You’re so vain, you probably think this article is for you—and if you’re a fan of How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, you’re absolutely correct.
Made for $50 million, the movie starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey went on to gross over $177 million at the box office, crushing expectations and becoming one of the biggest surprise hits of 2003. And in the nearly 19 years since its release, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days has endured as one of the most iconic rom-coms of all time, thanks in large part to the effortless chemistry between its leads.
The movie follows the love story of advice columnist Andie Anderson (Hudson) and advertising executive Ben Barry (McConaughey), both of whom have made very different goals at work. She wants to get a guy to dump her in less than two weeks in the hopes of sharing her tale with readers, while he bet his co-workers he could make a woman fall in love with him in the same time-frame. Love ferns, bad karaoke to “You’re So Vain” and a sweet game of “Bulls–t” ensue.
While it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Hudson and McConaughey in the starring roles, an Oscar winner was actually set to play Andie before scheduling conflicts got in the way. And there was a surprising reason producers initially passed on their leading man.