Back in 2006, Hairspray was one of the most sought-after movies, so the producers were careful who they chose to be in the film.
They were looking to cast either Ashton Kutcher or Jake Gyllenhall for the role of Corny Collins. But it didn’t work out. Instead, they went with James Marsden. And the actor told Vanity Fair how he landed the part.
He went to a bar on Off-Broadway to meet producers Adam Shankman, Craig Zadan, and Neil Meron. While they were talking, Julia Roberts came over and told Marsden that she loved him in The Notebook.
With that, Shankman said, “I guess we’d be kind of stupid to say no to the guy that Julia Roberts just said hello to and loves your work.”
