‘The Notebook’: Ryan Gosling Improvised One of the Most Romantic Lines From the Movie

The Notebook is one of the most romantic films of all time. The movie, starring Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, is Nicholas Sparks’ most successful film to date, and for good reason.

And interestingly enough, one of the most iconic lines from the entire film was improvised by Gosling. Which line was it?

Ryan Gosling was cast in ‘The Notebook’ because he wasn’t considered attractive

While Gosling is regarded as one of the biggest heartthrobs in Hollywood, he was cast in The Notebook because Nick Cassavetes wanted someone who wasn’t very handsome. According to Seventeen Magazine, Cassavetes told Gosling, “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.”

Um…what?

Meanwhile, McAdams was given the part of Allie because of her outspoken personality (along with her outstanding acting abilities.)

Gosling said of McAdams, “We weren’t going to make the movie when we were auditioning. We were just seeing if there was a girl who could play the part. Rachel was the last person to audition. She came in, and she just took the role. And it was clear to me, anyway, that this was an actress that I wanted to work with. In the audition, it just felt like she not only was very talented, but she also had a lot of opinions, and she was able to fight for those opinions. She wasn’t going to be swayed or manipulated. And that was sort of the initial appeal for me.”

Ryan Gosling improvised this romantic line from ‘The Notebook’

According to Cassavetes, one of the best lines from the movie was improvised by Gosling. During the scene where Noah tries to convince Allie to be with him, he asks her, “What do you want?”. It is one of the most passionate (and meme-worthy) lines of the film to date, and it all came from the actor himself.

“There was a scene at the end where Ryan improvised,’ What do you want? What do you want?‘ And it became one of the most iconic things from the film [that] wasn’t in the script,” Cassavetes told VH1. “He just knew it. I’m a literary guy, I was a lit major in college, and I like words, but I also like improvisation, [so] that’s fine. But he was so on it. We just let him go. They deserve all the credit in the world, those guys.”

Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams dated in real life

At first, Gosling and McAdams didn’t get along behind-the-scenes. Just like their characters Allie and Noah, they started on the wrong foot.

But after filming the movie, they entered a serious relationship for two years.

And according to Gosling, it was one of the best relationships he’s ever been in.

“I mean, God bless The Notebook,” Gosling says. “It introduced me to one of the great loves of my life.”

And although Gosling and McAdams are no longer together, they were able to remain good friends following their split.