14 things you probably didn't know about 'How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days'
- The romantic comedy "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" premiered in 2003 and starred Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey.
- The movie is based on an illustrated book.
- Matthew McConaughey almost didn't get cast because he's 10 years older than Kate Hudson.
Released in the era of early-2000s romantic comedies, "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" (2003) is known for its inventive premise and Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey's chemistry.
Plus its quotable one-liners like "l miss you, Benny boo-boo, boo-boo-boo" and "frost yourself" have stood the test of time.
But even superfans of the film might not know some of the movie's most surprising behind-the-scenes details.
Read on for 14 interesting things you probably didn't know about "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."
It's based on a book.
The movie was inspired by the comedic cartoon guide "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days: The Universal Don'ts of Dating."
Many of the rules that Andie Anderson follows to get Ben Barry to break up with her came straight from the text — like talking in a baby voice, immediately calling him her boyfriend, and dropping the "L-bomb" super early.
Andie's two BFFs are named after the authors.
The comedic graphic novel was written by Michele Alexander and Jeannie Long, who lent their names to Andie's best friends in the film, Michelle (played by Kathryn Hahn) and Jeannie (played by Annie Parisse).
Gwyneth Paltrow was considered for the role of Andie.
Producer Lynda Obst told Entertainment Weekly that Gwyneth Paltrow was originally interested in the role of Andie Anderson, which later went to Hudson.
But scheduling took too long, and Paltrow was cast in "View from the Top" (2003) instead.
McConaughey almost didn't get his role either.
In the same interview with Entertainment Weekly, Obst said she worried that McConaughey was too old to star opposite Hudson. At the time, Hudson was 23 and McConaughey was 33.
To counter those arguments, Hudson said, "I'm married to a 36-year-old, and it's not like he's ancient."
To prepare for her character's job at a women's magazine, Hudson shadowed Anna Wintour.
Hudson also told Entertainment Weekly that she spent a day with Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour in order to research her role as a "how-to" columnist for a women's magazine.
The actress told EW that she prepared by tearing out "all of these how-tos in Cosmo and Glamour," which are things she said she usually skips over.
There's an awkward spelling error in the opening credits.
The opening credits feature a montage of Composure covers, and the first one shown has a headline about how to "loose your belly."
Since the right form of that word ("lose") is in the movie's title, the mistake is even more glaring.
The movie's director encouraged the actors to improvise.
Director Donald Petrie told BBC in 2014 that he kept the actors on their toes.
"I'm very sneaky as a director. 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."
That said, some of Andie's most iconic moments weren't scripted.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, it was Hudson's idea to toss the veggie platter in the air during Ben's poker night.
She also apparently ad-libbed the line, "You can't watch Meg Ryan for two hours and not be thinking about another girl," among others.
Hahn's audition didn't go so well.
Hahn played Andie's friend Michelle, but the actress initially worried she wouldn't get the part because her cell phone went off in the middle of her audition.
"It was the worst thing that could have possibly happened," she told Entertainment Weekly in 2018. "I answered it and improvised it as part of the scene, but then I had to pretend like it wasn't continually vibrating as my friend Patrick kept calling."
Even though her karaoke moment was cringeworthy, Hudson is a skilled singer in real life.
Despite Andie's off-key performance of "You're So Vain" at Ben's advertising gala, Hudson is a naturally talented singer.
Hudson has gone on to impress fellow celebrities with her voice and even guest-starred on "Glee" as college dance teacher Cassandra July.
McConaughey bought himself a motorcycle for the movie.
While Hudson was prepping with Wintour, McConaughey was doing some research of his own.
In an interview clip from "E! News," McConaughey said he bought a motorcycle because his character, Ben, drives one in the film.
"I wanted to get comfortable on a motorcycle because I've seen too many people ride motorcycles or someone ride a horse in films where I'm like, 'You don't really ride a horse. You don't really ride a motorcycle,'" he explained.
The diamond jewelry used at the gala was real — and Andie's necklace is worth millions.
Reportedly, over $14 million worth of jewels were loaned to the film for the iconic "Frost Yourself" gala scene.
Harry Winston created "Isadora," the 80-carat diamond pendant necklace Andie dons in the scene. The necklace was named after dancer Isadora Duncan, and it sold for $5 million after Hudson wore it in the film.
Andie's yellow gown was created by a German-born designer.
Usually, a movie's costume team creates the characters' looks, but the crew sought outside help for Andie's iconic yellow gown.
The memorable outfit showcased on the movie's cover was designed by German-born fashion-maven Dina Bar-El.
Ben could've caught onto Andie's antics a lot sooner if Ben noticed one small plot hole.
Ben is shocked to learn that Andie is vegetarian after he cooks her a lamb dinner, but Andie's story doesn't line up — she ate crab on their first date.
Sure, she could've just been a lax vegetarian — but maybe if he'd noticed this detail, he could've caught wind of her plan much sooner.
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