Although the charming Canadian actor first appeared in “The Mickey Mouse Club” as a child, Ryan Gosling hit his big break in the 2004 romantic drama, “The Notebook.” Although the female lead role ended up going to the relatively unknown Canadian actor, Rachel McAdams, who would break out that year with “The Notebook” and “Mean Girls,” a number of young actors were considered for the role, including Jessica Biel, Ashley Judd, and of course, Britney Jean herself.
Casting director Matthew Barry revealed in a 2021 Daily Mailinterview that Spears auditioned for the role, and although McAdams would be cast, it was a close call in the end. “[Britney Spears] really wanted to get the job,” Barry said. Per E! Online, Barry described Spears’ audition as “fantastic,” but it was McAdams who ended up acing the audition. “She crushed it,” Barry said of McAdams. “If you look at the video, I’m bawling like a baby behind the camera…it was just magic.”
According to Cheatsheet, Spears’ audition tape for “The Notebook” is being auctioned off on eBay, with a starting bid of $1 million. Although the auction was announced in May 2021, there is no update as to whether the tape has been purchased as of June 2022.