Britney Spears Michael Kovac/Getty Pictures for Metropolis of Hope
Britney Spears’ audition for The Pocket book goes viral 20 years later, and the movie’s casting director is sharing extra behind-the-scenes particulars.
The 2-plus minute clip, which was revealed by the Day by day Mail on Monday, October 23, exhibits a 21-year-old Spears delivering a tearful monologue as Allie Hamilton whereas Ryan Gosling reads strains off-camera as Noah. The function finally went to Rachel McAdams and the romantic interval drama, primarily based on the Nicholas Sparks e book of the identical title, was launched in 2004.
Within the scene, Spears, as Allie, is struggling to decide on between Noah, a previous love she’s simply reunited with, and her rich fiancé, Lon.
“I prayed so that you can die within the conflict, actually,” Spears says within the video, tears welling in her eyes. “Nicely, not die. I’d have felt fully horrible in case you would die. However I kinda didn’t need you to be alive anymore as a result of I couldn’t bear the considered you being with someone else, or of us by no means seeing one another once more. So I gotta go, OK?”
The singer sobs as she performs the heart-wrenching strains, showcasing an emotional depth that casting director Matthew Barry mentioned “blew us all away.”
“Britney Spears was unbelievable. She was completely unbelievable,” Barry informed Leisure Tonight. “Britney got here in and blew us all away.”
Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in ‘The Pocket book.’ Cowl Pictures
The casting director additionally opened up about Spears and Goslings’ dynamic through the audition course of. The 2 performers notably appeared collectively on The All New Mickey Mouse Membership within the early Nineties.
“Ryan and Britney have been very skilled,” Barry recalled. “When you’ve ever met [director] Nick Cassavetes, he may be very intimidating at 6 foot 5. Ryan was actually cool, he allowed Britney the time to satisfy with Nick to debate the function, to debate the character. And I believe as soon as it was throughout, then it was, like, reunion time.”
He additionally famous that Spears had probably “tapped into” her extremely publicized breakup with Justin Timberlake, which occurred earlier than the audition. In her newly launched memoir, The Girl in Me, Spears revealed that she had had an abortion throughout her relationship with the ‘NSync singer.
“We didn’t know,” Barry mentioned. “I believe she undoubtedly tapped into her emotional depth and introduced it out. She confirmed us she was uncooked, she was emotional, she was incredible. She laid all of it out on the road.”
Whereas Barry mentioned that Spears was a severe contender for the function, McAdams was a greater match.
“Rachel blew us away,” he mentioned. “Britney got here in, after which Rachel got here in, I believe, shortly afterwards, and simply destroyed us. It was a really, very arduous toss-up between the 2 of them. There was a lot of arguing as there are in any movie that ever will get made. I believe the studio in all probability needed Britney for apparent causes. However Rachel, it was her function.”
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In her e book, Spears says that she’s grateful she didn’t find yourself doing the movie.
“The Pocket book casting got here all the way down to me and Rachel McAdams, and regardless that it will have been enjoyable to reconnect with Ryan Gosling after our time on The Mickey Mouse Membership, I’m glad I didn’t do it,” she wrote in an knowledgeable revealed by Individuals earlier this month. “If I had, as an alternative of engaged on my album Within the Zone I’d have been appearing like a Forties heiress day and evening.”
The singer additional defined that she had change into too entwined along with her character whereas filming the 2001 film Crossroads.
“I believe I began Technique appearing — solely I didn’t know learn how to get away of my character [Lucy],” she wrote. “It’s like, a cloud or one thing came visiting me and I simply grew to become this lady named Lucy. When the digital camera got here on, I used to be her, after which I couldn’t inform the distinction between when the digital camera was on and when it wasn’t.”
Regardless of not touchdown the function of Allie, Barry urged Spears to return to appearing. “I’m glad her followers have now gotten an opportunity to lastly see it,” he mentioned of the audition footage. He later added, “Come again, come again. We’d like you. All of us want you and are available prepare with me.”
