Top 10 Behind the Scenes Facts About How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
#10: The Inspiration
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There’s no question that “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days” is a super entertaining rom-com with a unique premise. So where did that perspective come from? Well, it turns out we have a book to thank. “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: The Universal Don’ts of Dating” was penned by Jeannie Long and Michele Alexander, and served as the movie’s inspiration. The illustrated work is essentially a humorous how-not-to guide to relationships. So if you want to dig deeper into where the makers of the 2003 flick got their ideas, look no further. And if you think the authors’ names sound familiar, you’re right. They shared their names with Andie’s friends in the film. There were no coincidences here!
#9: Fast Friends
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Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey’s characters in the film have an undeniable chemistry and are a fun pair to watch. It turns out that the same was true behind the scenes as well! In fact, the two lead actors repeatedly described how well they got along. They developed an off-screen friendship as they brought their characters to life, and had only the most positive things to say about each other. You can’t always choose who you work with, but luckily it worked out great in this case! They even joined forces years later to co-star in “Fool’s Gold”! Here’s hoping we’re treated to another McConaughey-Hudson collaboration soon.
#8: Kathryn Hahn's Audition
Kathryn Hahn perfectly brought the character of Michelle to life in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”. But landing the part didn’t come without its challenges. In fact, after multiple successful auditions, the actress ended up having to read with the director, and it was almost a complete disaster. First, she recalled feeling extremely nervous when she met Kate Hudson, who was also at the audition. And as if that wasn’t nerve-wracking enough on its own, her cell interrupted her reading of the part! Luckily though, everything worked out. Amazing actress that she is, Hahn used the setback to her advantage and actually incorporated the phone call into her audition. This may have been her first experience on a major project, but it certainly wasn’t her last!
#7: The Yellow Dress
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Nobody will ever forget the stunning yellow floor-length dress that Andie wore in the movie. To this day, the Carolina Herrera piece is still used as style inspiration everywhere. Of course, there was a whole process to get to the finished number we all know and love. According to the film’s costume designer Karen Patch, they had “mossy green” and “midnight blue” options available for the scene as well. But when they saw Hudson don the yellow version for the first time, everybody knew that was the one. Considering its enduring legacy, there’s no doubt they made the right call. Funnily enough, Kate Hudson recently revealed that she's not sure where the influential piece is now! We just hope it's somewhere safe.
#6: Dripping in Diamonds
Oftentimes we use accessories to finish off our outfits. However, the reverse was true in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”. There’s no doubt that Andie’s beautiful yellow dress was lovely on its own. But the number was actually designed to complete the dazzling “Isadora diamond” that Andie wears. A Harry Winston piece, it was worth millions of dollars, and served as the outfit’s piece de resistance. Speaking to Nylon, Karen Patch recalled how she “wanted to design a dress that lived up to the jewels and not overpower them." By pairing it with such an effortlessly elegant dress, the costume team ensured that the necklace would shine. And it definitely did, both literally and figuratively!
#5: The Age Gap
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You might not be able to tell just by looking at them, but there is a pretty significant age gap between the movie’s two lead actors. Matthew McConaughey is about 10 years Kate Hudson’s senior! And he almost wasn’t cast as a result. In effect, the film’s producer Lynda Obst described how there was some doubt over whether or not he would be a suitable choice for Ben given the age difference. And if you’re wondering how Kate Hudson felt about the whole thing, she had no problem with it! She referenced her then-marriage to Chris Robinson, who was also much older than her, as evidence that it wasn’t a big deal. In the end, it wasn’t an issue, and the movie had its leads.
#4: Matthew McConaughey's Ride
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Ben’s motorcycle is a pretty important part of the movie. After all, it gave us the adorable scene where he teaches Andie how to ride it. Not to mention, it helped him catch up to her in a pivotal moment at the very end of the film. While some may have been content to fake it, that wasn’t good enough for the actor behind the role. As such, Matthew McConaughey wanted to make sure that he, like his character, knew what he was doing. So he actually went, got himself a motorcycle, and made sure he knew how to ride it well. Thus, Ben doing so was authentic. Talk about commitment!
#3: Gwyneth Paltrow Was Almost Cast
While Kate Hudson did a phenomenal job bringing Andie Anderson to life in “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”, she wasn’t who the production team originally had in mind for the role. At first, Gwyneth Paltrow was the one in talks to bring the Composure writer to life! However, that was while Mike Newell was attached to direct the project. When the scheduling ultimately didn’t work out for him, Paltrow went in a different direction as well. Instead, she starred in another film titled “View From The Top”. Luckily, the producers then saw Kate Hudson’s fantastic performance in “Almost Famous”, and the rest is history.
#2: Doing Her Research
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You might not think there’s much work that goes into researching how to bring a magazine columnist to life, but that wasn’t the case on the set of this movie. So how does one equip themselves for such a role? If you’re Kate Hudson, you get the chance to shadow the legends of the business. Notably, the actress behind Andie learned from Vogue’s one and only Anna Wintour. It was just for a day, but we can only imagine the kind of knowledge the editor-in-chief imparted in that time. One thing’s for sure: Hudson doing her homework definitely paid off, as she fell into the role flawlessly.
#1: A Fan of Improvisation
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A film’s script plays an integral part in making it great. But sometimes, what the actors add between the lines written on the page can really elevate a movie. That was the case with “How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days”. Interestingly, the project’s director Donald Petrie was a big fan of improvisation. In an interview with the BBC, he explained how he’d push for the actors to try different things and surprise each other in scenes. The goal was to infuse their characters’ dynamic with the spontaneity that comes with being in the moment. According to Petrie, Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey did a great job in that regard. And thank goodness, because the authenticity they harnessed led to an extremely compelling finished product!
