Britney Spears' THE NOTEBOOK Audition Tape Reveals a Solid Performance That Put Her Up for the Lead Role

It was recently revealed that singer Britney Spears had auditioned for the lead role in the fan-favorite film The Notebook, and it was actually down to her and Rachel McAdams, who ended up getting the role opposite Ryan Gosling. Spears had grown up knowing Gosling as they co-starred with one another in the Mickey Mouse Club on the Disney Channel, so maybe that helped with the chemistry, as we now know that Spears was in the final running, having beaten out Claire Danes, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams and Jessica Biel.

Hollywood casting director Matthew Barry revealed that casting news, along with one of Britney Spears’ casting tapes that show off her acting chops, which you can check out below. Spears ultimately revealed in her memoir that she was glad she didn’t get the part, and she was happy that she returned to music instead of sticking with acting. While I’m glad that Rachel McAdams got the role, I was surprised at how good Spears was in her audition. Maybe she will return to the big screen one day and get to put those skills to use.