Ryan Gosling shares why The Notebook director cast him in the leading role

Ryan Gosling has recently explained how he got the iconic role in his hit movie, The Notebook.

In a new interview with British GQ for its cover story, Gosling revealed that he was selected for the lead role in the 2004 movie because the director thought he didn’t have the qualities for a “leading man”.

“Director Nick Cassavetes straight up told me, ‘The fact that you have no natural leading man qualities is why I want you to be my leading man,’” said Gosling.

The actor mentioned that The Notebook was not the only movie he had been cast for this reason. Another 2001 movie The Believer he was cast in for same reasons.

“The fact that I wasn’t really right for it was exactly [director Henry Bean] he thought I was right for it,” disclosed Gosling.

Elsewhere in the interview, the Drive actor also likened acting to some form of therapy.

Gosling explained, “I was trying to find a place to put all these things that were happening to me. And these films became ways to do that, like time capsules. So, you kinda make the movie for yourselves.”

Elaborating on more, the actor pointed out, “Doesn’t matter if anyone else does, you know? But I think, having done a lot of that, I realise that I kind of feel like my job is for other people to feel it. And it’s cool if I do, but that’s really not the point. The point is that other people do.”

Reflecting on his career, Gosling added, “I treat it more like work now, and not like it’s, you know, therapy. It’s a job, and I think in a way that allows me to be better at it because there’s less interference.”