WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.680 Welcome back to the Deep Dive. Today we're taking 00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:06.160 on a subject who, well, seems to defy time itself, 00:00:06.400 --> 00:00:09.060 doesn't he? And maybe conventional career paths, 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:12.900 too. He really does. Paul Rudd. Impossibly consistent, 00:00:13.220 --> 00:00:16.579 undeniably charming, and as we'll get into, surprisingly 00:00:16.579 --> 00:00:19.019 multifaceted. Yeah, this is a really compelling 00:00:19.019 --> 00:00:21.780 mission for us, I think, because Paul Rudd, he 00:00:21.780 --> 00:00:25.500 sort of occupies this unique space in Hollywood. 00:00:25.579 --> 00:00:28.420 Like duality. Exactly. The reliable ensemble 00:00:28.420 --> 00:00:31.000 guy, the supporting player for years, right? 00:00:31.140 --> 00:00:34.820 And then somehow in his late 40s, he pivots and 00:00:34.820 --> 00:00:38.060 becomes the lead, the absolute anchor of a massive 00:00:38.060 --> 00:00:40.380 superhero franchise. It's quite the jump. It 00:00:40.380 --> 00:00:43.060 is. So today we're aiming to go beyond just the 00:00:43.060 --> 00:00:45.340 Ant -Man suit. We want to uncover the specifics, 00:00:45.539 --> 00:00:48.799 those surprisingly global roots he has, and really 00:00:48.799 --> 00:00:50.780 dig into the work ethic that seems to be behind 00:00:50.780 --> 00:00:52.979 that famous natural charm. Okay, let's start 00:00:52.979 --> 00:00:55.500 grounding this with some foundational stats that 00:00:55.500 --> 00:00:57.880 kind of illustrate that strange duality you mentioned. 00:00:58.179 --> 00:01:00.960 Right. Paul Stephen Rudd, born April 6, 1969, 00:01:01.460 --> 00:01:04.060 Passaic, New Jersey. His acting debut way back 00:01:04.060 --> 00:01:07.000 in 1991. 1991. Just think about that longevity. 00:01:07.239 --> 00:01:09.340 It's astounding. And it's not like he picked 00:01:09.340 --> 00:01:11.959 early. He's getting major recognition right now. 00:01:12.239 --> 00:01:15.700 Like the Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2019. Yeah. 00:01:15.799 --> 00:01:18.540 Serious financial and cultural impact. Huge impact. 00:01:18.799 --> 00:01:20.680 And then, you know, that pop culture moment in 00:01:20.680 --> 00:01:24.420 2021. People magazine's sexiest man alive. Can't 00:01:24.420 --> 00:01:26.140 forget that one. You really can't. And this is 00:01:26.140 --> 00:01:29.909 a guy whose career stretches from like. indie 00:01:29.909 --> 00:01:33.930 cult films all the way to these global blockbusters. 00:01:34.010 --> 00:01:36.430 And crucially, it's not just about the blockbusters 00:01:36.430 --> 00:01:39.189 or the comedy, even though that's his main brand. 00:01:40.079 --> 00:01:42.439 If you dig into the sources, his resume is quietly 00:01:42.439 --> 00:01:45.840 picking up some serious awards buzz. That's a 00:01:45.840 --> 00:01:47.579 really important point. He already has a Critics' 00:01:47.579 --> 00:01:49.519 Choice Television Award. Yeah. Specifically for 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:51.859 guest work, which is interesting. Yeah. And then 00:01:51.859 --> 00:01:53.819 more recently, the prestige stuff is getting 00:01:53.819 --> 00:01:56.180 noticed. A Golden Globe nomination for Living 00:01:56.180 --> 00:01:58.400 With Yourself, that dual role was tough. Very 00:01:58.400 --> 00:02:00.640 tough. Two Screen Actors Guild Awards across 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:04.379 his career. And just this year, 2024, two Primetime 00:02:04.379 --> 00:02:07.219 Emmy nominations. And they're for completely 00:02:07.219 --> 00:02:09.780 different kinds of performance. Right. recent 00:02:09.780 --> 00:02:12.199 duality, the serious recognition alongside the 00:02:12.199 --> 00:02:14.280 franchise stuff. That's really why we're doing 00:02:14.280 --> 00:02:16.340 this deep dive, isn't it? Exactly. Our mission 00:02:16.340 --> 00:02:19.099 then is to trace his path kind of chronologically. 00:02:19.139 --> 00:02:23.460 We want to reveal how this blends of intense 00:02:23.460 --> 00:02:26.020 classical training and that very natural self 00:02:26.020 --> 00:02:29.219 -deprecating humor created someone so authentic 00:02:29.219 --> 00:02:33.860 he could conquer IMTRAV comedy and the MCU. Okay, 00:02:33.919 --> 00:02:35.780 so to really get the Paul Rudd origin story, 00:02:35.879 --> 00:02:37.520 we've got to push past that image, you know, 00:02:37.599 --> 00:02:40.240 the always cheerful Midwest guy. The sources 00:02:40.240 --> 00:02:42.120 paint a much more global picture. They really 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:44.379 do. Yeah, he was born in New Jersey, sure, but 00:02:44.379 --> 00:02:46.539 his parents were English Jewish immigrants. That's 00:02:46.539 --> 00:02:48.560 foundational, isn't it? Yeah. Must have shaped 00:02:48.560 --> 00:02:50.599 his early cultural world quite a bit. Absolutely. 00:02:50.699 --> 00:02:53.460 His father, Michael Rudd, he passed away in 2008, 00:02:53.719 --> 00:02:55.860 had this really interesting job, historical tour 00:02:55.860 --> 00:02:59.340 guide for TWA. Transworld Airlines. Okay. That 00:02:59.340 --> 00:03:01.139 explains some moving around, maybe. Definitely. 00:03:01.419 --> 00:03:05.060 And his mother, Gloria Irene Granville, she was 00:03:05.060 --> 00:03:07.819 a sales manager at KSMO TV, the station in Kansas 00:03:07.819 --> 00:03:10.900 City, Missouri. So, the English connection is 00:03:10.900 --> 00:03:13.830 strong, but they settled in the U .S. Can you 00:03:13.830 --> 00:03:15.849 give us the specifics on the London roots? I 00:03:15.849 --> 00:03:18.770 find this fascinating. Both parents, yeah. Originally 00:03:18.770 --> 00:03:21.930 from London, his dad from Edgware, his mom from 00:03:21.930 --> 00:03:26.229 Surbiton. Wow. But it goes deeper. Their families 00:03:26.229 --> 00:03:28.729 were descended from Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants 00:03:28.729 --> 00:03:31.169 who'd come to England from Eastern Europe. We're 00:03:31.169 --> 00:03:34.990 talking Belarus, Poland. Russia. That is not 00:03:34.990 --> 00:03:37.090 the typical Hollywood backstory. Not at all. 00:03:37.150 --> 00:03:39.689 And this detail from the sources just kind of 00:03:39.689 --> 00:03:41.689 blew me away. His parents were second cousins. 00:03:41.909 --> 00:03:45.129 No way. Really? Yeah. It points to how tight 00:03:45.129 --> 00:03:47.370 -knit those immigrant communities were back then, 00:03:47.430 --> 00:03:49.550 you know, settling in England. That makes sense. 00:03:49.750 --> 00:03:52.969 Yeah. So this rich global heritage, it was part 00:03:52.969 --> 00:03:54.789 of his childhood even growing up mostly in the 00:03:54.789 --> 00:03:57.409 States. Seems like it. We know he loved reading 00:03:57.409 --> 00:03:59.530 British comics, The Beano and The Dandy. His 00:03:59.530 --> 00:04:01.330 uncle used to send them over. That's a great 00:04:01.330 --> 00:04:03.050 detail. And he even had his bar mitzvah service 00:04:03.050 --> 00:04:05.330 in Ontario, Canada. Maybe something to do with 00:04:05.330 --> 00:04:08.150 his dad's TWA travel schedule. Could be. OK, 00:04:08.250 --> 00:04:10.830 so lots of international threads. But Kansas, 00:04:10.990 --> 00:04:13.969 Kansas is where he really became, well, Paul 00:04:13.969 --> 00:04:16.360 Rudd, as we know him. Right. The family moved 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:18.579 to Lenexa, Kansas. That's in Johnson County when 00:04:18.579 --> 00:04:20.519 he was 10, though they did have a three year 00:04:20.519 --> 00:04:22.779 stint in Anaheim, California again because of 00:04:22.779 --> 00:04:25.600 his father's job. Kansas stuck. Yeah. He graduated 00:04:25.600 --> 00:04:27.680 from Shawnee Mission West High School in 87. 00:04:28.439 --> 00:04:30.860 And the sources mentioned something interesting 00:04:30.860 --> 00:04:33.439 about high school, not just acting, but forensics. 00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:36.870 Yeah. competitive public speaking. Specifically, 00:04:36.949 --> 00:04:40.329 he placed fifth nationally in humorous interpretation 00:04:40.329 --> 00:04:44.189 in 1987. Humorous interpretation. OK, for those 00:04:44.189 --> 00:04:46.069 listening who aren't familiar, what exactly is 00:04:46.069 --> 00:04:48.269 that and why is it maybe important for his career 00:04:48.269 --> 00:04:50.730 later? That's a great question. Humorous interpretation 00:04:50.730 --> 00:04:54.529 or H .I., it's basically performing a funny piece 00:04:54.529 --> 00:04:57.490 like from a play or a story totally solo. No 00:04:57.490 --> 00:04:59.750 props, no costumes. It's all about your voice, 00:04:59.810 --> 00:05:01.750 your physical comedy, your timing. You have to 00:05:01.750 --> 00:05:03.860 make it work. It's like. Competitive charisma 00:05:03.860 --> 00:05:08.180 training, but disciplined. I like that. Disciplined 00:05:08.180 --> 00:05:11.310 charisma. Exactly. It teaches you comedic timing, 00:05:11.449 --> 00:05:14.509 how to hold a stage. Perfect training for ensemble 00:05:14.509 --> 00:05:16.790 comedy, right? Where timing is everything. Makes 00:05:16.790 --> 00:05:19.810 total sense. So he's got this competitive edge 00:05:19.810 --> 00:05:22.550 and he keeps going academically. University of 00:05:22.550 --> 00:05:25.449 Kansas, majoring in theater, joined the Sigma 00:05:25.449 --> 00:05:28.329 Nu fraternity too. But his training didn't stop 00:05:28.329 --> 00:05:30.750 there. He got serious about it. Right after KU. 00:05:30.870 --> 00:05:32.730 He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic 00:05:32.730 --> 00:05:35.089 Arts in New York, a prestigious place. Actually 00:05:35.089 --> 00:05:37.170 studied alongside Matthew Lillard there. Oh, 00:05:37.209 --> 00:05:40.759 interesting connection. Yeah. But the real kicker, 00:05:40.779 --> 00:05:42.779 the thing that maybe separates him from a lot 00:05:42.779 --> 00:05:44.980 of other comedians is the international study. 00:05:45.220 --> 00:05:47.879 He went to England, right? Oxford. He did. Spent 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:50.620 three months studying Jacobean drama at the British 00:05:50.620 --> 00:05:53.259 American Drama Academy in Oxford. Jacobean drama. 00:05:53.399 --> 00:05:56.040 Okay, we're talking serious complex stuff. Plays 00:05:56.040 --> 00:05:59.000 written right after Shakespeare. Exactly. Intense 00:05:59.000 --> 00:06:01.759 tragedy, satire, really heightened language. 00:06:02.139 --> 00:06:05.560 Think Webster, Middleton. So why does studying 00:06:05.560 --> 00:06:08.329 like complex tragedy help you when you... You 00:06:08.329 --> 00:06:10.269 end up in Anchorman. Well, I think it gives you 00:06:10.269 --> 00:06:13.230 gravitas. You know, if you can handle that language, 00:06:13.269 --> 00:06:15.629 those big emotions, you have the tools to anchor 00:06:15.629 --> 00:06:18.470 anything, even something totally absurd. Oh, 00:06:18.550 --> 00:06:20.870 OK. It gives depth. Yeah. The technical skill, 00:06:21.029 --> 00:06:24.129 the emotional weight. It means later on he could 00:06:24.129 --> 00:06:26.829 handle dramatic roles or maybe more importantly, 00:06:26.910 --> 00:06:30.870 carry a massive franchise like Ant -Man. Scott 00:06:30.870 --> 00:06:33.730 Lang isn't just jokes, right? There's heart there. 00:06:34.029 --> 00:06:37.910 True. All that classical training, though. Must 00:06:37.910 --> 00:06:40.269 have cost a bit. How did he actually pay for 00:06:40.269 --> 00:06:42.230 it all? This is where the biography gets really 00:06:42.230 --> 00:06:45.370 good. The sources give us two amazing sort of 00:06:45.370 --> 00:06:47.490 contrasting jobs he had. Okay, let's hear them. 00:06:47.629 --> 00:06:50.189 While he was at acting school, he worked as a 00:06:50.189 --> 00:06:54.850 DJ for bar mitzvahs. Get out! Seriously, imagine 00:06:54.850 --> 00:06:58.149 like... Studying intense drama all day, then 00:06:58.149 --> 00:07:00.709 spinning records and leading the horror at night. 00:07:00.930 --> 00:07:02.889 That's incredible range right there. And it gets 00:07:02.889 --> 00:07:05.329 even better, or maybe just more specific. After 00:07:05.329 --> 00:07:07.790 he graduated, he had this job that sounds like 00:07:07.790 --> 00:07:09.610 it's straight out of one of his comedies. He 00:07:09.610 --> 00:07:13.709 worked glazing hams. Glazing hams. At the Holiday 00:07:13.709 --> 00:07:16.970 Ham Company in Overland Park, Kansas. Just picture 00:07:16.970 --> 00:07:20.069 it. The future movie star carefully applying 00:07:20.069 --> 00:07:24.379 glaze to holiday hams. Wow. That is perfect. 00:07:24.680 --> 00:07:27.199 It somehow captures the whole grounded, unexpected 00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:30.500 journey. Doesn't it? Glazing hams to fund a career 00:07:30.500 --> 00:07:33.620 built on, like, Shakespearean rigor and competitive 00:07:33.620 --> 00:07:36.100 charisma. It really sets the stage for the kind 00:07:36.100 --> 00:07:38.699 of performer he became. So, okay, he's got the 00:07:38.699 --> 00:07:41.939 education, that mix of precise timing from forensics, 00:07:41.939 --> 00:07:46.079 the seriousness of Jacobean drama, and the practical 00:07:46.079 --> 00:07:48.949 skills of ham glazing. Can't forget the ham glazing. 00:07:49.089 --> 00:07:51.550 Never. He officially launches his screen career 00:07:51.550 --> 00:07:54.449 in the early 90s. Yeah. But maybe not with the 00:07:54.449 --> 00:07:56.129 kind of role you'd expect after all that training. 00:07:56.269 --> 00:07:58.649 No. The very first credit our sources list is 00:07:58.649 --> 00:08:01.889 a commercial from 1991 promoting the Super Nintendo. 00:08:02.050 --> 00:08:04.269 And here's where his career feels almost surreal, 00:08:04.389 --> 00:08:06.310 right? Because he actually referenced that exact 00:08:06.310 --> 00:08:09.610 commercial decades later in like 2025 for the 00:08:09.610 --> 00:08:11.790 Nintendo Switch 2. That's amazing. Talk about 00:08:11.790 --> 00:08:13.550 coming full circle. It really is. It's part of 00:08:13.550 --> 00:08:15.810 his appeal, I think. Before the big movie break, 00:08:15.889 --> 00:08:18.939 though. He had a pretty significant run on TV. 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:21.920 a recurring role on Sisters, the drama series, 00:08:22.139 --> 00:08:25.720 started in 92. Yeah, Kirby Quimby Philby, quite 00:08:25.720 --> 00:08:28.019 a name. He stayed with that show until 1995, 00:08:28.100 --> 00:08:30.540 getting that experience, you know, the grind 00:08:30.540 --> 00:08:33.820 of weekly television. In 1995, that was a pivotal 00:08:33.820 --> 00:08:36.299 year, wasn't it? Huge year. He left Sisters and 00:08:36.299 --> 00:08:39.120 starred in Clueless. Clueless, playing Josh, 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:42.759 the charming, smart, maybe slightly cooler, older 00:08:42.759 --> 00:08:45.779 stepbrother to Alicia Silverstone's chair. He 00:08:45.779 --> 00:08:48.470 instantly became like... The guy who could do 00:08:48.470 --> 00:08:51.169 witty dialogue and just project warmth. A certain 00:08:51.169 --> 00:08:53.309 kind of leading man was born there. But what's 00:08:53.309 --> 00:08:54.889 interesting, and maybe people forget, is how 00:08:54.889 --> 00:08:57.269 quickly he followed that rom -com success with 00:08:57.269 --> 00:08:59.429 totally different genres. He didn't seem to want 00:08:59.429 --> 00:09:01.909 to get stuck. Not at all. That same year, 1995, 00:09:02.350 --> 00:09:04.789 boom, he's in a horror movie, Halloween. The 00:09:04.789 --> 00:09:07.590 Curse of Michael Myers, playing Tommy Doyle, 00:09:07.629 --> 00:09:09.350 the character from the original. Right. And then 00:09:09.350 --> 00:09:11.870 the next year, 96, he's back in that heightened 00:09:11.870 --> 00:09:14.129 language world with Baz Luhrmann's Romeo Plus 00:09:14.129 --> 00:09:16.820 Juliet. So within, like, two years of Clueless, 00:09:16.820 --> 00:09:19.799 he hits teen comedy, slasher horror, and Shakespeare. 00:09:19.980 --> 00:09:22.779 It's like he was showing Hollywood, OK, I can 00:09:22.779 --> 00:09:24.799 do all of this. He kept up the ensemble work, 00:09:24.860 --> 00:09:27.399 too. By 99, he was in The Cider House Rules. 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:29.820 Yeah. That cast got a SAG nomination, right? 00:09:30.019 --> 00:09:33.139 Yep. Proving he could be a key piece in a successful 00:09:33.139 --> 00:09:36.200 group, a team player. And that foundation, being 00:09:36.200 --> 00:09:38.220 good in an ensemble, it really paved the way 00:09:38.220 --> 00:09:40.659 for the Judd Apatow era, didn't it? That kicked 00:09:40.659 --> 00:09:43.139 off around 2004 with Anchorman. Anchorman, the 00:09:43.139 --> 00:09:46.210 legend of Ron Burgundy. Brian Fantana, cologne 00:09:46.210 --> 00:09:49.220 connoisseur, Sex Panther. His delivery is just 00:09:49.220 --> 00:09:52.779 so deadpan, plays it completely straight amidst 00:09:52.779 --> 00:09:54.720 the chaos. And that's the key, I think, to his 00:09:54.720 --> 00:09:57.360 success in that whole Apatow world. He could 00:09:57.360 --> 00:09:59.559 be the calm center, the professional straight 00:09:59.559 --> 00:10:02.679 man. Letting guys like Farrell or Carell or Rojan 00:10:02.679 --> 00:10:05.759 just go wild. Exactly. Knowing Rudd would hold 00:10:05.759 --> 00:10:08.100 it together, that partnership really defined 00:10:08.100 --> 00:10:11.080 the mid -2000s comedies. The 40 -year -old virgin 00:10:11.080 --> 00:10:13.860 in 05, then knocked up in her 7, which Apatow 00:10:13.860 --> 00:10:15.860 wrote and directed. And his character Pete in 00:10:15.860 --> 00:10:18.399 Knocked Up with Leslie Mann. That relationship 00:10:18.399 --> 00:10:21.639 felt so real, so recognizable. So much so that 00:10:21.639 --> 00:10:24.299 it led to this spinoff, This Is 40, in 2012, 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:26.840 just focusing on them. He was kind of the secret 00:10:26.840 --> 00:10:29.039 sauce in that whole scene, wasn't he? Popping 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:32.039 up everywhere. Totally. Often uncredited, he 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:35.120 was John Lennon in Walk Hard, the surf instructor 00:10:35.120 --> 00:10:37.830 who knew and forgetting Sarah Marshall. Little 00:10:37.830 --> 00:10:40.210 parts in year one, bridesmaids. It wasn't about 00:10:40.210 --> 00:10:42.450 grabbing the spotlight. No, it seemed more about 00:10:42.450 --> 00:10:44.389 just being part of the funniest stuff happening. 00:10:44.929 --> 00:10:47.509 Collaborating. And while all this film comedy 00:10:47.509 --> 00:10:50.470 is taking off, he lands this massive TV role 00:10:50.470 --> 00:10:52.649 that probably made him a household name globally. 00:10:53.370 --> 00:10:56.330 Mike Hannigan on Friends. Crucial. Absolutely 00:10:56.330 --> 00:10:59.690 crucial timing. From 2002 to 2004, Friends was 00:10:59.690 --> 00:11:02.210 arguably the biggest show in the world. And Mike 00:11:02.210 --> 00:11:04.529 wasn't just a guest star. He dates and marries 00:11:04.529 --> 00:11:07.500 Phoebe. A main character. Right. It exposed him 00:11:07.500 --> 00:11:09.779 to this enormous audience, showed he could handle 00:11:09.779 --> 00:11:12.980 that long -form romantic storyline just before 00:11:12.980 --> 00:11:15.279 his film career fully exploded. And then there's 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:17.500 the weirder side of his collaborations. Like 00:11:17.500 --> 00:11:20.539 Reno 911. Oh yeah, he fully embraced the absurdity 00:11:20.539 --> 00:11:23.460 there. Guy Garrical, the LeMay's coach. Utterly 00:11:23.460 --> 00:11:25.360 ridiculous. And he was in the movie too, right? 00:11:25.419 --> 00:11:29.759 Reno 911? No. Miami? Yep. As a drug lord. It 00:11:29.759 --> 00:11:32.379 just shows his range, you know? Comfortably switching 00:11:32.379 --> 00:11:36.159 between friends and that kind of niche improv 00:11:36.159 --> 00:11:38.259 heavy comedy. We also have to talk about the 00:11:38.259 --> 00:11:41.139 wet hot American summer connection. Yes. the 00:11:41.139 --> 00:11:43.500 ultimate cult classic, started with the movie 00:11:43.500 --> 00:11:46.460 in 2001 where he played Andy, the sort of bad 00:11:46.460 --> 00:11:49.399 boy counselor. And the amazing thing is he came 00:11:49.399 --> 00:11:51.960 back for the Netflix series years later. He did. 00:11:52.100 --> 00:11:55.200 First day of camp in 2015 and the other follow 00:11:55.200 --> 00:11:57.940 ups. It shows this real loyalty, doesn't it, 00:11:57.960 --> 00:12:00.379 to the projects and the people who were there 00:12:00.379 --> 00:12:03.000 early on, no matter how big he got. Speaking 00:12:03.000 --> 00:12:06.000 of collaborators, his chemistry with Jason Segel 00:12:06.000 --> 00:12:09.460 in I Love You, Man. That movie really worked. 00:12:09.639 --> 00:12:12.679 It did. And that whole Rush subplot? Apparently 00:12:12.679 --> 00:12:14.879 that was real. They're both actual huge Rush 00:12:14.879 --> 00:12:17.419 fans. Yeah, the sources say so. Which probably 00:12:17.419 --> 00:12:19.659 added that layer of genuine connection to their 00:12:19.659 --> 00:12:21.539 friendship on screen. Made it feel relatable. 00:12:21.799 --> 00:12:23.600 He also worked with Elizabeth Banks a ton. Five 00:12:23.600 --> 00:12:26.460 films together. Let's see. Wet Hot, The Baxter, 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:29.419 40 -Year -Old Virgin, Role Models, Our Idiot 00:12:29.419 --> 00:12:31.740 Brother. Yeah, five. That says a lot, right? 00:12:31.899 --> 00:12:33.700 That people wanted to keep working with him. 00:12:33.879 --> 00:12:36.259 Reliable, funny, professional. Definitely speaks 00:12:36.259 --> 00:12:38.720 volumes about his reputation within the industry. 00:12:38.899 --> 00:12:41.879 And then to kind of cap off this phase, his guest 00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:43.940 spot on Parks and Recreation. Probably Newport. 00:12:44.299 --> 00:12:46.500 Bobby Newport's never had a real job in his life. 00:12:46.600 --> 00:12:48.919 He was brilliant. So perfectly dim -witted but 00:12:48.919 --> 00:12:51.519 charming. Appeared in four episodes as Leslie 00:12:51.519 --> 00:12:54.159 Noak's rival. And that role won him an award, 00:12:54.200 --> 00:12:56.659 didn't it? It did. The Critics' Choice Television 00:12:56.659 --> 00:12:59.840 Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:03.139 in 2012. It was like the final proof. Paul Rudd 00:13:03.139 --> 00:13:05.299 could walk into any comedy universe and just 00:13:05.299 --> 00:13:09.210 instantly kill it. Comedy MVP. Okay, so by the 00:13:09.210 --> 00:13:12.090 early 2010s, Paul Rudd is basically the king 00:13:12.090 --> 00:13:14.370 of ensemble comedy, the go -to straight man. 00:13:14.649 --> 00:13:16.690 What's the next step? Apparently, it's becoming 00:13:16.690 --> 00:13:19.309 a global superhero lead. Which still feels slightly 00:13:19.309 --> 00:13:21.629 audacious, right? Moving from supporting player 00:13:21.629 --> 00:13:24.370 to anchoring an MCU franchise. Totally audacious. 00:13:24.429 --> 00:13:27.429 But the announcement came in December 2013. He 00:13:27.429 --> 00:13:30.269 was officially Scott Lang, Ant -Man. Now looking 00:13:30.269 --> 00:13:32.769 back, it was kind of genius casting by Marvel, 00:13:32.929 --> 00:13:35.379 wasn't it? I think so. They needed someone who 00:13:35.379 --> 00:13:38.399 could handle the high -tech stuff, Pym Particles, 00:13:38.580 --> 00:13:41.860 Quantum Realm, but keep it light, grounded, accessible, 00:13:42.200 --> 00:13:44.200 especially after some of the heavier stuff with 00:13:44.200 --> 00:13:47.120 Iron Man and Cap. Rudd's persona, that sort of 00:13:47.120 --> 00:13:49.580 good -natured everyman was perfect. He makes 00:13:49.580 --> 00:13:53.980 talking to ants feel, well, almost normal. Right. 00:13:54.100 --> 00:13:56.519 And he became indispensable pretty quickly. The 00:13:56.519 --> 00:13:59.100 sources list five MCU films he's been central 00:13:59.100 --> 00:14:01.870 to. Let's list them. Ant -Man in 2015, the first 00:14:01.870 --> 00:14:04.769 one. Then Captain America, Civil War in 2016, 00:14:04.970 --> 00:14:07.250 where he joined the wider Avengers world. Ant 00:14:07.250 --> 00:14:10.049 -Man and the Wasp in 2018, Avengers, Endgame 00:14:10.049 --> 00:14:12.570 in 19, huge role there. Crucial role. And then 00:14:12.570 --> 00:14:16.389 Ant -Man and the Wasp, Quantumania in 2023. But 00:14:16.389 --> 00:14:18.669 the sources point out something really key beyond 00:14:18.669 --> 00:14:21.649 just acting in these. His creative input. Yes. 00:14:21.830 --> 00:14:23.809 He co -wrote the script for Ant -Man and the 00:14:23.809 --> 00:14:25.730 Wasp. That's significant. It wasn't just delivering 00:14:25.730 --> 00:14:28.529 lines Marvel gave him. Exactly. It means his 00:14:28.529 --> 00:14:31.250 comedic sensibility, his timing, his way of finding 00:14:31.250 --> 00:14:33.970 humor in those crazy situations. It was baked 00:14:33.970 --> 00:14:35.950 into the franchise itself. He wasn't just an 00:14:35.950 --> 00:14:38.590 actor. He was a creative partner. And he's not 00:14:38.590 --> 00:14:41.610 done with Marvel. Sources say he's set for Avengers. 00:14:42.389 --> 00:14:45.509 Doomsday in 2026. Right. His tenure continues. 00:14:45.690 --> 00:14:48.230 This leap into blockbusters wasn't just Marvel 00:14:48.230 --> 00:14:51.289 either. He jumped into another huge legacy franchise, 00:14:51.610 --> 00:14:54.370 Ghostbusters. Mm -hmm. Took on the role of Gary 00:14:54.370 --> 00:14:57.110 Gruberson, the seismologist summer school teacher 00:14:57.110 --> 00:15:00.909 in Ghostbusters, Afterlife in 2021. Sort of the 00:15:00.909 --> 00:15:03.110 audience's way into the news story. Perfectly 00:15:03.110 --> 00:15:05.590 cast for that. And he came back for Frozen Empire 00:15:05.590 --> 00:15:08.370 in 2024, cementing his place in that universe 00:15:08.370 --> 00:15:11.120 too. He's good at being the guy who's suitably 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:13.700 impressed by all the weirdness, which helps ground 00:15:13.700 --> 00:15:16.460 it for us. But even with these massive franchises 00:15:16.460 --> 00:15:18.940 taking off, he didn't abandon the other side 00:15:18.940 --> 00:15:20.679 of the skill set, that classical training we 00:15:20.679 --> 00:15:22.320 talked about. No, he kept a foot in dramatic 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:25.059 work, like his supporting role in The Perks of 00:15:25.059 --> 00:15:27.179 Being a Wallflower back in 2012. And he started 00:15:27.179 --> 00:15:28.919 doing a lot more voice work, too, didn't he? 00:15:29.210 --> 00:15:31.850 Leveraging that distinct warm voice. Definitely. 00:15:31.909 --> 00:15:34.629 Credits like DreamWorks Monsters vs. Aliens, 00:15:34.669 --> 00:15:37.669 The Little Prince adaptation, Seth Rogen's very 00:15:37.669 --> 00:15:39.990 R -rated Sausage Party. A different vibe there. 00:15:40.149 --> 00:15:42.889 Very different. And also an animated film called 00:15:42.889 --> 00:15:46.070 Nerdland in 2016, playing a struggling actor. 00:15:46.309 --> 00:15:49.450 Plus, commercially. His voice became super familiar. 00:15:49.570 --> 00:15:51.330 He's been the voice of Hyundai commercials for 00:15:51.330 --> 00:15:54.950 ages, right? Since 2014. Nearly a decade. It's 00:15:54.950 --> 00:15:57.769 that reliable, approachable sound. It works. 00:15:58.090 --> 00:16:00.850 He even did audiobooks. John Hodgman's comedic 00:16:00.850 --> 00:16:03.409 almanacs. Yeah. The areas of my expertise and 00:16:03.409 --> 00:16:06.230 more information than you require. Again, it's 00:16:06.230 --> 00:16:08.830 that perfect straight man delivery making Hodgman's 00:16:08.830 --> 00:16:11.289 absurd writing even funnier. Which brings us 00:16:11.289 --> 00:16:13.850 to his more recent and really significant success 00:16:13.850 --> 00:16:17.669 in prestige TV. This is where you see the dramatic 00:16:17.669 --> 00:16:20.509 depth really shine. Absolutely. Living With Yourself 00:16:20.509 --> 00:16:23.350 on Netflix in 2019. He starred and executive 00:16:23.350 --> 00:16:25.570 produced. Playing two roles, himself and his 00:16:25.570 --> 00:16:28.070 clone. That's a huge acting challenge. Immense 00:16:28.070 --> 00:16:30.009 challenge. Requires so much technical skill and 00:16:30.009 --> 00:16:31.850 emotional control. And it got him that Golden 00:16:31.850 --> 00:16:34.350 Globe nomination. Big deal. He followed that 00:16:34.350 --> 00:16:36.690 with the Shrink Next Door miniseries in 2021. 00:16:37.149 --> 00:16:39.830 Right. And then the ultimate proof of his range, 00:16:39.889 --> 00:16:42.049 I think, comes with the 2024 Emmy nominations. 00:16:42.370 --> 00:16:45.210 Two noms in the same year. For wildly different 00:16:45.210 --> 00:16:48.450 things. That's what's stunning. One was for Outstanding 00:16:48.450 --> 00:16:51.629 Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for... only 00:16:51.629 --> 00:16:53.470 murders in the building. Where he played Ben 00:16:53.470 --> 00:16:55.450 Glenroy, the actor who gets murdered in episode 00:16:55.450 --> 00:16:58.769 one. Exactly. The victim. But he's central to 00:16:58.769 --> 00:17:00.809 the whole season through flashbacks. It says 00:17:00.809 --> 00:17:03.710 a lot about his star power that he could be the 00:17:03.710 --> 00:17:06.589 murder victim and still be such a presence. And 00:17:06.589 --> 00:17:08.390 the second Emmy nomination that year. Couldn't 00:17:08.390 --> 00:17:10.470 be more different. Totally different world. Outstanding 00:17:10.470 --> 00:17:12.670 narrator for a National Geographic documentary 00:17:12.670 --> 00:17:15.970 series, Secrets of the Octopus. Wow. Think about 00:17:15.970 --> 00:17:18.670 that. From the arrogant, murdered actor in a 00:17:18.670 --> 00:17:21.670 comedy mystery to the authoritative warm voice 00:17:21.670 --> 00:17:25.250 explaining octopus intelligence for Nat Geo, 00:17:25.269 --> 00:17:28.329 all in the same awards year. It really seals 00:17:28.329 --> 00:17:30.349 it, doesn't it? He can genuinely command both 00:17:30.349 --> 00:17:33.069 ends of the spectrum, high comedy and serious 00:17:33.069 --> 00:17:36.470 nonfiction. So we've got this picture of Rudd 00:17:36.470 --> 00:17:39.529 as a man of contrast, huge action, subtle comedy. 00:17:39.910 --> 00:17:42.390 But underpinning the serious side, it seems, 00:17:42.589 --> 00:17:45.349 is that consistent commitment to the stage, going 00:17:45.349 --> 00:17:47.359 right back to that Oxford training. That's got 00:17:47.359 --> 00:17:49.000 to be a huge part of his resilience, right? He 00:17:49.000 --> 00:17:50.880 didn't just ditch the theater once Hollywood 00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:53.079 called. He uses it, I think, to keep his skills 00:17:53.079 --> 00:17:55.980 sharp. He did Broadway early on, The Last Night 00:17:55.980 --> 00:17:59.039 of Ballyhoo in 97. And he kept going back to 00:17:59.039 --> 00:18:02.500 major productions. In 2006, he was in Three Days 00:18:02.500 --> 00:18:06.039 of Rain, star -studded cast there, Julia Roberts, 00:18:06.259 --> 00:18:10.259 Bradley Cooper. Wow. And then Grace in 2012 with 00:18:10.259 --> 00:18:13.839 Michael Shannon and Ed Asner. Yeah. Working with 00:18:13.839 --> 00:18:16.259 really intense, respected actors, that's serious 00:18:16.259 --> 00:18:18.660 stuff. His stage work wasn't just Broadway either. 00:18:18.759 --> 00:18:21.299 He worked in London, too. He did. Back in 2000, 00:18:21.579 --> 00:18:24.039 2001, he was in Long Day's Journey and Tonight 00:18:24.039 --> 00:18:26.859 over there. And then also in 2001, he was part 00:18:26.859 --> 00:18:30.140 of creating a new play, Neil LaButte's The Shape 00:18:30.140 --> 00:18:32.910 of Things. originated the role of Adam in the 00:18:32.910 --> 00:18:34.809 London production. And that play became a movie 00:18:34.809 --> 00:18:37.089 later, right? With the same cast. Exactly. That 00:18:37.089 --> 00:18:39.190 kind of continuity, keeping the original stage 00:18:39.190 --> 00:18:41.670 cast for the film, really shows how valued he 00:18:41.670 --> 00:18:43.930 was as a collaborator in that theater setting. 00:18:44.130 --> 00:18:46.650 And this dedication to theater, the sources connected 00:18:46.650 --> 00:18:48.650 directly to some of his charity work, don't they? 00:18:48.750 --> 00:18:51.289 Yes, specifically his advocacy for stuttering 00:18:51.289 --> 00:18:54.069 awareness. Apparently it started after he played 00:18:54.069 --> 00:18:57.049 a character who stuttered in a play. That's powerful. 00:18:57.410 --> 00:19:00.130 Taking the experience from a role and turning 00:19:00.130 --> 00:19:02.990 it into real world action. It really is. Supporting 00:19:02.990 --> 00:19:04.890 the stuttering association for the young, I say. 00:19:05.130 --> 00:19:08.849 Okay, so we have this foundation of serious classical 00:19:08.849 --> 00:19:12.569 stage work existing side by side with perhaps 00:19:12.569 --> 00:19:15.230 the greatest running gag in late night television 00:19:15.230 --> 00:19:17.970 history. Oh, the Mac and Me prank. It's legendary. 00:19:18.269 --> 00:19:20.829 An art form in itself. It went on for so long. 00:19:20.869 --> 00:19:23.730 Oh, okay. Two decades. From 2004 all the way 00:19:23.730 --> 00:19:27.039 to 2021. Exclusively. on Conan O 'Brien's shows. 00:19:27.180 --> 00:19:29.799 Just pure comedic disruption. Can you walk us 00:19:29.799 --> 00:19:31.920 through how it worked for anyone who might have 00:19:31.920 --> 00:19:34.619 missed this masterpiece? Okay, so every single 00:19:34.619 --> 00:19:37.019 time Paul Rudd came on Conan's show to promote 00:19:37.019 --> 00:19:39.640 a movie... Didn't matter if it was Anchorman 00:19:39.640 --> 00:19:42.220 or Ant -Man or whatever they'd chat, build up 00:19:42.220 --> 00:19:43.900 to the plug. Conan would say something like, 00:19:43.980 --> 00:19:46.039 let's take a look at a clip. Exactly. And instead 00:19:46.039 --> 00:19:48.420 of showing a clip from Rudd's actual new movie, 00:19:48.640 --> 00:19:51.059 Rudd would cue up the exact same scene from this 00:19:51.059 --> 00:19:54.779 terrible 1988 E .T. knockoff movie called Mac 00:19:54.779 --> 00:19:57.880 and Me. The scene where the kid in the wheelchair 00:19:57.880 --> 00:20:01.059 goes flying off a cliff into the water is so 00:20:01.059 --> 00:20:03.779 jarring and bizarre. Totally bizarre. And it's 00:20:03.779 --> 00:20:06.180 such a brilliant piece of like anti -promotion. 00:20:07.470 --> 00:20:10.109 said he'd do it because selling his movies on 00:20:10.109 --> 00:20:12.890 TV felt kind of insincere. So this was his protest, 00:20:13.109 --> 00:20:15.009 his way of saying, I'm not taking this seriously. 00:20:15.269 --> 00:20:17.289 Pretty much. And the genius was the commitment. 00:20:17.569 --> 00:20:20.329 Conan played the straight man perfectly. acting 00:20:20.329 --> 00:20:23.569 outraged every single time it became this thing 00:20:23.569 --> 00:20:26.269 the audience was in on like a secret handshake 00:20:26.269 --> 00:20:28.789 totally rudd said he never imagined it would 00:20:28.789 --> 00:20:31.750 go on for so long became this hilarious commentary 00:20:31.750 --> 00:20:35.130 on celebrity interviews and honestly it probably 00:20:35.130 --> 00:20:37.730 made people love him more than any real movie 00:20:37.730 --> 00:20:40.410 clip could have it went viral before things really 00:20:40.410 --> 00:20:42.769 went viral online absolutely and it didn't even 00:20:42.769 --> 00:20:45.730 stop when conan's tv show ended right it followed 00:20:45.730 --> 00:20:56.360 him to the podcast world yep in 2022 rudge The 00:20:56.360 --> 00:21:00.319 commitment is just astounding. It tells you so 00:21:00.319 --> 00:21:02.279 much about his sense of humor, that slightly 00:21:02.279 --> 00:21:04.480 rebellious streak under the nice guy exterior. 00:21:04.779 --> 00:21:07.079 Okay, moving away from the career stuff to his 00:21:07.079 --> 00:21:09.680 personal life, he seems to have kept things pretty 00:21:09.680 --> 00:21:11.940 balanced, pretty grounded, despite the fame. 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:15.420 He married Julie Yeager back in 2003. Right. 00:21:15.660 --> 00:21:18.559 And they met, apparently, in his publicist's 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:21.039 office where she was working at the time, which 00:21:21.039 --> 00:21:23.700 feels like a very non -Hollywood, meet -cute 00:21:23.700 --> 00:21:26.319 kind of story. Yeah, it does. She's a screenwriter 00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:28.079 and producer now, too, right? Mm -hmm. They live 00:21:28.079 --> 00:21:30.539 up in Rhyndeck, New York. Nice town. Apparently, 00:21:30.579 --> 00:21:32.839 a few celebs live up there. And they have two 00:21:32.839 --> 00:21:37.019 kids, a son born in 2006, daughter in 2010. But 00:21:37.019 --> 00:21:38.940 the sources really emphasize that while he lives 00:21:38.940 --> 00:21:41.039 in New York, his heart seems to still be in the 00:21:41.039 --> 00:21:44.099 Midwest, specifically Kansas City. That loyalty 00:21:44.099 --> 00:21:47.119 is huge for him. Oh, absolutely central to who 00:21:47.119 --> 00:21:50.900 he is. He is a massive vocal fan of Kansas City 00:21:50.900 --> 00:21:53.960 sports, the Royals and baseball. University of 00:21:53.960 --> 00:21:56.319 Kansas Jayhawks. And, of course, the NFL's Kansas 00:21:56.319 --> 00:21:58.680 City Chiefs. His connection to the Chiefs is 00:21:58.680 --> 00:22:00.960 especially visible. He's basically become the 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:02.990 voice of the Chiefs' success, hasn't he? Pretty 00:22:02.990 --> 00:22:05.970 much. He narrated their season of HBO's Hard 00:22:05.970 --> 00:22:08.950 Knocks back in 2007, which is interesting because 00:22:08.950 --> 00:22:11.009 that was the only season the regular narrator, 00:22:11.230 --> 00:22:13.650 Liev Schreiber, didn't do it. That says a lot 00:22:13.650 --> 00:22:15.250 about the teen's connection with him. It does. 00:22:15.509 --> 00:22:19.049 And more recently, he's narrated the Chiefs Super 00:22:19.049 --> 00:22:22.130 Bowl recap episodes for America's Game for their 00:22:22.130 --> 00:22:26.470 wins in 2020, 2023 and 2024. He is the voice 00:22:26.470 --> 00:22:28.710 of those victories. OK, now for the detail that 00:22:28.710 --> 00:22:31.329 I think perfectly shows that weird blend of huge 00:22:31.329 --> 00:22:34.130 fame and small town loyalty. The candy shop. 00:22:34.509 --> 00:22:37.569 Samuel's Sweet Shop in Rhinebeck. Since 2014, 00:22:37.970 --> 00:22:40.809 he co -owns it with another actor, Jeffrey Dean 00:22:40.809 --> 00:22:43.029 Morgan. And this wasn't just like, hey, let's 00:22:43.029 --> 00:22:44.970 open a candy store because we're famous. There 00:22:44.970 --> 00:22:47.509 was a reason. A really touching reason, actually. 00:22:47.630 --> 00:22:49.769 The previous owner was a friend of theirs and 00:22:49.769 --> 00:22:51.890 he passed away unexpectedly. They bought the 00:22:51.890 --> 00:22:54.150 shop to save it from closing down to keep his 00:22:54.150 --> 00:22:56.430 memory going in the community. That's incredible. 00:22:56.529 --> 00:22:58.569 Just trying to picture the logistics, you know, 00:22:58.569 --> 00:23:00.609 Ant -Man flying around the globe, but also making 00:23:00.609 --> 00:23:03.039 sure the local candy store is OK. It completely 00:23:03.039 --> 00:23:05.880 reinforces that grounded image, doesn't it? Like 00:23:05.880 --> 00:23:07.920 you could actually walk into Samuels and maybe 00:23:07.920 --> 00:23:10.420 find one of the owners there, the guy who also 00:23:10.420 --> 00:23:13.400 narrates documentaries about octopuses. It's 00:23:13.400 --> 00:23:15.599 this deliberate choice to stay connected locally. 00:23:15.839 --> 00:23:18.980 Speaking of image, we have to talk about the 00:23:18.980 --> 00:23:21.220 elephant in the room or maybe the ageless man 00:23:21.220 --> 00:23:24.599 in the room. The Paul Rudd doesn't age. phenomenon 00:23:24.599 --> 00:23:27.640 yes the memes are everywhere it's a whole sub 00:23:27.640 --> 00:23:29.799 -genre of internet culture it's so pervasive 00:23:29.799 --> 00:23:31.759 it even made it into the mcu itself didn't it 00:23:31.759 --> 00:23:34.859 it did sources confirm in deadpool and wolverine 00:23:34.859 --> 00:23:38.920 from 2024 deadpool finds giant man's corpse and 00:23:38.920 --> 00:23:42.920 quips paul rudd finally aged when the joke makes 00:23:42.920 --> 00:23:46.160 it into your own movie universe you know it's 00:23:46.160 --> 00:23:49.200 big he's become a cultural landmark for not aging 00:23:49.200 --> 00:23:52.000 so what's the secret Has he finally revealed 00:23:52.000 --> 00:23:53.920 the fountain of youth? According to Rudd himself, 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:57.019 it's disappointingly sensible. No magic involved. 00:23:57.279 --> 00:24:00.160 Just discipline. Which actually tracks with everything 00:24:00.160 --> 00:24:01.900 else we know about his training and work ethic. 00:24:02.039 --> 00:24:04.720 He says it's eight hours of sleep, cardio, weights, 00:24:04.940 --> 00:24:07.220 healthy eating. So the superhero look comes from 00:24:07.220 --> 00:24:10.940 actual hard work. Who knew? Boring. Right. But 00:24:10.940 --> 00:24:13.619 probably true. Beyond the discipline in the candy 00:24:13.619 --> 00:24:16.660 shop, his charity work also seems to back up 00:24:16.660 --> 00:24:19.339 that good guy image. We mentioned the stuttering 00:24:19.339 --> 00:24:22.519 advocacy. Yeah, but his really big passion project 00:24:22.519 --> 00:24:25.579 seems to be the Big Slick. He founded it. It's 00:24:25.579 --> 00:24:28.400 this huge celebrity charity sports event in Kansas 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:31.009 City every year. Raising money for the Children's 00:24:31.009 --> 00:24:33.130 Mercy Hospital there. Exactly. It's another way 00:24:33.130 --> 00:24:35.109 he brings his Hollywood network back to help 00:24:35.109 --> 00:24:37.890 his home community. Really tangible impact. He 00:24:37.890 --> 00:24:40.829 also supports Seth Rogen's charity, Hilarity 00:24:40.829 --> 00:24:44.170 for Charity for Alzheimer's Research. Seems focused 00:24:44.170 --> 00:24:46.650 on kids and health causes. Consistently, yeah. 00:24:46.910 --> 00:24:50.130 And finally, just touching on identity, he identifies 00:24:50.130 --> 00:24:52.049 as Jewish but has said he's not particularly 00:24:52.049 --> 00:24:54.630 religious. But there was this interesting little 00:24:54.630 --> 00:24:56.849 moment when he was promoting Ghostbusters, Frozen 00:24:56.849 --> 00:24:58.980 Empire. Someone asked him who he'd talk to. from 00:24:58.980 --> 00:25:02.400 history if he could his answer jesus oh interesting 00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:04.259 choice for someone not particularly religious 00:25:04.259 --> 00:25:06.779 right it just adds another layer to this complex 00:25:06.779 --> 00:25:10.180 thoughtful guy beneath the charming surface hashtag 00:25:10.180 --> 00:25:13.859 tag outro synthesizing the deep dive wow okay 00:25:13.859 --> 00:25:17.380 what a journey we've covered from uh bar mitzvah 00:25:17.380 --> 00:25:20.920 dj and holiday ham glazer don't forget the second 00:25:20.920 --> 00:25:23.589 cousin english immigrant parents right through 00:25:23.589 --> 00:25:26.430 competitive speaking, Jacobean drama, all the 00:25:26.430 --> 00:25:28.849 way to co -writing MCU films and owning a small 00:25:28.849 --> 00:25:31.609 town candy shop, is quite the arc. It really 00:25:31.609 --> 00:25:34.670 is. And I think the so what of it all, the key 00:25:34.670 --> 00:25:37.849 takeaway, is that his career is this master class 00:25:37.849 --> 00:25:40.809 in balancing opposites. Oh, so? Well, you've 00:25:40.809 --> 00:25:42.690 got the deep technical commitment to the craft. 00:25:43.279 --> 00:25:45.180 The stage work, the dramatic range, that's the 00:25:45.180 --> 00:25:47.960 foundation. Okay. But it's perfectly paired with 00:25:47.960 --> 00:25:50.940 this self -deprecating humor, this refusal to 00:25:50.940 --> 00:25:53.220 take the whole fame thing too seriously, like 00:25:53.220 --> 00:25:55.539 the Mac and Me gag. That went on for 20 years. 00:25:55.640 --> 00:25:57.619 The ultimate example. Exactly. And that blend 00:25:57.619 --> 00:26:00.140 of, like, sincerity about the work but mockery 00:26:00.140 --> 00:26:02.200 of the promotion, it creates this incredible 00:26:02.200 --> 00:26:04.240 authenticity, makes him seem approachable even 00:26:04.240 --> 00:26:05.960 when he is, you know, Ant -Man. And the Kansas 00:26:05.960 --> 00:26:07.920 City connection, the charity stuff, the candy 00:26:07.920 --> 00:26:11.180 store, it all reinforces that grounded feeling. 00:26:11.339 --> 00:26:14.190 Totally. Formerly recognized, of course, got 00:26:14.190 --> 00:26:16.130 his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame back in 00:26:16.130 --> 00:26:20.430 2015, number 2 ,554. And his quote when he got 00:26:20.430 --> 00:26:23.289 it was so perfectly Rudd, wasn't it? Something 00:26:23.289 --> 00:26:26.250 like, I remember being a kid walking here thinking, 00:26:26.470 --> 00:26:29.710 who's that? Exactly. Total humility that every 00:26:29.710 --> 00:26:32.329 man perspective still intact. So we end up with 00:26:32.329 --> 00:26:35.769 this guy whose voice, I mean, it can go from. 00:26:36.089 --> 00:26:39.250 Brian Fantana, to narrating Secrets of the Octopus 00:26:39.250 --> 00:26:41.329 and earning an Emmy nod for it. That voice of 00:26:41.329 --> 00:26:43.829 approachable intelligence, it's kind of his superpower, 00:26:44.210 --> 00:26:46.970 maybe. Maybe it is. We've seen him move seamlessly 00:26:46.970 --> 00:26:49.630 between co -writing superhero movies and doing 00:26:49.630 --> 00:26:53.049 serious stage drama. Given that incredible versatility 00:26:53.049 --> 00:26:55.430 and that recent Emmy nomination for narration, 00:26:55.869 --> 00:26:58.849 what else could he narrate? Ooh, good question. 00:26:59.029 --> 00:27:01.630 What other complex historical or scientific subjects 00:27:01.630 --> 00:27:03.990 do you think are just waiting for that Paul Rudd 00:27:03.990 --> 00:27:06.650 touch, that perfect mix of warmth and smarts? 00:27:06.650 --> 00:27:08.269 That's a great thought to leave people with. 00:27:08.390 --> 00:27:10.529 What should Paul Rudd narrate next? Something 00:27:10.529 --> 00:27:12.150 for you to think about. Thanks for diving deep 00:27:12.150 --> 00:27:12.650 with us today.