Matthew McConaughey has revealed How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days remains the biggest residual earner of his career – more than two decades after the romantic comedy turned him into one of Hollywood’s defining leading men of the genre.
Matthew McConaughey has revealed How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days remains the biggest residual earner of his career – more than two decades after the romantic comedy turned him into one of Hollywood’s defining leading men of the genre
The 56-year-old actor said the 2003 film, in which he starred opposite Kate Hudson, 47, continues to generate more “mailbox money” for him than anything else he has made.
Speaking on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, Matthew described the Donald Petrie-directed movie as his favourite romantic comedy and said its enduring popularity has translated into a continuing financial windfall.
Matthew said: “How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days is the gift that keeps on giving.”
He added: “Probably my favorite rom-com I’ve done, and a lot of people love that rom-com.
“And it still pays the best mailbox money of any film I’ve ever done. By far. By lengths.”
Matthew said before streaming transformed how audiences watched movies, the film’s residual payments followed a noticeable annual pattern because broadcasters and viewers returned to the romantic comedy around Valentine’s Day.
He said: “When it used to be just DVDs or cable, every March I’d get a big check because, Valentine’s Day.”
Matthew added: “But, I mean, look – the movie, for me, for that genre, let me just own that genre. How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days… that’s a real anchor in the rom-com genre through time.”
The film stars Kate as Andie Anderson, a magazine columnist writing an article about how to drive a boyfriend away within 10 days.
Matthew portrayed advertising executive Ben Barry, who has simultaneously wagered that he can make a woman fall in love with him within the same period.
The movie grossed about $177.5 million worldwide and became one of the best-known films from Matthew’s period as a romantic-comedy leading man.
He had previously appeared opposite Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner and subsequently starred in Failure to Launch and Ghosts of Girlfriends Past.
Matthew reunited with Kate for the 2008 romantic adventure Fool’s Gold.
His career later moved towards dramatic roles during the period dubbed the “McConaissance”, including The Lincoln Lawyer, Mud, Magic Mike, The Wolf of Wall Street and HBO’s True Detective.
His performance as Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club earned him the Academy Award for best actor.
Matthew has previously said a chance encounter with a fortune teller helped persuade him to accept How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
Recalling the encounter to Vanity Fair in 2023, he said the man told him: “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.”
Matthew said: “I laughed at the thought, but I also remember taking a more serious consideration. I think I even accepted the offer the next day.”
Kate has also spoken warmly about making the film with Matthew, telling Vanity Fair: “It’s like, you have great loves of your life, and then, like, as actresses I think you have great loves in your work.
“And he’s one of my great loves.”
She added: “I feel really lucky that I got to experience that with someone as talented and as fun as Matthew.”
Matthew is currently back on the big screen in The Rivals of Amziah King, written and directed by Andrew Patterson.
He plays an Oklahoma beekeeper and bluegrass musician alongside Angelina LookingGlass, with a cast also including Kurt Russell, Rob Morgan, Tony Revolori and Cole Sprouse.
He also revealed this week he previously passed on the role of Joel Miller in HBO’s The Last of Us, which ultimately went to Pedro Pascal.
Matthew said he received the script during a period when he had stepped away from acting and decided it was not the right time to return.
Matthew will next reunite with his True Detective co-star Woody Harrelson for the Apple TV comedy Brothers.
The eight-episode series, in which the pair play fictionalised versions of themselves who discover they might actually be brothers, is due to premiere on September 23.
