If we’re judging based solely on handsomeness, it’s hard to decide who is the more attractive human, Ryan Gosling or George Clooney. It gets even more difficult when you consider mid-‘90s, “ER”-era Clooney and mid-2000s “The Notebook”-era for Gosling. But thankfully, this isn’t something we have to decide now, but it is something that might be brought up when you consider that both men were up for the same role in a massively popular romance film.
According to an EW interview with Clooney, the actor explained that he was originally cast for the lead role in “The Notebook,” when the film was being developed years before Gosling would eventually nab the role. In addition, the production already had an iconic actor attached to play the older version of Clooney’s character.
“I was going to do a movie years ago called ‘The Notebook,’ that Ryan Gosling actually did, and I was going to do it with Paul Newman,” Clooney said. “I was playing the flashback and Paul Newman was the old guy.”
He added, “Paul and I talked about doing it, and we were sitting there one day and I was looking at him and I go, ‘I can’t do this movie, Paul.’ He was like. ‘Why?’ I was like, ‘Because everybody knows what you look like at 30 years old. You got blue eyes, I got brown eyes. You’re too famous at 30 for me to be playing you at 30, it’s never gonna work.’ And he’s like, ‘I guess you’re right.'”
As we all know, the film never did get made back then and about a decade later, Gosling would star in the role with James Garner cast as the older version of the character. “The Notebook” would go on to be a massive hit with fans and has become an iconic romantic drama. And when you think of films that make people cry like babies, director Nick Cassavetes’ film is normally near the top of that list.
Obviously, Clooney is an incredible actor and would have probably done really well in the role. However, it really is hard to imagine anyone other than Gosling and Rachel McAdams in those lead roles. But hey, it worked out well for everyone involved anyway, so no harm, no foul.
If you need a refresher about what “The Notebook” is all about, here’s the trailer for the film: