Paul Rudd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Paul Rudd
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Rudd in 2024
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Paul Stephen Rudd
April 6, 1969 Passaic, New Jersey, U.S.
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| Alma mater | University of Kansas American Academy of Dramatic Arts |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1991–present |
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Works
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Full list |
| Spouse(s) |
Julie Yaeger
(m. 2003) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | Full list |
Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is a well-known American actor. He studied acting at the University of Kansas and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Paul Rudd started his acting career in 1991. In 2019, he was even named one of the top 100 celebrities by Forbes magazine.
Paul Rudd has starred in many popular movies. These include Clueless (1995), Romeo + Juliet (1996), and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004). He also appeared in The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) and Knocked Up (2007). More recently, he became famous for playing the superhero Scott Lang / Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films. You can see him as Ant-Man in movies like Ant-Man (2015) and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023). He also played Gary Grooberson in the Ghostbusters movies Afterlife (2021) and Frozen Empire (2024).
Besides movies, Rudd has been in many TV shows. He played Mike Hannigan in the popular sitcom Friends from 2002 to 2004. He has also hosted Saturday Night Live several times. In 2019, he played two roles in the comedy series Living with Yourself, which earned him a Golden Globe Award nomination. He also appeared in the miniseries The Shrink Next Door (2021) and the comedy series Only Murders in the Building (2023–2024). For Only Murders in the Building, he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award.
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Paul Rudd's Early Life and School
Paul Stephen Rudd was born on April 6, 1969, in Passaic, New Jersey. His parents were both Jewish and came from England. His father, Michael Rudd, worked as a historical tour guide. His mother, Gloria Irene Granville, was a sales manager for a TV station. Both of his parents were from London, England. His family's original last name was Rudnitsky, but his grandfather changed it to Rudd.
When Paul was ten, his family moved to Lenexa, Kansas. Because of his father's job, they also lived in Anaheim, California, for three years. In Kansas, Paul went to Broadmoor Junior High and graduated from Shawnee Mission West High School in 1987. He then went to the University of Kansas, where he studied theater. He also studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts with actor Matthew Lillard. Paul even spent three months studying drama in Oxford, England. While in acting school, he worked as a DJ at parties.
Paul Rudd's Acting Career
First Roles in Film and TV
Paul Rudd started his acting career in 1991. His very first role was in a commercial for Super Nintendo. In 1992, he got a role in the TV drama Sisters. He left Sisters in 1995 to star in the comedy film Clueless with Alicia Silverstone. After Clueless, Rudd appeared in many other movies. These included Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers and William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet. In 1999, he was part of the cast for The Cider House Rules. This film was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award.
In 2002, Paul Rudd joined the cast of the popular TV show Friends. He played Mike Hannigan, who eventually marries Phoebe Buffay, played by Lisa Kudrow. He also appeared in several episodes of Reno 911! in 2006.
Working with Judd Apatow and Comedy Films
Paul Rudd began working with director and producer Judd Apatow in 2004. Their first movie together was Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Rudd played Brian Fantana alongside Steve Carell and Will Ferrell. They worked together again in 2005 on The 40-Year-Old Virgin with Steve Carell. In 2007, Rudd starred in Apatow's film Knocked Up. He played Pete, a frustrated husband, with Leslie Mann.
Rudd also appeared as John Lennon in the comedy film Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (2007). He played a surf instructor in Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008). In 2012, he starred in and helped produce Wanderlust with Jennifer Aniston. He also returned as Brian Fantana in Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013).
In 2009, Rudd starred with Jason Segel in I Love You, Man. In this movie, their characters become friends because they both love the rock band Rush. Paul Rudd and Jason Segel are actually fans of the band in real life! Also in 2009, Rudd helped create the TV series Party Down. He also lent his voice to the animated movie Monsters Vs. Aliens.
In 2010, Rudd worked with Steve Carell again in the comedy Dinner for Schmucks. In 2012, he had a supporting role in the drama The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He played Mr. Anderson, a teacher to Charlie, played by Logan Lerman. He also starred in the 2011 comedy-drama film Our Idiot Brother with Elizabeth Banks. This was their fifth movie together.
In 2012, Rudd appeared in four episodes of NBC's Parks and Recreation. He played Bobby Newport, a candidate for City Council. For this role, he won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series. Since 2014, he has also done voiceovers for Hyundai car commercials.
Becoming Ant-Man and Recent Work
On December 19, 2013, it was officially announced that Paul Rudd would play Scott Lang/Ant-Man in the 2015 Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Ant-Man. He played this lead superhero role again in Captain America: Civil War (2016) and in Ant-Man's 2018 sequel, Ant-Man and the Wasp. He even helped write the script for Ant-Man and the Wasp. Rudd also appeared as Ant-Man in Avengers: Endgame (2019), which became one of the highest-grossing films of all time. He returned to the role in 2023 with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
In 2016, he appeared in the comedy-drama film The Fundamentals of Caring with Selena Gomez. He also lent his voice to the animated films The Little Prince and Sausage Party. In August 2018, Rudd was cast in Netflix's comedy series Living with Yourself. He also helped produce this series, which started in October 2019. He also appeared in season 3 of Hulu's comedy mystery series Only Murders in the Building.
For many years, when Paul Rudd appeared on talk shows hosted by Conan O'Brien, he would play a funny prank. He would say he was about to show a clip from his new project, but then he would always show a clip from the 1988 movie Mac and Me instead! Rudd said he never thought the joke would last so long. He continued this tradition even on Conan's podcast in 2022.
In 2024, Rudd received two nominations at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards. He was nominated for his role in Only Murders in the Building. He was also nominated for his narration in the National Geographic documentary series Secrets of the Octopus.
Paul Rudd's Theater Work
Paul Rudd has also performed in plays on Broadway. His first Broadway play was The Last Night of Ballyhoo in 1997. In 2006, he appeared in Three Days of Rain with Bradley Cooper and Julia Roberts. In 2012, Rudd was in the Broadway play Grace.
From 2000 to 2001, Rudd was in a play called Long Day's Journey Into Night in London. In 2001, he starred as Adam in the play The Shape of Things in London and then Off-Broadway. Two years later, a movie version of the play was made with the same actors.
Paul Rudd's Personal Life
In 2003, Paul Rudd married Julie Yaeger. He met her in his publicist's office, where she worked. Julie has since become a screenwriter and producer. They live in Rhinebeck, New York, and have two children: a son born in 2006 and a daughter born in 2010.
Paul Rudd is a big fan of sports teams from Kansas City. He supports the MLB's Kansas City Royals, Kansas Jayhawks sports, and the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs. He even narrated the 2007 season of HBO's Hard Knocks, which featured the Chiefs.
On July 1, 2015, Paul Rudd received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This is a special honor for people who have achieved great things in entertainment. He said he remembered walking along the boulevard as a kid and wondering who the names on the stars belonged to.
Since 2014, Paul Rudd and fellow actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan have been co-owners of Samuel's Sweet Shop. This is a candy store in Rhinebeck, New York. They bought the store to save it from closing after the previous owner, who was their friend, passed away.
Many people joke about Paul Rudd looking like he doesn't age. He has explained that getting enough sleep, eating healthy, and exercising are his secrets. He says that eight hours of sleep, along with cardio and weight training, help him stay looking young.
Paul Rudd identifies as Jewish, but he has also said that he is not very religious.
Helping Others: Philanthropy and Advocacy
Paul Rudd supports the Stuttering Association for the Young (SAY). This group helps young people who stutter. He hosted a bowling event for them in 2018. He said he became interested in helping after playing a character in a play who stuttered.
He is also a founder of The Big Slick. This is a celebrity charity sports event held every June in Kansas City. It raises money to support Kansas City's Children's Mercy Hospital. Rudd has also been part of Seth Rogen's Hilarity for Charity, which works to raise awareness and money for Alzheimer's research.
Filmography and Awards
See also
In Spanish: Paul Rudd para niños
