In 2001, a young Kathryn Hahn was faced with a momentous decision.
It felt like a crossroads of my life.
Which way am I going to go?
My boyfriend was like, We’ve been apart for three years.
How are you going to go on for another year?
I’d never worked with stars like [them] before.
So even to be around Kate and Matthew [McConaughey] was like,Oh.
If only her 28-year-old self could see her now.
Looking back, everything seems so life or death.
Looking back at your big decision to move to LA at 28, would you have done anything differently?
I wonder now if I would have made the same decision, and I guess I would have.
And you always think that your friendships are going to last for the rest of your life.
Speaking of friendships, did you have a close group of friends at 28?
I had a dear group of friends from Northwestern.
Those friends that you meet in college are the ones through whom you see the world.
My boyfriend, now hubby, Ethan, was definitely a part of that as well.
I met some of my closest friends at Williamstown [Theater Festival].
Also, your career was really taking off around that same time.
How did that affect everything that was going on in your personal life?
I had no money behind it, but I wrote Ethan a check for 1,000 bucks.
He just held on to it, never cashed it.
But then we all started getting jobs that took us away from each other.
People moved to different places; new chapters and big relationships started.
I guess that’s when life starts to feel unfair.
But again, you never know how it’s gonna pan out.
I remember being in my 20s.
You’re not on your parents insurance.
Is anything ever going to happen?
Am I ever going to be able to be on my own and grow up?
I also want to talk aboutHow to Lose a Guy in 10 Days.
Tell me about your favorite memory from filming the movie.
Oh, there are so many good memories.
Kate’s family had a summer home near the lakes outside of Toronto.
I remember being on an inner tube and being driven around the lake by her.
Kate was, of course, piloting the boat.
It was so freaking bumpy.
I felt like my bathing suit was gonna fall off.
We both looked at each other, and couldnt believe this was happening.
Are we gonna die in this lake in the middle of doing our first movie?
I do love when you play the fake therapist in the movie.
I was wondering how that scene came together.
It was in the script, and we were all really excited about that scene.
I was especially excited about the Sally Jessy Raphael glasses.
I remember the day, there was a lot of improvising.
It was very hard to not break, definitely for Kate and me.
When she took the napkins and put them in her armpits, I was going to lose my mind.
There were so many bodies and lights in there.
Everyone was sweating profusely.
I don’t think Matthew was because he was just so cool as hell.
As you became more famous, did you feel any additional pressures when choosing roles?
No, because I was under the radar for so long like so, so long.
A lot of it at the beginning was just what was offered to me.
Sometimes I joke in fittings, If it fits, I’m wearing it.
But that was how it was.
If you got something, there was no real luxury to say no.
There was no real plan, and in public, no one recognized me.
Nobody recognized me and they actually still dont sometimes.
The benefit of no one knowing me really worked in my favor.
I didn’t feel pigeonholed.
This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.
