It’s hard to find a rom-com more iconic, hilarious, and touching than How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days .
It simply had everything: Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey as its leads and hilarious quotes that we can’t help saying to this day (” frosssst yourselves!”)
It also has some behind-the-scenes secrets that will blow your mind. Like, ahem, how both Kate and Matthew almost weren’t the leads!
1. Gwyneth Paltrow almost played the role of Andie:
This never happened since she took on a role in, View From the Top .
Then, the producers knew they had to have Kate after seeing her in Almost Famous . Personally, I think they made the right choice.
2. Matthew McConaughey almost didn’t get the part:
At first, they thought he was too old for Kate since Matthew was 33 and she was 23.
But it never bothered Kate since she had been married to Black Crowes’ singer Chris Robinson at the time.
”I’m married to a 36-year-old, and it’s not like he’s ancient,” Kate said.
They eventually divorced in 2007 and Kate is now dating Danny Fujikawa.
They welcomed their first child together, a daughter named Rani Rose Hudson Fujikawa, on October 2, 2018.
3. Katherine Heigl made a brief cameo:
We’re talking so brief that you probably blinked and missed it!
She was one of the models on the cover of Composure Magazine , which takes place at the beginning of the movie!
4. The concept of the film was inspired by a book:
No surpise here: this was a dating book called, How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days: The Universal Do’s And Don’ts Of Dating .
Michelle and Jeannie, Andie Anderson’s work pals, are named after the book’s authors, Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long.
5. Judy Green was an actual model:
That’s how an advertising executive looked, well, like that.
The Canadian model, Shalom Harlow, has done work for brands like Chanel and Vogue .
“She is probably one of the most elegant creatures there is,” Vogue Fashion Director Tonne Goodman once said about her.
6. The diamonds in the movie were real:
They were real to the tune of an estimated $14,200,000 !
That Harry Winston diamond wreath necklace Andie wore was valued at $5,280,000. Plus, the 5-carat radiant cut yellow diamond stud earrings were worth $125,000.
7. Andie did eat meat. Ben simply didn’t notice:
It was hilarious when Andie cried over the “perfectly pink” lambchops Ben made since she was a “vegetarian.”
Clearly, he forgot that they ate crab legs on their first date together!
8. Adam Goldberg and Matthew McConaughey both starred In *Dazed & Confused*:
This meant that How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days was actually a 10-year acting reunion for the guys!
Alright, alright, alright.
9. Kate prepped for the movie by spending a day with *Vogue* editor Anna Wintour:
”I tore out all of these how-tos in Cosmo and Glamour,” producer Lynda Obst said, according to Entertainment Weekly .
”Those are the kind of things that I skip over.”
All of the scenes that took place in the *Composure* office were even shot at the Conde Nast building in New York City.
That building is home to Vogue in real life, but Compsoure was based on another popular women’s magazine: Cosmopolitan .
10. Matthew once shared one of his favorite scenes:
And thankfully, Hudson hilariously responded with a post on her own Instagram, writing, “That damn fern…? That damn fern?!?! YOU LET IT DIE!” along with a heart emoji.
HOW COULD YOU, BEN?!
11. Audrey Hepburn’s films inspired some of the music in the film:
Is that interesting or what?
During the movie’s party scene at the end, two songs are played in the background that appears in Audrey Hepburn’s most famous films.
There was one from *Sabrina* (1954) (Sabrina theme).
And one song from Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) – “Moon River”.
Since the theme of the party was all about “frosting yourself,” diamonds, and luxury, it makes sense that Audrey would spark inspiration!
12. This isn’t the only movie Kate and Matthew have done together:
They go together like dynamic acting duos Richard Gere and Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.
The pair reunited in 2008 to play ex-husband and wife in the movie, Fool’s Gold .
13. Kate Hudson improvised a lot of the lines in the film:
An example of this was when Andie smothered Ben with kisses after he wasn’t exactly pleased with their new dog.
Another hilarious example was the lines she said during the movie theatre scene.
Kate adlibbed these two iconic lines while they were watching *Sleepless in Seattle*:
“I’ve always wanted a man like Tom Hanks” and “You can’t watch Meg Ryan for 2 hours and not be thinking about another girl.”
14. The film’s director, Donald Petrie, encouraged this style of improv:
“I’m very sneaky as a director,” he revealed to the BBC . “I’d go over to Kate and say, “OK, in this next take, don’t tell Matthew, but do this.”
“She would do it. What’s great is that, because they’re such consummate professionals, they never break character.”
“They just go with it. They just wing it. I never say ‘Cut!’ at the end of a scene,” he continued.
15. Kate can actually sing!
Despite the pair’s hilarious “(Ben Barry) You’re So Vain” cover towards the end of the film, Kate has a really amazing voice!
“Do you want everyone to know your love making is laaaaaaaammmeeee ?!”
16. Matthew said his favorite thing about co-star Kate was how comfortable it was to be around her.
Speaking with E.T. Matthew sang the praises of the then 23-year-old actress.
“She’s adorable,” Matthew smiled.
17. The article Andie pitched at the beginning of the film was incredibly topical.
True fans will remember Andie’s politically angled how-to bring peace to Tajikistan article idea. Unfortunately, the passion project was quickly shut down by her editor-in-chief.
While the pitch may not have fit with *Composure’s* brand, it was definitely a timely topic.
According to The New York Times archives, Tajikistan was in the midst of political turmoil and had a growing rate of terrorism in and throughout the early 2000s.
18. Kate loved getting to ride a motorcycle for the film.
While Benjamin’s character was super comfortable behind the wheel, Andie was a bit more hesitant. However, this couldn’t have been further from the truth for Kate!
“I’m loving every minute of it,” she admitted to E.T on set.
19. Kate celebrates Take Your Plant For A Walk Day in honor of “one of her favorite co-stars,” the love fern.
Under her sweet tribute post, Matthew commented “Hate to see you leave, but love to watch you go. #ThatDamnFern.”
I love how much they love this movie!
20. It’s time to admit Andie’s age makes NO SENSE!
Now don’t get me wrong, we love a wonderkinz! However, the idea that 23-year-old Andie had a masters degree and her own column in a HUGE New York magazine before 25 just seems a touch unrealistic, no?
With all these behind the scenes facts, one thing remains incredibly clear— this movie is a CLASSIC!
The fashion! The soundtrack! The countless quotable lines!
Did anything you learned from this article surprise you? Let us know in the comments below!
