Paul Rudd


Paul Rudd Biography

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 Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Knocked Up (2007), Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008), I Love You, Man (2009), Dinner for Schmucks (2010), Our Idiot Brother (2011), The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012), and This Is 40 (2012). In television, he appeared on the NBC sitcom Friends, playing Mike Hannigan, Phoebe Buffay's boyfriend and later husband for the final two seasons, and is commonly featured on the Tim and Eric show.

Early life

Rudd was born in Passaic, New Jersey, to British parents. His parents, both from London, England, were Jewish, and were descended from immigrants from Russia and Poland. The family's original surname, "Rudnitzky", was changed by his grandfather to "Rudd". Rudd had a bar mitzvah celebration. His father, Michael, was a historical tour guide who was formerly the vice president of Trans World Airlines (TWA), while his mother, Gloria, was a sales manager at the television station KSMO-TV. 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. He attended high school at Shawnee Mission West and before that he went to Broadmoor Junior High. Rudd went on to college at the University of Kansas, where he was a member of the Nu Chapter of Sigma Nu. He spent three months studying Jacobean drama at the British American Drama Academy based in Oxford, U.K. While attending acting school, Rudd worked as a DJ.

Career

Rudd made his breakout performance in the 1995 film Clueless. 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 hasbeen 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 four 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. He won the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series on June 18, 2012 for his portrayal as Bobby Newport. He also played FBI Agent Ian Curtis in Benny Chan's 2000 Hong Kong action film Gen-Y Cops.

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 both 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. 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 co-created TV series Party Down with John Embom, Rob Thomas and Dan Etheridge. He lent his voice to the DreamWorks computer-animated hit movie Monsters Vs. Aliens. In 2010, he reunited with Steve Carell for the first time since The 40-Year-Old Virgin for the Jay Roach-directed comedy Dinner for Schmucks. In 2012, he had a supporting role in the teen drama The Perks of Being a Wallflower, playing Mr. Anderson, a teacher of Charlie (Logan Lerman).

Rudd has become one of the most popular and marketable stars of Apatow films and the like, often starring with other 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 (seven films).

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-bound Eric (Jade Calegory) flies off a cliff while Mac watches on, instead of showing clips from the actual film he is there to promote. He also has appeared on stage for Conan O'Brien's live tour.

Rudd also has a running gag on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in which Rudd and Jimmy Fallon appear to be setting up a clip from a film Rudd is appearing in. The clip that follows, however, is a clip from Late Show with David Letterman in which Rudd, in an earlier appearance, and David Letterman set up the clip verbatim to how Rudd and Fallon appeared to set up the clip.

Running gags in films

Paul and Seth Rogen went back and forth with each other in a "You Know How I Know You're Gay?" dialogue in two films - The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005) and Knocked Up (2007). The scenes were reported to be unscripted.

Personal life

In 2003, Rudd married Julie Yaeger and the couple have two children: a son, Jack Sullivan (b. 2006), and a daughter, Darby (b. 2010). Rudd frequently travels to Overland Park, Kansas, where he attended high school. He is a fan of MLB's Kansas City Royals and of the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs, for whom he narrated the 2007 season of HBO's Hard Knocks.

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1994 "Runaway Daughters" Jimmy
1995 Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers Tommy Doyle credited as Paul Stephen Rudd
1995 Clueless Josh
1996 [[Romeo + Juliet]] Dave Paris
1996 ' Alex
1997 ' Earl
1998 Overnight Delivery Wyatt Trips
1998 ' George Hanson
1999 200 Cigarettes Kevin
1999 ' Wally Worthington Nominated"?Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2000 Gen-Y Cops Ian Curtis
2000 ' Nick Carraway Television film
2001 Wet Hot American Summer Andy
2001 Reaching Normal Kenneth
2001 ' Graham Granville
2003 ' Adam Sorenson
2003 Two Days Paul Miller
2003 House Hunting Daniel
2004 Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy Brian Fantana Nominated"?MTV Movie Award for Best Musical Performance
Nominated"?MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team
2004 P.S. Sammy Silverstein
2004 Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie Brian Fantana
2005 ' Dan Abbott
2005 ' David Nominated"?MTV Movie Award for Best On-Screen Team
2005 Tennis, Anyone...? Lance Rockwood
2006 ' Jack Chase
2006 Diggers Hunt
2006 Night at the Museum Don
2007 Reno 911: Miami Ethan
2007 I Could Never Be Your Woman Adam Pearl
2007 ' Leon
2007 Knocked Up Pete Nominated"?Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Chemistry
2007 ' Jeff Reigert Also producer
2007 Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story John Lennon Uncredited cameo
2008 Over Her Dead Body Dr. Henry Mills
2008 Forgetting Sarah Marshall Chuck or "Kunu"
2008 Role Models Danny Donahue Also Writer
2009 I Love You, Man Peter Klaven Nominated"?MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss
Nominated"?Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Rockstar Moment
2009 Monsters vs. Aliens Derek Voice role
2009 Year One Abel Uncredited cameo
2010 Dinner for Schmucks Tim Conrad
2010 How Do You Know George Madison
2011 Our Idiot Brother Ned
2011 Bridesmaids Dave Uncredited DVD cameo
2012 Wanderlust George Also producer
2012 ' Bill Anderson San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Performance by an Ensemble
Nominated"?Chlotrudis Award for Best Cast
2012 This Is 40 Pete Nominated"?Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor in a Comedy
2013 Admission John
2013 Prince Avalanche Alvin
2013 This Is the End Himself
2013 All is Bright Rene
2013 Anchorman: The Legend Continues Brian Fantana Post-production
2014 They Came Together Joel Post-production

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"
2000 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"
2006 Robot Chicken Jasper the Douchebag Ghost, Ang Lee Guest star, episode: "Book of Corrine"
2006"2007 Reno 911! Guy Gerricault Recurring guest star
2007 ' Antagonistic Passenger Guest star, episode: "Gold Watch"
2007 Veronica Mars Desmond Fellows Guest star, episode: "Debasement Tapes"
2007 Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs Himself Narrator
2008 Little Britain USA French president Guest Star
2008 Saturday Night Live Himself Host (November 15)
2009 Delocated Himself Guest Star (February 13)
2009 Saturday Night Live Himself Cameo (May 16)
2010 Saturday Night Live Himself Cameo (March 6)
2010 Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! Himself, Celery Man, Oyster, Tayne Guest star, episode: "Man Milk"
2010 ' Homer's Therapist, Dr. Zander Guest star, season 22
2010"2011 Saturday Night Live Himself Host (December 11), Cameo (November 19)
2012 Parks and Recreation Bobby Newport Special Guest Star, Bobby Newport: "Campaign Ad", "The Debate", "Bus Tour", "Win, Lose, or Draw"
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Comedy Series
2012 ' Himself Guest Star (February 24)
2012 Jimmy Kimmel Live! Himself Guest Star (February 24)



This webpage uses material from the Wikipedia article "Paul_Rudd" and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. Reality TV World is not responsible for any errors or omissions the Wikipedia article may contain.
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