Britney Spears delivers an emotional audition for The Notebook in a never-before-scene video

Britney Spears loves to defy expectations, whether she’s releasing hits, dancing with knives, or unveiling a memoir with white-hot gossip about Justin Timberlake. In addition to being one of pop music’s most memorable artists of the past several decades, Britney Jean Spears dabbles in bringing her unique energy to the silver screen. In a shocking twist, an audition tape featuring the star of 2002’s Crossroads is making the rounds. The video depicts Spears’ tearful 3-minute audition for Nick Cassavetes’ 2004 romance The Notebook. The video, recorded 21 years ago, is going viral, displaying Spears’ emotional bid for the role she lost to Rachel McAdams.

In the video, Spears reads lines with Ryan Gosling. According to The Daily Mail, casting director Matthew Barry hid the tape for decades. Still, the video is out in the public eye, with Barry saying Spears impressed the producers with her soulful interpretation of The Notebook’s Allie. According to The Daily Mail, Spears beat out Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, and Claire Danes during the audition process.

“Even though it would have been fun to reconnect with Ryan Gosling after our time on the Mickey Mouse Club, I’m glad I didn’t do it,” Spears told People last week. “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. I hope I never get close to that occupational hazard again. Living that way, being half yourself and half a fictional character, is messed up. After a while you don’t know what’s real anymore.”

In The Notebook, a poor yet passionate young man falls in love with a rich young woman, giving her a sense of freedom. However, social differences soon get in the way. Cassavetes directs The Notebook from a script by Jeremy Leven, Jan Sardi, and Nicholas Sparks. Gosling and McAdams lead the cast, with Gena Rowlands, James Garner, Ed Grady, and Starletta DuPois.

After watching Spears’ audition video, do you think she missed her calling? Could a performance in The Notebook take Spears away from music entirely? After reading the pop princess’s statement to People, perhaps she dodged a bullet. As cool as it is to star in movies, your mental health should always be the priority. If Spears thinks becoming another person for the camera is beyond her means, sticking with music could be the best option.