Paul Rudd
Paul Stephen Rudd (b. 1969, or so he claims) is an American actor, screenwriter, and producer, and if you're watching one of his movies, there's a good chance that he's playing either a Jerkass, the Only Sane Man, or some combination thereof. Judd Apatow likes working with him. So do the Stella guys. Between them all, he's appeared in nearly every major American comedy (save for The Hangover and Bridesmaids) produced in the past ten years.
Partial Filmography:
- Film:
- Clueless
- William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet
- Wet Hot American Summer
- Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
- The 40 Year Old Virgin
- Night At the Museum
- Knocked Up
- Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story
- Forgetting Sarah Marshall
- Role Models
- I Love You Man
- Year One
- Dinner for Schmucks
- Wanderlust
- This Is Forty
- Television:
He provides examples of:
- Bromance: In addition to starring in many a Bromantic Comedy, he's also a lifelong best friend of Jon Hamm.
- Cloudcuckoolander: Is known for his eccentric sense of humor, such as the time he brought a New York Magazine reporter with him to the eye doctor.
- Catch Phrase: "Slappa da bass big time."
- Deadpan Snarker
- Everyone Went to School Together: An interesting example. He, Rob Riggle, and Jason Sudeikis all attended Shawnee Mission West High School in Overland Park, Kansas, though none of them were friends at the time.
- Happily Married
- Hey, It's That Guy!: His expansive resume and penchant for making cameos in films directed by his friends basically ensures that even if you don't know his name, you definitely recognize his face.
- Jewish and Nerdy
- Mean Character, Nice Actor: Tends to play a lot of jerk asses and handsome leches, but his character in Wet Hot American Summer cranks it Up to Eleven.
- Nice Jewish Boy
- Money, Dear Boy: Honestly, how else does one explain Over Her Dead Body?
- Older Than He Looks: He looks to be in his mid-twenties, but is really in his early 40s.
- Old Shame: He's not exactly thrilled to talk about some of his older projects, such as Halloween 2: The Curse of Michael Myers.
- Only Sane Man
- Production Posse: Has the distinction, along with Elizabeth Banks, of being one of the only people to hold membership in both the Judd Apatow and David Wain posses.
- Retroactive Recognition: It's almost easier to name the '90s romantic comedies he didn't have a small role in.
- Rule of Sean Connery: Most of his films are worth watching just for his role.
- Tom Hanks Syndrome: Subverted and almost played in reverse. He started as a more "serious" actor before breaking out in comedies, but his theatre work remains solidly dramatic.
- What Could Have Been: He and his Anchorman/40 Year Old Virgin castmate Steve Carell were originally slated to star in Party Down, but after the project was shelved multiple times and both of their careers exploded, the roles were eventually recast.