Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson proved to be a charming couple in Donald Petrie’s How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. In the early 2000s, McConaughey was predominantly cast in rom-com movies. Revisiting his days as a Hollywood heartthrob recently, McConaughey recalled meeting Hudson before the production began on the film. He shared that it was the natural chemistry between them that landed him the lead role in the film.
In the film, the True Detective actor plays Ben Barry who bets that he can make a woman fall in love with him in 10 days. He encounters Hudson’s Andie Anderson, who convinces her boss that she can get a man to leave her in 10 days to write an article about it.
Matthew McConaughey’s Chemistry With Kate Hudson Landed Him The $177M Movie Role
Matthew McConaughey and Kate Hudson paired up for the first time in the 2003 rom-com film, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. The film’s story was expanded from a ‘dating don’ts’ picture book. The premise puts the pair in conflicting positions in the film and shows how their romance took off despite all odds. Andie and Ben became an iconic pair in romantic comedies in Hollywood.
McConaughey recalled his role in the film for an interview with PEOPLE during the magazine’s 50th anniversary. He shared that he met with his co-star Hudson before the production began on the film. The Interstellar actor and the Glass Onion actress had to show their chemistry to the makers and execs at Paramount before they were cast in the film. McConaughey shared with PEOPLE:
“I remember we met on the Paramount lot — I believe it was the time — and those casting sort of meeting couches, especially for rom-coms, you want to see the chemistry between the two leads. You want to see how the jive is.”
For that, they didn’t go through the script or read lines like in an audition. Instead, they just quickly became comfortable with each other and engaged in some playful banter. They established a natural ease and connection within a short period. McConaughey mentioned that the “rock and roll exchange” may have eventually landed him the role and could’ve been the reason why their pairing became a hit. The Dallas Buyers Club actor shared:
“We’re not reading through the script. We’re not reading lines. Immediately, we were comfortable with each other, and we jacked with each other, and we busted each other’s chops, and we laughed a lot. There was a bit of rock and roll exchange, like ‘Oh this could be some heavyweight fun.’ And I think that’s why I was cast, and that’s why for whatever extent it worked.”
Interestingly, McConaughey almost didn’t get cast in the film because he’s 10 years senior to Hudson. In an interview with EW, producer Lynda Obst shared that she was worried that McConaughey was too old to star opposite Hudson. However, she and the studio chose not to make a big deal out of it.
Failed Streaming Platform Planned To Release How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days Series
Before Quibi failed and shut down in December 2020, it had plans to reboot the iconic rom-com in a series format. According to Deadline, Guy Branum, the writer of The Mindy Project, was roped in to reimagine the story for the streaming platform. Quibi didn’t own the rights to the project but they had set a deal with Paramount Television to stream the series. No other details were announced at the time and the shutdown of Quibi effectively put such a planned project in development hell.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days was made on a budget of $50 million and it grossed $177 million at the box office (via Box Office Numbers). While the film was commercially successful, critics gave the movie mixed to average reviews (via Metacritic).
The film is now available for streaming on Paramount+.
