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Other actresses rumored to have been under consideration for the role of Allie included Ashley Judd and Reese Witherspoon. Britney Spears auditioned for the role and her footage was put on sale on eBay for $1 million in May 2021.
Ryan Gosling prepared for his role by living in Charleston, South Carolina before filming began. For two months, he rowed the Ashley River every morning and built furniture during the day.
To improve the relationship between the leads, director Nick Cassavetes staged an intervention by bringing them into a room where they could air all the grievances they had with each other and work something out. They soon patched up their differences, enough to become a real-life couple for some time.
According to Nick Cassavetes, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams did not get along at first and Gosling tried to have McAdams replaced.
Rachel McAdams spent time in Charleston before filming to familiarize herself with the surroundings. She also took ballet and etiquette classes and had a dialect coach to learn the southern accent.