Matthew McConaughey says 'How to Lose a Guy in 10' Days still gives him the best 'mailbox money'

McConaughey said that every March he received a large cheque, because of the movie's popularity around Valentine's Day

Matthew McConaughey may have an Oscar-winning performance and a long list of acclaimed films to his name, but the actor says his 2003 romantic comedy How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days remains the movie that pays him the most.

During an appearance on Josh Horowitz's Happy Sad Confused podcast, McConaughey described the Kate Hudson-led rom-com as "the gift that keeps on giving", revealing that it continues to generate more residual income for him than any other film he has made.

"I think it's probably my favorite rom-com I've done," McConaughey said, before explaining that it "still pays the best mailbox money of any film I've ever done. By far. By lengths."

The actor attributed some of the film's lasting financial success to how frequently it continues to be watched. When Horowitz pointed out that the movie is seemingly "on, like, every airline forever", McConaughey joked that it is also popular in "sorority houses."

He also recalled how the residual payments used to arrive when the film's popularity was driven primarily by DVDs and cable television. McConaughey said that every March he would receive a particularly large cheque, which he connected to the movie's popularity around Valentine's Day.

For McConaughey, the movie has become an enduring part of his career and a defining entry in the romantic-comedy genre. "Let me just own that genre," he said, calling How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days "a real anchor in the rom-com genre through time."

The actor was discussing the film while comparing it with another notable project from his career, The Wolf of Wall Street. McConaughey described his brief appearance as Mark Hanna in Martin Scorsese's 2013 film as a "real launch-pad character", but acknowledged that How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days has continued to provide a more lucrative financial return.

The 2003 film starred McConaughey as advertising executive Benjamin Barry and Hudson as magazine writer Andie Anderson. The pair enter a relationship for very different reasons, with Andie trying to drive Ben away for an article while Ben bets that he can make her fall in love with him within 10 days.

McConaughey has previously credited his natural chemistry with Hudson for helping him land the role. He recalled that they immediately felt comfortable with each other during their casting meeting, joking around and "busting each other's chops" rather than simply reading lines.

Hudson has similarly praised their connection, describing McConaughey as one of the "great loves" of her professional life and saying their shared energy helped them connect on screen.

More than two decades after its release, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days therefore continues to be a particularly valuable part of McConaughey's filmography, both as one of his best-known romantic comedies and as the movie that he says still brings him the biggest residual cheques.