Britney Spears' Emotional 'Notebook' Audition for Rachel McAdams Leaves Everyone Speechless

Britney Spears, Rachel McAdams. Getty Images (2)

The much-awaited online release of Britney Spears' audition tape for The Notebook after 20 years reveals a riveting performance as Allie. The Daily Mail published the video on October 23, where the singer can be seen emotionally delivering lines alongside Ryan Gosling, who was off-camera. This 2004 romantic period drama featured Gosling as blue-collar Noah, who falls in love with upper-class Allie in 1940s South Carolina, a role eventually taken by Rachel McAdams.

"Listen, Noah, I can't stay here. My feelings for you are too strong. It wouldn't be fair to Lon," Allie, portrayed by Spears, confesses in the monologue. This takes place when the characters reunite, despite Allie being engaged to another man. "Noah, you can't marry two people. I'm marrying Lon, so I should leave, okay?" However, she doesn't actually leave.

"I wished for you to be gone... during the war. Seriously," Spears continues, her emotions rising. "Well, not dead. I would have felt terrible if you had died. I just didn't want you to be alive anymore because I couldn't stand the idea of you being with someone else or never seeing each other again."

In her new memoir, The Woman in Me, hitting shelves on Tuesday, October 24, Spears recalled the audition process for the film. The two-plus minute reel highlights Spears' impressive acting skills, especially her ability to handle intense emotions.

"The casting for The Notebook came down to Rachel McAdams and me. Although it would have been enjoyable to reconnect with Ryan Gosling after our time on the Mickey Mouse Club, I am relieved that I didn't pursue it," she explained in an article published by People earlier this month. "Had I accepted the role, instead of focusing on my album In the Zone, I would have been immersed in portraying a wealthy woman from the 1940s day and night."

The Grammy winner further explained in her book that she was prone to completely dissolving into character — which is what happened with her 2001 film, Crossroads.

I had a difficult experience during the production. It wasn't because of anyone involved, but rather the effect acting had on my mind. I inadvertently started Method acting and struggled to separate myself from the character of Lucy. It was like I transformed into this other person completely. While some actors consciously engage in Method acting, I had no distinction between on and off-camera moments.

Spears was so deeply engrossed in the role that even her then-boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, questioned her unusual behavior.

"Thankfully, Lucy was portrayed as a gentle soul, expressing her emotions through heartfelt poems about her journey from girlhood to womanhood. Otherwise, my acting might have given the impression of a dangerous murderer," Spears humorously remarked.