Why Did George Clooney Turn Down Noah Calhoun Role In The Notebook? (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Imagine George Clooney playing Noah Calhoun in The Notebook. Hard to picture, right? That’s because it almost happened, but George himself put the brakes on it. In a shocking reveal during a virtual panel at the 64th BFI London Film Festival, Clooney confessed that he was supposed to play the young Noah, with Paul Newman set to take on the older version. However, George quickly pulled out. Why? He didn’t feel he could match up to Newman’s legendary looks.
According to Pop Sugar, Clooney shared, “We were going to do The Notebook together… I was going to play him as a young man. It’s funny, we met, said, ‘This is it. It’s going to be great.’” But after watching some of Newman’s iconic films, Clooney had second thoughts. “He’s one of the handsomest guys you’ve ever seen… I said, ‘I can’t play you. I don’t look anything like you. This is insane.’” Clooney wasn’t kidding around. The gap between their looks felt too big to bridge, and thus, the dream pairing was off.
Despite this, George Clooney and Paul Newman had a close relationship, with Clooney directing Newman in Leatherheads (2008). Clooney even recalled how, after the film bombed, Newman humorously took a photo of it and edited it to show him crashing a car. Classic Newman, always keeping things light.
Of course, The Notebook went on to find its Noah Calhoun in Ryan Gosling, who brought the heartthrob magic the role needed, and the timeless James Garner, who embodied the older version with his signature charm. But let’s stop and think for a second—what would The Notebook have been like with Clooney and Newman? It’s one of those “what if” moments in Hollywood that gets you thinking. Clooney’s presence would’ve certainly shifted the dynamic, and who knows if the chemistry would’ve been the same.
For Clooney, stepping away from the role didn’t hurt his career at all. In 2004, while The Notebook was breaking hearts, Clooney made waves in Ocean’s Twelve and produced the drama Criminal. The actor was already in full superstar mode. And his next big move? Directing and starring in The Midnight Sky for Netflix, a film that explored redemption in space. Talk about a pivot.
So, while Clooney wasn’t meant to be Noah, he certainly carved out his own iconic roles, like Danny Ocean in the Ocean’s Eleven series. But still, every time you watch The Notebook, just imagine for a second: Clooney and Newman as the ultimate father-son Noah duo. What a trip that would’ve been!
