In June 2004, we were not only given a big-screen adaptation of Nicholas Sparks&#8217; best-selling novel &#8220;The Notebook&#8221; but also one of the steamiest celebrity couples of the aughts: Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.
&#8220;The Notebook&#8221; was the breakout hit for both then-rising stars. The film chronicles the relationship between Noah (Gosling) and Allie (McAdams) from the 1940s through the present day, as the now elderly Noah (James Garner) retells Allie (Gena Rowlands) their love story, as she suffers from dementia.
Though its release in theaters was initially soft, by the end of its run, the movie earned over $118 million worldwide on a $29 million budget. It&#8217;s now considered one of the best romantic movies of the last two decades.
A major reason for that is the chemistry between Gosling and McAdams, which started with the two hating each other on set and concluded with them dating for a few years after filming wrapped.
The two stars&#8217; love was on full display while promoting &#8220;The Notebook,&#8221; most notably with their famous kiss onstage at the 2005 MTV Movie Awards.
In honor of the 20-year anniversary of the film&#8217;s release in theaters, here are the best photos of Gosling and McAdams promoting &#8220;The Notebook.&#8221;
Rachel McAdams starred in the 2002 Rob Schneider comedy &#8220;The Hot Chick&#8221; and &#8220;Mean Girls&#8221; in early 2004 before &#8220;The Notebook,&#8221; which marked her first major lead role.<img decoding="async" src="https://i.insider.com/667ea46740cf2af6e4f688c5?width=800&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp" data-content-type="image/jpeg" data-srcs="{&quot;https://i.insider.com/667ea46740cf2af6e4f688c5&quot;:{&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;aspectRatioW&quot;:1963,&quot;aspectRatioH&quot;:2501}}" />McAdams at &#8220;The Notebook&#8221; premiere. Steve Granitz/WireImage/GettyRyan Gosling starred in the Denzel Washington football movie &#8220;Remember the Titans,&#8221; the Sandra Bullock thriller &#8220;Murder by Numbers,&#8221; and the indie movie &#8220;The Believer&#8221; before &#8220;The Notebook.&#8221;<img decoding="async" src="https://i.insider.com/667ea62850b021b5caea3fd8?width=800&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp" data-content-type="image/jpeg" data-srcs="{&quot;https://i.insider.com/667ea62850b021b5caea3fd8&quot;:{&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;aspectRatioW&quot;:3000,&quot;aspectRatioH&quot;:2192}}" />You&#8217;re not seeing things, Gosing has a cigarette dangling out of his mouth. The aughts were different. Ray Mickshaw/WireImage/GettyIt definitely wasn&#8217;t love at first sight for Gosling and McAdams. In fact, director Nick Cassavetes said the two got into a screaming match once while filming.<img decoding="async" src="https://i.insider.com/667ea7f7d1c84a0eaca89aae?width=800&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp" data-content-type="image/jpeg" data-srcs="{&quot;https://i.insider.com/667ea7f7d1c84a0eaca89aae&quot;:{&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;aspectRatioW&quot;:2901,&quot;aspectRatioH&quot;:2400}}" />From enemies to lovers. Gregg DeGuire/WireImage/Getty
Cassavetes revealed Gosling had also asked him to replace McAdams.
But by the time filming ended, a love between the two had sparked.<img decoding="async" src="https://i.insider.com/667ea8d9d1c84a0eaca89ac2?width=800&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp" data-content-type="image/jpeg" data-srcs="{&quot;https://i.insider.com/667ea8d9d1c84a0eaca89ac2&quot;:{&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;aspectRatioW&quot;:3000,&quot;aspectRatioH&quot;:2312}}" />Love is in the air. Kevin Winter/GettyIn 2005, Gosling and McAdams gave us one of the most memorable moments in MTV Movie Awards history when they reenacted their streamy kiss from &#8220;The Notebook.&#8221;<img decoding="async" src="https://i.insider.com/667ea9a750b021b5caea4046?width=800&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp" data-content-type="image/jpeg" data-srcs="{&quot;https://i.insider.com/667ea9a750b021b5caea4046&quot;:{&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;aspectRatioW&quot;:2008,&quot;aspectRatioH&quot;:3000}}" />Iconic pop culture moment. KMazur/WireImage/Getty
They were accepting the award for — you guessed it — best kiss.
The two had fun with &#8220;The Kiss&#8221; moment at the 2005 Teen Choice Awards a few months later.<img decoding="async" src="https://i.insider.com/667eab6bd1c84a0eaca89b7c?width=800&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp" data-content-type="image/jpeg" data-srcs="{&quot;https://i.insider.com/667eab6bd1c84a0eaca89b7c&quot;:{&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;aspectRatioW&quot;:3000,&quot;aspectRatioH&quot;:1993}}" />Gotta love a surfboard award. KMazur/WireImage/GettyWhile accepting the award for best chemistry, McAdams locked lips with presenter Ryan Reynolds.<img decoding="async" src="https://i.insider.com/667eac9ed1c84a0eaca89be1?width=800&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp" data-content-type="image/jpeg" data-srcs="{&quot;https://i.insider.com/667eac9ed1c84a0eaca89be1&quot;:{&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;aspectRatioW&quot;:3000,&quot;aspectRatioH&quot;:2330}}" />Wrong Ryan. John Shearer/WireImage/Getty
&#8220;I think I got the wrong Ryan,&#8221; McAdams said once she got on the mic.
Gosling and McAdams broke up in 2007.<img decoding="async" src="https://i.insider.com/667eae27d1c84a0eaca89c45?width=800&amp;format=jpeg&amp;auto=webp" data-content-type="image/jpeg" data-srcs="{&quot;https://i.insider.com/667eae27d1c84a0eaca89c45&quot;:{&quot;contentType&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;aspectRatioW&quot;:2300,&quot;aspectRatioH&quot;:1533}}" />It was fun while it lasted. John Shearer/WireImage/Getty
But it&#8217;s not all bad: Gosling has been in a relationship with Eva Mendes since 2011, and McAdams has been dating screenwriter Jamie Linden since 2016.

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In honor of the 20-year anniversary of ‘The Notebook,’ here are the 8 best pictures of then-couple Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams