“I’m glad I didn’t do it”: Britney Spears Has No Regrets Over Losing 1 Iconic Movie That Almost Starred Tom Cruise
In her recently released memoir, pop princess Britney Spears pulls back the curtain on her legendary career, offering an unfiltered look at her musical rise, complicated conservatorship, and transition back to freedom. While touching on both triumphs and tribulations, one revelation may surprise fans – Spears passed on a lead role in the 2004 blockbuster romance The Notebook.
Could Britney Spears Have Been Allie in The Notebook?
The Notebook, based on Nicholas Sparks’ bestselling novel, went on to become a defining romantic drama of its era. While Rachel McAdams brought Allie to vivid life onscreen, one can’t help but wonder how Spears might have tackled the role during her early 2000s peak. However, the pop princess harbors no regrets over passing up the opportunity.
“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,” Spears wrote in her raw confessional The Woman in Me. “If I had, instead of working on my album In the Zone I’d have been acting like a 1940s heiress day and night.”
Instead, Britney Spears devoted herself fully to making In the Zone, which spawned smash hits like “Toxic” and “Me Against the Music.” For the singer, who shot to fame as a teenager, her sons ultimately eclipsed any professional accomplishments.
“Starting a family was my dream come true. Being a mom was my dream come true.” Spears tells PEOPLE magazine in an exclusive interview.
Tom Cruise almost starred in The Notebook
While Spears may not lose sleep over missing out on The Notebook, she wasn’t the only A-lister nearly cast in the iconic romance. After New Line Cinema secured the rights to Nicholas Sparks’ book in 1996, none other than Steven Spielberg expressed interest in directing the film adaptation. And Spielberg had his sights set on mega-star Tom Cruise to play Noah Calhoun.
One can scarcely imagine the Top Gun icon delicately restored in aged makeup, rowing his beloved through enchanting marshlands. Alas, it was not meant to be, as scheduling conflicts arose and Spielberg departed the project. For years, The Notebook languished in development limbo.
Eventually, director Nick Cassavetes would pick up the baton, casting Ryan Gosling opposite Rachel McAdams. Though we were denied a Cruise-led iteration, perhaps this was the universe’s way of protecting the sanctity of The Notebook as an unimpeachable romance classic. Try as we might, envisioning anyone but Gosling tenderly reading aloud to a bedridden Allie stretches the imagination to its breaking point.
Britney Spears writes about owning her past, present, and future
In The Woman in Me, Spears reckons with her complicated past with unflinching candor.
“It is finally time for me to raise my voice and speak out, and my fans deserve to hear it directly from me,” she explains. “No more conspiracy, no more lies — just me owning my past, present and future.”
From the pressures of childhood stardom to her exploitative 13-year conservatorship, Spears overcomes obstacles by finding joy in life’s simple pleasures – her children, travel, and everyday moments of laughter and connection. While her experiences left deep scars, the pop icon demonstrates resilience.
By boldly reclaiming her story, Britney Spears paves the way for others to speak their truth.
“It is time for me to raise my voice and speak out,” she declares.
Through opening up, she continues moving towards a life defined on her own terms, with no regrets.
The Notebook is streaming on Netflix.
