Great news, fans of “The Notebook” who are still depressed that they just can’t seem to replicate that burning love between stars Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams: They hated each other at first.
Celebrities, they’re just like us!
In an interview with VH1 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the film, director Nick Cassavetes explains that the two stars got very heated early in production, and not in the way that had been intended.
See video: ‘The Notebook’ Turns 10 Years Old: Watch How Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling’s Romance Began
“They were really not getting along one day on set. Really not. And Ryan came to me, and there’s 150 people standing in this big scene, and he says, ‘Nick come here,’” Cassavetes revealed. “And he’s doing a scene with Rachel and he says, ‘Would you take her out of here and bring in another actress to read off camera with me?’ I said, ‘What?’ He says, ‘I can’t. I can’t do it with her. I’m just not getting anything from this.’”
See photos: Inside Ryan Gosling’s ‘Lost River’ Premiere in Cannes
Ryan Gosling, an Oscar-nominated actor, could not even fake heat with his co-star, because they had that little chemistry. Of course, this problem didn’t last forever, because anyone who has seen that movie has love ruined for them because they realize they will never find a relationship that magical. So how did Cassavetes pull that off?
“We went into a room with a producer; they started screaming and yelling at each other,” the director explained. “I walked out. At that point I was smoking cigarettes. I smoked a cigarette and everybody came out like, ‘All right let’s do this.’ And it got better after that, you know? They had it out… I think Ryan respected her for standing up for her character and Rachel was happy to get that out in the open.
“The rest of the film wasn’t smooth sailing, but it was smoother sailing,” he added.
Indeed, Gosling and McAdams went on to date for years, so perhaps that was the ultimate impromptu couples therapy session.