Although Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams did an incredible at portraying Noah and Allie in The Notebook, they were not exactly the same age as their characters in the movie. Based on a Nicholas Sparks novel that was inspired by the true story of the author’s then-wife’s grandparents, The Notebook walks through a love story that transcends the boundaries of age, memory, and time. In its endearing exploration of love and romance, the book adaptation also explores themes of class divides and prejudice by highlighting how societal expectations keep its protagonists, Allie and Noah, apart.

Since The Notebook walks through three different timelines from Noah and Allie’s storylines, it is hard not to wonder how old they are in each timeline. At the same, even the relative ages of the main cast members, Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams, pique a viewer’s curiosity. Hence, here is a breakdown of Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams’ ages compared to their respective characters, Noah and Allie, in Nick Cassavetes’ The Notebook.

Ryan Gosling Is 22-Years-Old In The Notebook (& Noah Is 24)

Allie (Rachel McAdams) holding ice cream walking with Noah (Ryan Gosling) in The Notebook

Ryan Gosling was born on November 12, 1980, and the filming for The Notebook ensued between November 2002 and February 2003. Therefore, the actor was 22 years old in the movie. In the original Nicolas Sparks novel, Noah is 17 when he first meets Allie in 1932. While the film does not explicitly mention his age, it would be safe to assume he is around 17. Noah and Allie reunite after seven years in The Notebook, suggesting that his age is close to 24 in the famous kiss in the rain scene.

Rachel McAdams Was 24-Years-Old In The Notebook (& Allie Is 17)

Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling in 'The Notebook'

Born on November 17, 1978, Rachel McAdams was 24 years old during The Notebook‘s shooting in November 2002. While her character is 15 in the original book’s 1932 timeline, the movie changes her age to 17 and sets her first romantic encounter with Ryan Gosling’s Noah in 1940. Seven years later, when the two meet again, Allie is about 24 years old. Allie and Noah’s same age in the movie seems to reflect how it treats the two characters. Unlike the original Nicholas Sparks book, where Allie has a relatively less significant role than Noah, the movie gives both characters an equally important part in the overarching storyline.

How Old The Notebook’s Old Noah & Allie Actors Were

James Garner as Noah and Gena Rowlands as Noah and Allie sitting on a bench in The Notebook

Old Noah and Allie in The Notebook have been portrayed by James Garner and Gena Rowlands, respectively. During the movie’s filming in late 2002 and early 2003, James Garner was 74 years old, while Gena Rowlands was 72. According to an interesting piece of trivia, Gena Rowlands is the mother of Nick Cassavetes, the director of The Notebook. As per reports, Cassavetes had filmed The Notebook in reverse by first shooting the scenes involving Noah and Allie’s older counterparts and then moving on to the story arc where they first met.