By this point, The Notebook has inspired generations of true romantics. And it’s not hard to see why: Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are both beautiful actors, and their characters falling in love was engrossing because of the amazing chemistry they both shared.
That chemistry has caused countless fans to watch this movie again and again. Despite that, however, even the film’s biggest fans don’t know every secret behind its production. Care to learn more about your favorite film, including facts that will forever change how you watch it? Keep reading to discover the sweetest facts about The Notebook, including our favorite deleted scene!
The sex scenes had a LOT of planning
It’s not the kind of thing we talk about with our parents or more conservative friends, but let’s face it: part of what makes The Notebook so hot is its plethora of steamy sex scenes. Those scenes helped sell just how connected Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams’ characters really were. And each one of them seemed spontaneous…the kind of spur-of-the-moment naughtiness that leaves your toes curling and your face smiling.
Interestingly, McAdams revealed in an old interview that they extensively discussed those scenes ahead of time, so she was confident that Gosling “was going to be a gentleman.” However, Gosling himself confirmed in another interview that “We didn’t rehearse a lot,” which (in our opinion) helped give those sexy scenes a more naturalistic feeling.
The two leads hardly saw each other before filming
Because of the aforementioned chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in The Notebook, you might think that they spent plenty of time together during the production. How else could these two so convincingly portray their blossoming relationship? However, that assumption couldn’t be any further from the truth.
McAdams disclosed in an old interview that they lived very separate lives in the lead-up to filming despite both living in South Carolina. “In the two months leading up to the film, we were both in Charleston, doing prep work, but very separate,” she said. Rather than hurting the movie, she believes this approach “kinda worked” specifically “because we were supposed to be playing these people from opposite ends of the spectrum who come together and find each other and complement each other in their opposites.”
The two leads had a nasty fight on set
If you’re as big a fan of The Notebook as we are, you might have to sit down for this one. Fans of the movie typically like to think that Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams were the best of friends while filming and that this contributed to their sizzling onscreen chemistry. In reality, the two actors had some very bitter disagreements.
The Notebook director Nick Cassavetes has been very candid about his stars’ disagreements, and he revealed in a previous interview how the two fought so much that it culminated in a screaming match onset. Fortunately for the production (not to mention the fans), the fight helped get things back on track. “It got better after that, you know?” Cassavetes asked. “I think Ryan respected her for standing up for her character and Rachel was happy to get that out in the open. The rest of the film wasn’t smooth sailing, but it was smoother sailing.”
The Notebook’s best deleted scene
This deleted scene isn’t the steamiest one from The Notebook, but it might be our favorite. That’s largely because it lets the chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams speak for itself. We see him fishing for dinner when she starts asking him who Martha is and whether he is doing a good job of looking after her. McAdams’ character sounds a bit jealous at first, but she is soon reassured that he only wants her when he invites her inside for dinner.
This mostly gives McAdams a chance to look around his bedroom…she goes in to borrow a coat and ends up checking out an old family photograph as well as a painting. Without a word, her visit to the bedroom cements the hidden depths of Gosling’s character and the growing attraction she has for him. Our only criticism is that a scene this good should have ended up in the film and not on the cutting-room floor.
Other big names nearly worked on this film
It’s impossible to think about The Notebook without thinking about how perfectly cast Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams are. However, the movie was almost completely different because it nearly had different talent both in front of and behind the cameras. For example, Jessica Biel auditioned for the role of Allie while still covered in blood from filming the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Kate Beckinsale auditioned for the same role but lost out due to having no chemistry with Gosling. Even pop star Britney Spears auditioned for this coveted role!
As for Gosling, his role was nearly played by Tom Cruise back when Steven Spielberg (!) was attached to direct the film, and Star Wars star Hayden Christensen auditioned but did not impress the director. Hilariously enough, director Nick Cassavetes ended up casting Gosling for the last reason you’d expect: that he didn’t look handsome.
As reported by Us Magazine, Gosling once confirmed what the director told him about the casting decision. “I want you to play this role because you’re not like the other young actors out there in Hollywood. You’re not handsome, you’re not cool, you’re just a regular guy who looks a bit nuts.” Fortunately for Gosling’s career, audiences all around the world think that “handsome” barely describes the actor’s classically good looks.