Speaking of the casting process for the 2003 romcom, she said: "We just kept hitting our heads against the wall, and the studio and I weren't agreeing."
How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days turned out to be one of the early 2000s' most iconic romcoms and a lot of it had to do with the incredible chemistry between lead actors, Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey.
Looks like McConaughey has Hudson to thank for landing him the role. According to Variety, the 42-year-old Hudson revealed at a BAFTA Life in Pictures event in London that she went to bat for McConaughey, 53, to be her costar in the film. Hudson and the studio executives reportedly locked heads at the time of casting.
"I'm such a cheerleader for actors in our industry, but for romcoms, you need that guy to have chemistry with," Hudson told moderator Briony Hanson, director of film for the British Council. Hudson, who was popular in the genre and knew her way around it, added of the casting process for the 2003 film: "We just kept hitting our heads against the wall, and the studio and I weren't agreeing."
In the end, she had "approval of everything" because she "fought back on a lot of things," including who her costar would be. When former Paramount Pictures CEO Sherry Lansing reportedly asked Hudson for her first pick to play Ben Barry opposite her character, Andie Anderson, she suggested McConaughey.
how to lose a guy in 10 days (2003) pic.twitter.com/BYXaoCtIJX
— F ✶ (@COSMICPR4DA) December 15, 2022
"We had an energy together, I wanted to play with him," Hudson said of her former costar with whom she also worked in 2008's Fool's Gold. "It felt kinetic. We both have a competitive spirit, we're both super athletic. We like to push each other and I just love Matthew's commitment to everything; he's razor-focused. What you think he is, he is."
She also admitted that "comedies are more exhausting, to keep that pace all day and to find the energy. When the day is done doing comedy, I want to go to bed. When the day is done doing drama, emotional work, I want to go for a drink."
how to lose a guy in 10 days (2003) pic.twitter.com/JaTJvA7W4M
— rom com gifs (@romcomgif) December 11, 2022
As the film approaches its 20th anniversary, Hudson noted that the film has gained a following among younger generations. "I love that that movie lives on with younger girls," Hudson said during an appearance on TODAY. Scenes from the movie began trending on TikTok after Netflix announced that the film will leave the platform on January 1, 2023. "Yeah, a lot of that movie was me just going nuts, it was like getting in that character and then just going for it," Hudson said.
Netflix recently announced the 2003 romcom "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" would be removed from the streaming service on Jan 1, 2023.
— katie rosman (@katierosman) December 10, 2022
This has caused a flood of TikTok videos made by people rushing to watch it one last time (until it inevitably appears on another streamer). pic.twitter.com/3L9sn0e5ER
References:
https://variety.com/2022/film/global/kate-hudson-matthew-mcconaughey-how-to-lose-a-guy-1235463944/
Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Kevin Winter | ImageDirect