Why Ryan Gosling Actually Got the Role of Noah in 'The Notebook'

One of the most pivotal moments in Ryan Gosling's career was playing Noah Calhoun in The Notebook. The tear-jerking romance film was an instant hit, and took Gosling from little-known actor to mega movie star and heartthrob almost overnight. The Notebook's author, Nicholas Sparks, is now opening up about casting Gosling, and the reason he got the part might surprise you.

Sparks is currently making the publicity rounds for the latest movie based on one of his romantic dramedies, The Choice. In a session for IMDB Asks, Sparks explained that most big stars turned down the role of Noah in The Notebook because it essentially had no dramatic arc for him. That is to say that the role more or less was pretty basic in comparison to Rachel McAdams' role of Allie, according to Sparks.

He explains, "It was really interesting because a lot of the actors said, 'Well, what's Noah's arc?' It's a guy who falls in love and then he just kinda does nothing, and then waits for her to show up and then he's there and he's still in love and then at the end of the film, well, he's still in love. Where's the arc?"

Sparks goes on to say that Gosling was the only one who could make Noah interesting, saying, "Ryan Gosling came in and he really brought that story to life."

Of course, back in 2012 Gosling himself gave an entirely different explanation for how he got the role. He told Company magazine, "[Director Nick] Cassavettes called me to meet him at his house. When I got there, he was standing in his backyard, and he looked at me and said, 'I want you to play this role because you're not like the other young actors out there in Hollywood. You're not handsome, you're not cool, you're just a regular guy who looks a bit nuts.'"

And there you have it! Whatever the reason, Gosling will always be the Noah Calhoun. Until someone decides to remake the film, that is.