Paul Rudd
| Paul Rudd | |
|---|---|
 Rudd at Hollywood Life magazine's 8th Annual Breakthrough Awards, December 2007 |
|
| Born | Paul Stephen Rudd April 6, 1969 Passaic, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Actor, screenwriter, producer |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Spouse | Julie Yaeger (m. 2003) |
Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My Affection, Role Models, I Love You, Man, and Our Idiot Brother. In television, he appeared on the NBC sitcom Friends, playing Mike Hannigan, Phoebe Buffay's boyfriend and later husband.
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[edit] Early life
Rudd was born in Passaic, New Jersey.[1] His parents, both natives of London (England), were Jewish, and were descended from immigrants from Russia and Poland;[2][3] the family's original surname, "Rudnitzky", was changed by his grandfather to "Rudd".[4][5] Rudd had a bar mitzvah.[6] His father, Michael, was a historical tour guide who was formerly the vice president of World Airways, while his mother, Gloria, was a sales manager at the television station KSMO-TV.[7][8] When he was ten, Rudd's family moved to Overland Park, Kansas, where he was raised; his family also spent three years living in Anaheim, California, because of his father's occupation.[9][10][11] He attended high school at Shawnee Mission West and college at the University of Kansas,[12] where he was a member of the Nu Chapter of Sigma Nu.[13] He spent three months studying Jacobean drama at the British American Drama Academy based in Oxford, U.K.[14][15]
[edit] Career
Rudd made his breakout performance in the 1995 film Clueless, which turned him into a minor teen idol. Additional early-career credits include Wet Hot American Summer, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The Cider House Rules, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, and The Object of My Affection. He also garnered recognition with a recurring role on the television sitcom Friends as Mike Hannigan, who married Phoebe Buffay. Rudd's Broadway acting credits include The Last Night of Ballyhoo (1997), Twelfth Night (1998), and Three Days of Rain (2006). He guest-starred as a has-been 1990s rock star, Desmond Fellows, on the television series, Veronica Mars, in an episode titled "Debasement Tapes". He voiced the audiobook recordings of John Hodgman's books The Areas of My Expertise and More Information Than You Require. In 2006, he appeared in several episodes of Reno 911! as "Guy Gerricault" (pronounced "jericho"), the coach of a lamaze class, and portrayed a drug lord in the film Reno 911!: Miami. In 2012 he signed to appear on three episodes of NBC's Parks and Recreation as Bobby Newport, a candidate for City Council and a rival of Amy Poehler's character Leslie Knope.
Rudd became a full-fledged comedy star with his roles in Judd Apatow pictures The 40-Year-Old Virgin (directed by Apatow) and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (produced by Apatow). In 2007, he starred as frustrated husband Pete in Knocked Up, his third collaboration with Apatow and Seth Rogen. That year he also starred in indie favorite The Oh in Ohio and The Ten, which reunited him with David Wain and Michael Showalter. The former film was a box-office and critical disappointment as was his next starring vehicle, Over Her Dead Body with Eva Longoria. He bounced back with a memorable supporting role as Kunu (Hawaiian for "Chuck"), the drug-addled surf instructor in Nicholas Stoller's Forgetting Sarah Marshall which also starred Jason Segel and was produced by Apatow. The film was a hit, as was his next comedy Role Models, where he and co-star Seann William Scott portrayed energy-drink salesmen forced to perform community service in a child mentoring program. Rudd also made cameo appearances in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, Year One and Night at the Museum.
In 2009, Rudd again appeared with Jason Segel in I Love You Man. He lent his voice to the star-studded Dreamworks computer-animated hit movie Monsters Vs. Aliens. In 2010, he reunited with Steve Carell for the first time since Knocked Up, The 40 Year Old Virgin, and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy for the Jay Roach-directed comedy Dinner for Schmucks, which also featured Zach Galifinakis and Ron Livingston.
Rudd has become one of the most popular and marketable stars of Judd Apatow's films and others in the same vein, starring often with other Apatow regulars like Seth Rogen (four films), Jonah Hill (three films), Leslie Mann (three films), Kristen Wiig (three films), Jason Segel (three films), Steve Carell (four films), Elizabeth Banks (five films), and Joe Lo Truglio (five films).
[edit] Running gags on television
As part of a running gag during his appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and Conan, Rudd has brought a clip from the film Mac and Me, where the wheelchair-using Eric (Jade Calegory) flies off a cliff while Mac watches on, instead of showing clips from the actual film he is there to promote.[16][17] He also has appeared on stage for Conan O'Brien's live tour.
[edit] Personal life
In 2003, Rudd married his girlfriend of five years, Julie Yaeger; they have a son, Jack Sullivan, and a daughter, Darby, and live in Manhattan, New York. Rudd frequently travels to Overland Park, Kansas, where he attended high school.[18] He is a fan of Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals and National Football League's Kansas City Chiefs, for whom he narrated the 2007 HBO special Hard Knocks.
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers | Tommy Doyle | as Paul Stephen Rudd |
| Clueless | Josh | ||
| 1996 | Romeo + Juliet | Dave Paris | |
| The Size of Watermelons | Alex | ||
| 1997 | The Locusts | Earl | |
| 1998 | Overnight Delivery | Wyatt Trips | |
| The Object of My Affection | George Hanson | ||
| 1999 | 200 Cigarettes | Kevin | |
| The Cider House Rules | Wally Worthington | ||
| 2000 | Gen Y Cops | Ian Curtis | |
| The Great Gatsby | Nick Carraway | TV | |
| 2001 | Wet Hot American Summer | Andy | |
| Reaching Normal | Kenneth | ||
| The Château | Graham Granville | ||
| 2003 | The Shape of Things | Adam Sorenson | |
| Two Days | Paul Miller | ||
| House Hunting | Daniel | ||
| 2004 | Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy | Brian Fantana | |
| P.S. | Sammy Silverstein | ||
| Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie | Brian Fantana | ||
| 2005 | The Baxter | Dan Abbott | |
| The 40-Year-Old Virgin | David | ||
| Tennis, Anyone...? | Lance Rockwood | ||
| 2006 | The Oh in Ohio | Jack Chase | |
| Diggers | Hunt | ||
| Night at the Museum | Don | ||
| 2007 | Reno 911: Miami | Ethan the Drug lord | |
| I Could Never Be Your Woman | Adam Pearl | ||
| The Ex | Leon | ||
| Knocked Up | Pete | ||
| The Ten | Jeff Reigert | Also Producer | |
| Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story | John Lennon | Uncredited Cameo | |
| 2008 | Over Her Dead Body | Dr. Henry Mills | |
| Forgetting Sarah Marshall | Chuck or "Kunu" | ||
| Role Models | Danny Donahue | Also Writer | |
| 2009 | I Love You, Man | Peter Klaven | |
| Monsters vs. Aliens | Derek | Voice Only | |
| Year One | Abel | Uncredited Cameo | |
| 2010 | Dinner for Schmucks | Tim Conrad | |
| 2011 | Our Idiot Brother | Ned | |
| Bridesmaids | Dave | Uncredited DVD Cameo | |
| 2012 | Wanderlust | George | Producer, Post-Production |
| The Perks of Being a Wallflower | Bill | Post-production[19] | |
| This Is Forty (Knocked Up Spin-Off) | Pete | Filming[20] |
[edit] Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992–1995 | Sisters | Kirby Quimby Philby | Recurring guest star |
| 1994 | Wild Oats | Brian Grant | Series regular |
| 1996 | Clueless | Sonny | Guest star, episode: "I Got You Babe" |
| 2000 | Deadline | Zander Price | Guest star, episode: "Lovers and Madmen" |
| Strangers with Candy | Brent Brooks | Guest star, episode: "The Last Temptation of Blank" | |
| 2002–2004 | Friends | Mike Hannigan | Recurring guest star 18 episodes |
| 2005 | Stella | Greg | Guest star, episode: "Office Party" |
| 2006 | Cheap Seats | Dave Penders | Guest star, episode: "1996 Spelling Bee: Part 2" |
| Robot Chicken | Jasper the Douchebag Ghost, Ang Lee | Guest star, episode: "Book of Corrine" | |
| 2006–2007 | Reno 911! | Guy Gerricault | Recurring guest star |
| 2007 | The Naked Trucker and T-Bones Show | Antagonistic Passenger | Guest star, episode: "Gold Watch" |
| Veronica Mars | Desmond Fellows | Guest star, episode: "Debasement Tapes" | |
| Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs | Himself | Narrator | |
| 2008 | Little Britain USA | French president | Guest Star |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself | Host (November 15) | |
| 2009 | Delocated | Himself | Guest Star (February 13) |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself | Cameo (May 16) | |
| 2010 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Cameo (March 6) |
| Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! | Himself, Celery Man, Oyster, Tayne | Guest star, episode: "Man Milk" | |
| The Simpsons | Homer's Therapist, Dr. Zander | Guest star, season 22 | |
| Saturday Night Live | Himself | Host (December 11) | |
| 2011 | Saturday Night Live | Himself | Cameo (November 19) |
| 2012 | Parks and Recreation | Bobby Newport | Special Guest Star (January 19) |
[edit] References
- ^ Stephen Whitty (22 March 2009). "Paul Rudd interview: He's happy to have a job – any job". The Star-Ledger (Newark: Nj.com). http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/03/behind_paul_rudd_theres_a_seri.html. Retrieved 2011-07-30.
- ^ "Movies that Bang! Hiller Movie Reviews: The Shape of Things (2003)". Bangitout.com. http://www.bangitout.com/reviews50.html. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ Ginott, Jamie H. (17 April 1998). "An `Object' of Affection: Talking with Paul Rudd". The Harvard Crimson. Thecrimson.com. http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1998/4/17/an-object-of-affection-talking-with/. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ Vancheri, Barb (30 August 2007). "Paul Rudd fondly remembers black-and-gold fever". Pittsburgh Post Gazette (post-gazette.com). http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07243/813538-42.stm. Retrieved 1 September 2007.
- ^ De Vries, Hilary (1 September 2002). "Simply Rudd: Actor Paul Rudd may finally be ready to be the Next Big Thing... if he can just quit being an artist". W (HighBeam Research). http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-91657864.html. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
- ^ Wizon, Tod. "Alfred Uhry by Paul Rudd". Bomb. Bombsite.com. http://bombsite.com/issues/60/articles/2088. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ Weiner, Caren (26 April 1998). "FILM; Suddenly the Object Of Much Attention". The New York Times (NYTimes.com). http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F04E7D6163FF935A15757C0A96E958260. Retrieved 10 December 2007.
- ^ Garron, Barry (23 October 1994). "Actor takes his career in stride For Paul Rudd, the cancellation of 'Wild Oats is merely a bend in the road". The Kansas City Star. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=KC&p_theme=kc&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAF40FAE443789D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM. Retrieved 10 November 2008.
- ^ Karpel, Ari (25 May 2007). "Spotlight on Paul Rudd: Comedy's go-to guy improvises his next career move after ''Knocked Up''". Entertainment Weekly (Ew.com). http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20040158,00.html. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ Mills, Nancy (26 July 2010). "Paul Rudd's offbeat 'Dinner' date". Reading Eagle. http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=236952. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
- ^ Eric Spitznagel (October 2011). "Playboy Interview: Paul Rudd". Playboy. Playboy.com. http://www.playboy.com/magazine/playboy-interview-paul-rudd. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
- ^ Rosner, Sean (11 December 2008). "Question & answer with Paul Rudd". University Daily Kansan (Kansan.com). http://www.kansan.com/news/2008/dec/11/question_answer_paul_rudd/?jayplay. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ "Famous Members of Sigma Nu". Sigma Nu Fraternity, Inc.. http://www.sigmanu.org/about/famous_sigmanus.php. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
- ^ Heath, Chris (May 2009). "You Know You're Paul Rudd When...". GQ. http://www.gq.com/entertainment/celebrities/200904/paul-rudd-oxford-elvis-costello. Retrieved 2 June 2010.
- ^ "Alumni". British American Drama Academy. http://www.badaonline.com/127/alumni/alumni.html. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ "MAC AND ME (1988) – infamous wheelchair scene". YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5le9sYdYkM. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ "Paul Rudd on Conan promoting Role Models". 17 February 2009. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDYIQFnR60Q. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
- ^ "Famous Kansas Citians: Actor Paul Rudd". Visitkc.com. 16 April 2010. http://www.visitkc.com/things-to-do/entertainment/article-paul-rudd/index.aspx. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ The Perks of Being a Wallflower at the Internet Movie Database
- ^ This Is Forty at the Internet Movie Database
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Paul Rudd |
- 1969 births
- Actors from Kansas
- Actors from New Jersey
- American film actors
- Jewish American writers
- American people of British-Jewish descent
- American people of Polish-Jewish descent
- American people of Russian-Jewish descent
- American stage actors
- American television actors
- Jewish actors
- Living people
- People from Overland Park, Kansas
- People from Passaic, New Jersey
- University of Kansas alumni
