‘The Notebook’: James Marsden ‘Cried Like a Baby’ the First Time He Saw the Movie

When it comes to romance movies, The Notebook has more than earned its place as a classic. From the star-studded cast to the heartbreaking storyline, the film seems to only get more popular with time. In fact, the story is so special that people are often moved to tears when they watch the movie. But, fans aren’t the only ones who get sappy when they watch The Notebook. James Marsden was also overcome with emotion the first time he saw the flick.

Though Marsden often gets a lot of grief for his role in The Notebook, his character, Lon Hammond, was actually a great guy. His charming, sweet, and attentive nature appealed to Allie, while his socioeconomic status appealed to her parents. But, just how did Marsden join the cast of the romantic drama, and what was it about Lon that drew him to the role?

How James Marsden joined the cast of ‘The Notebook’

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Marsden reflected on his time working on The Notebook. The Hairspray actor shared that he was attracted to Lon because he wasn’t the stereotypical trope of the other man. “Obviously, it was a tremendous cast and a really interesting character in that he’s not like some jerk who, you know, the audience is rooting against him, you know?” Marsden shared. “He’s actually a really nice guy, he just met Allie too late.”

Marsden admitted that when he started filming The Notebook, he worried that the story was a little too over the top and sickly sweet. But, his opinion quickly changed when he had the opportunity to see his castmates shoot their scenes as Noah and Allie. After seeing the dedication of his fellow actors and their inherent chemistry, he knew that the film was going to be something special.”There was a sense that everyone collectively wanted to elevate the material,” Marsden recalled.

Kleenex was passed out at the movie premiere

Though Marsden realized that he’d helped create something special, he still didn’t fully understand the effect that The Notebook would have on people until he attended the premiere. That’s when he was finally confronted with just how emotionally impactful the film was.

“I remember going to the premier, and it was in Westwood, and they were passing out Kleenexes,” Marsden recalled. “And I was like, ‘Don’t do that’ because people are gonna come in and it’s gonna ruin their expectations. They’re gonna go, ‘You think I’m gonna cry? I don’t need this.’ And they were like, ‘We’ve tested the movie, trust us. We need them, they need them,'” The Notebook star shared.

Marsden cried like a baby the first time he saw the full movie

But, the audience wasn’t the only one who needed the Kleenex. Marsden actually ended up needed them himself. “And I remember seeing the movie and I was crying like a baby, like we all did,” the actor added. “And I remember going to the bathroom afterwards and there were grown men splashing water on their face in the bathroom and I was like, ‘Man, that was something very, very special,'” The Notebook cast member confessed.

‘The Notebook’ is currently streaming on Netflix

The Notebook clearly is something special as it continues to move audiences over 15 years later. The film is currently streaming on Netflix if you’ve got some Kleenex handy.