The pop star Britney Spears, who is often in conversation for her turbulent personal life and unconventional social media presence, was nearly cast in the beloved romantic comedy Legally Blonde. The singer, popularly known for hits like Toxic and Baby One More Time, also ventured into acting with the 2002 teen comedy-drama, Crossroads.
While her acting aspirations took a backseat to her thriving pop career, Spears continued to be a topic of discussion for roles in prestigious films like The Notebook. And the screenwriter Kiwi Smith has also claimed that she was also in talks to star in the 2001 romantic comedy Legally Blonde.
Britney Spears Lost Legally Blonde to Reese Witherspoon
Starring Reese Witherspoon in the lead role, the 2001 film Legally Blonde follows Elle Woods, a determined sorority girl who enrolls in Harvard Law School to win back her ex-boyfriend and discovers her own strength and potential.
The film was a box office hit and has since become one of the best films of Witherspoon’s career. However, according to screenwriter Kiwi Smith, singer Britney Spears was also in talks for the role of Elle Woods in the romantic comedy.
“The name Britney Spears was briefly floated,” she revealed on the Hollywood Gold podcast. However, it was also around the same time Witherspoon’s 1999 film Election was released, and their attention shifted to the 47-year-old actress.
“But then Election had just come out. And once we talked about Election, we talked about Reese,” she said. Smith further asserted that although there were loose conversations about other actresses, the script was probably not even sent to anyone else after that, and the role eventually went to Witherspoon.
“It just felt like, ‘Oh my god! this is the woman to play Elle,'” she further stated during the conversation. While Spears would have been an interesting choice for the role of Elle, Witherspoon ultimately proved to be the perfect choice to bring the character to life on-screen.
Britney Spears Auditioned For The Notebook
Although she lost the role of Elle Woods in the 2001 romantic comedy Legally Blonde, Britney Spears remained determined to break into the film industry. Her next endeavor led her to audition for the part of Allie in the 2004 romantic drama The Notebook.
According to the film’s casting director, she gave a “phenomenal” audition. As per The Daily Mail, Spears impressed film producers with her performance. “Britney wasn’t just good, she was phenomenal,” the casting director Matthew Barry said. He further shared,
“It was a tough decision. Britney blew us all away. Our jaws were on the floor. I was blown away. Absolutely blown away. She brought her A-game that day.”
Barry also claimed that Spears beat several top actresses and became one of the final contenders for the role of Allie. However, despite that, she ended up losing the film to the Oscar-nominated actress Rachel McAdams, who shared the screen with Ryan Gosling in the 2004 film.
Legally Blonde and The Notebook are available to stream on Max.
