Britney Spears is happy to have her acting days behind her, and now she's sharing how a missed opportunity turned into a blessing in disguise.
As she prepares for the upcoming release of her memoir, The Woman in Me, Britney shared an exclusive excerpt from her book with People about auditioning for The Notebook and why she's thankful she put acting behind her.
In 2002, Britney debuted her first feature film, Crossroads, alongside Zoe Saldaña and Taryn Manning. But the pop star admitted that the experience wasn't really easy for her.
"My problem wasn’t with anyone involved in the production but with what acting did to my mind," Britney wrote in her book. "I think I started Method acting — only I didn’t know how to break out of my character."
"I really became this other person. Some people do Method acting, but they’re usually aware of the fact that they’re doing it. But I didn’t have any separation at all."
Britney said she ended up carrying herself different, talking different, and even walking different months after shooting the film. But those changes didn't stop her from auditioning for more movies.
The "Stronger" singer also revealed she almost starred in the box office hit The Notebook with her former Mickey Mouse Club costar Ryan Gosling, but the leading role ultimately went to Rachel McAdams.
"That was pretty much the beginning and end of my acting career, and I was relieved. The Notebook casting came down to me and Rachel McAdams, and even though it would have been fun to reconnect with Ryan Gosling after our time on TheMickey Mouse Club, I’m glad I didn’t do it."
"I imagine there are people in the acting field who have dealt with something like that, where they had trouble separating themselves from a character."
Britney referred to acting as one "occupational hazard" she hopes she never gets close to again. It forced her to be half herself while also living half of her life as a fictional character. After a while, she wasn't able to decipher what was real and what wasn't.
Instead, Britney put her focus back into her music as she worked on her fourth studio album In the Zone. She was also dealing with a breakup — her highly publicized relationship with Justin Timberlake.
The album was released in the fall of 2003, and it was accompanied by several hit singles including "Toxic," "Everytime," "Outrageous," and "Me Against the Music."
To learn more about Britney, be sure to check out more excerpts from her book on People or in her memoir, The Woman in Me, when it hits stores Oct. 24.
