamie King, and Mandy Moore in the running for the role.

“Britney wasn’t just good — she was phenomenal,” Barry described the singer’s audition.

“It was a tough decision. Britney blew us all away. Our jaws were on the floor. I was blown away. Absolutely blown away. She brought her A-game that day,” he added.

Fans loved her performance

Just like the film’s casting director, fans also loved Britney’s performance. While people said that they can’t see anyone other than Rachel McAdams playing Allie, many agreed that Britney did well for her audition.

“Came here ready to make fun of it but it was actually pretty good acting,” one X user said. Another wrote: “Rachel ate her up but Britney did pretty well. Like, the acting was there. The emotions were there.”

Meanwhile, others lamented that an acting career may have changed the direction of the popstar’s life.

But Britney was happy to have missed out on the role

In her recently released memoir The Woman in Me, Britney Spears admitted that she wasn’t particularly devastated about missing out on the lead role in The Notebook.

“That was pretty much the beginning and end of my acting career, and I was relieved. 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,” she wrote in her memoir.

The singer explained that she didn’t pursue a career in acting after an unpleasant experience filming Crossroads.

“I really became this other person. Some people do method acting, but they’re usually aware of the fact that they’re doing it. But I didn’t have any separation at all,” she said. “I hope I never get close to that occupational hazard again. Living that way, being half yourself and half a fictional character, is messed up. After a while you don’t know what’s real anymore.”

Instead of an acting project, Britney Spears poured all her efforts and attention into completing her fourth studio album In the Zone, which further established her as the Princess of Pop.

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