Matthew McConaughey has had an absolutely stellar career which has seen him travel through science fiction, westerns, gritty dramas, and of course, absolutely horrendous romcoms. As one of his worst movies approaches its twentieth anniversary, he revealed why he even signed up for it in the first place.
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days came at a very specific era. The overabundance of romantic comedies, the continued financial successes of the genre, and the rising stars of both McConaughey and Kate Hudson. The duo were both finding their feet in the relentless Hollywood machine, while McConaughey had just won recognition for his performance in Contact.
If you’re wondering how McConaughey got attached to the fairly soulless film, you can blame a fortune teller. The actor spoke to Vanity Fair of the bizarre circumstances which led to his casting, and he’s still not sure if the “fortune teller” was not just someone paid by the studio.
“I remember considering whether I was going to do it or not one night while on a walk down Sunset Boulevard. Suddenly, this guy comes up out of nowhere to me — he was a fortune teller guru [and] goes, ‘Can I tell you your fortune real quick?’
‘I was like, ‘Yeah, man. Sure.’ He immediately goes, ‘There’s a movie you’re considering right now. It’s a romantic comedy. You have to do this or it will be one of the biggest regrets of your life. It is going to be a blast, it is going to be an incredible experience and it is going to make a bunch of money.'”
McConaughey ended the anecdote remarking on how it did end up sparking further thought in his mind, with him agreeing to sign on to the film. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days grossed $177.5 million off a $50 million budget, so you can hardly fault the fortune teller living up to their title.
Thankfully, it ended neither actor’s career. It ended up helping its lead couple further into stardom, as well as Kathryn Hahn who appeared in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy the following year.