Patricia Arquette Admits She Was ‘Too Short’ to Stay on Her Horse in ‘Holes’

“I can fix that” was a famous line from 2003’s Holes, but there was one thing Patricia Arquette couldn’t quite fix: her horseback riding skills.

Arquette, 57, who played Kissin’ Kate Barlow, admitted during an interview with Entertainment Tonight that she is “not a good horseback rider,” which made filming the neo-Western a challenge.

“It was fun playing with guns. Learning to bullwhip was really fun, [but] I’m not a good horseback rider,” the Academy Award winner said, mimicking falling off a horse.

“After a while, they’re like, ‘Maybe you can’t learn how [to ride],'” she recalled. “I’m like, ‘I’m too short, man! I can’t get my legs to hold onto that horse!’ ”

Thankfully, Arquette noted that she “had a great stunt double who was riding the horse most of the time.”

Arquette’s character fell in love with Dulé Hill’s Sam, who repeated the now-famous line “I can fix that” when she needed help around her schoolhouse. 

“I love their love affair. It really touched that true romantic and part of me that liked ’til death do us part,” she said. “At first, people said [I can fix that] to me a lot. Now and then, when someone says it to me, I’m like ‘Awwww.’ ”

The Severance actress said she still “loves the material,” and often gets recognized for her work in the film.  

“I love the Louis Sachar book. So many young people read it. A certain age group of young people come up to me like, ‘I love you in…’ and I’m like, ‘Holes,'” she shared. “And they’re like, ‘How did you know?!’ ” 

“A lot of people read that in school, and it was an important part of their life, and I feel lucky as an actor to be a part of people’s moments in their lives,” she added.

The book by Sachar was adapted into the 2003 movie starring Shia LaBeouf, Khleo Thomas, Sigourney Weaver, Jon Voight, and Eartha Kitt. The dramedy grossed over $16 million in its opening weekend, finishing in the second spot at the box office, per Box Office Mojo.

Sachar’s book follows Stanley Yelnats as he is sent to Camp Green Lake, a boys’ detention center, after being wrongfully convicted of theft. There, he and a group of other boys are tasked with digging holes every day under the watch of the strict warden. As the story continues, Stanley learns more about his past and develops a close friendship with his fellow campers.

Holes is available to stream on Disney+.