The Backstreet Boys, The Notebook, and the 2017 Academy Awards could have been a lot different. Ryan Gosling was originally asked to be a member of the ‘90s boy band but turned it down.
Gosling used to live next door to Backstreet Boys bad boy AJ McLean when they were teenagers. McLean asked Gosling to be a member of the band, but he said no — only to change his mind and ask to be a member. McLean just never called him back.
“Ryan, I am so sorry that I didn’t call you back,” McLean told TMZ in 2013. “If we ever want a sixth Backstreet Boy member I’m gonna call you. You can sing.”
If Gosling was a member of Backstreet Boys, it’s safe to say he would never have made it into The Notebook, which means he never would have been in Drive, and never would have tried to save jazz in La La Land. Not that I Want It That Way, but it would have been interesting to see the outcome if McLean decided to Quit Playing Games with Gosling’s heart.
Then again, the Backstreet Boys did recently tweet that whoever makes the #BestCoverEver gets to sing with them. Ryan, you still game?
