Kate Hudson fought for Matthew McConaughey to be her co-star in movie
How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days star Kate Hudson has revealed how she fought with studio bosses for Matthew McConaughey to join her in the rom-com.
Way back in 2003, film fans watched for the first time as Hudson's character, Andie, set her sights on Benjamin (McConaughey) with plans to win him over and then drive him away all in the space of 10 days.
She hoped the whirlwind relationship would make a good story for her women's magazine, but had no clue that Benjamin had his own agenda: make a woman fall in love with him to prove he could handle the romance needed to take on a diamond company as a client at work.
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Naturally their secret plots made it difficult for both Benjamin and Andie to get their way, so the 10 days didn't quite go to plan for either of them.
The film remains a fun rom-com to this day, but the main cast could have looked very different if Hudson hadn't stood up for what she believed in during the early stages of the film.
The Bride Wars actor reflected on her experience working with McConaughey during a Life In Pictures talk at BAFTA in London on Friday (16 December), where she revealed that she had initially disagreed with studio executives about the direction How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days should take.
“I’m such a cheerleader for actors in our industry, but for rom-coms you need that guy to have chemistry with,” she told moderator Briony Hanson, director of film for the British Council.
When it came to the casting process, Hudson said the creators 'just kept hitting [their] heads against the wall', explaining: "The studio and I weren’t agreeing.”
Hudson recalled how she 'fought back on a lot of things', allowing her to gain 'approval of everything'. When former Paramount Pictures CEO Sherry Lansing reportedly asked Hudson for her first pick to play her love interest, Hudson suggested McConaughey.
She recalled: “We had an energy together, I wanted to play with him. It felt kinetic. We both have a competitive spirit, we’re both super athletic.
"We like to push each other and I just love Matthew’s commitment to everything; he’s razor-focused. What you think he is, is is.”
Last month, the actor also revealed she wouldn't be against 'revisit[ing]' the rom-com if the opportunity arose, telling Jonathan Ross: "I love working with Matthew. I don't know… I'm sure it would start with marital conflict.
"Or maybe… I have no idea. How To Lose A Husband in 20 Years…?"
Following How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days, Hudson and McConaughey went on to star again together in the 2008 film Fool's Gold.
Topics: TV And Film, Celebrity
Emily Brown