This week, Matthew McConaughey shared the story of how a fortune teller persuaded him to accept the part of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, which is today considered to be one of his most memorable performances.
In the critically acclaimed romantic comedy from 2003, Matthew McConaughey portrays Ben, the main male opposite Kate Hudson, who plays Andie. Andie and Ben are still firmly established in the hearts of millions of people, and the movie has recently experienced a rediscovery among younger fans thanks in part to a viral TikTok trend featuring the film’s rendition of Carly Simon’s “You’re So Vain.”
The movie turned 20 years old a month ago, but the characters remain steadfastly established in the hearts of millions of people.
“I recall thinking about whether I was going to do it or not one night as I was walking down Sunset Boulevard when all of a sudden, this man walks up out of nowhere to me,” says McConaughey. “He asked me whether I was going to do it or not.”
“He had a reputation as a master fortune teller, and he said, “May I tell you your fate in a moment?” I was like, ‘Yeah, dude. Sure.’ Instantaneously, he says, “There’s a movie you’re thinking of seeing right now.”
It takes the form of a romantic comedy. You cannot avoid doing this; failing to do so will be one of the most significant mistakes of your life.
It is going to be a fantastic experience, it is going to be a lot of fun, and it is going to earn a lot of money.’ When I saw him, my first thought was, Did the company employ this guy?
I recall having a good chuckle at the concept, but I also remember giving it some more serious thought, i believe that the very following day, I even accepted the offer, “McConaughey said.
At that time, Hudson had already been cast in the role of Andie, and she was assisting the production team of the film in their search for the ideal male lead.
“We were looking at individuals and were going back and forth about who would be the appropriate man,” Hudson recalls the conversation happening around that time. “I placed a significant amount of importance on the person.
During a discussion, Matthew brought up the topic, and I felt it was an excellent suggestion, his vitality was fantastic. We hit it off right away and got along well.”
McConaughey said that he would never stop being appreciative to the unknown fate teller who helped him that day.
“As a member of the audience, it is a lot of fun to be in on a joke that only one of the characters is aware of while the other character is in the dark about it. This is one of the many ways in which How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days has a lot of fun with its audience interaction and participation “he explains.