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Paul Stephen Rudd (born April 6, 1969) is an American film, television, and stage actor who has appeared in many films including The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,Anchorman The Lost Film, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Role Models, I Love You, Man, Ant-Man, Captain America: Civil War, Ant-Man and the Wasp, and Avengers: Endgame. He portrays Mike Hannigan on Friends.

Biography[]

Early life[]

Rudd was born in Passaic, New Jersey, the son of Jewish immigrants from England; his family's original surname was "Rudnitzky". His father, Michael Rudd, is a historical tour guide who was formerly the vice president of World Airways, while Rudd's mother managed a television station. He was raised in Overland Park, Kansas. He attended high school at Shawnee Mission West, and college at the University of Kansas, where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity.

Career[]

170px-Paul Rudd LF

Paul Rudd

Rudd's breakout performance was in the 1995 film Clueless. Additional credits include Wet Hot American Summer, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The Cider House Rules, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, Friends (in the recurring role of Mike Hannigan, who married Phoebe Buffay in 2004), The Object of My Affection with Jennifer Aniston and Tim Daly, and The 40-Year-Old Virgin. While he played the original Josh in Clueless, he returned to play the character of Sonny when the movie was adapted into a television show in 1996. Rudd's Broadway credits include The Last Night of Ballyhoo (1997), Twelfth Night (1998), and Three Days of Rain (2006). He recently guest-starred as a has-been 1990s rock star, Desmond Fellows, on the television series, Veronica Mars, in an episode titled "Debasement Tapes". He has also appeared in the audiobook recording of John Hodgman's book The Areas of My Expertise.

In 2006, he appeared in several episodes of Reno 911! as the coach of a birthing class, and portrayed a drug lord in the film Reno 911!: Miami. In 2007, he appeared in the films Knocked Up (his third collaboration with Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen), and The Ten (which reunites him with frequent collaborators David Wain and Michael Showalter). The same year, Rudd provided his voice for the narration of the HBO/NFL Films series Hard Knocks: Training Camp With The Kansas City Chiefs. In 2008, Rudd starred in Over Her Dead Body, opposite Eva Longoria, I Could Never Be Your Woman, a direct-to-video release opposite Michelle Pfeiffer (reuniting him with Clueless director Amy Heckerling), Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Role Models. He also appeared on Little Britain USA as the French President. In 2009, he starred in I Love You, Man with Jason Segel.

As part of a running gag during his appearances on Late Night With Conan O'Brien, Rudd brings clips from the infamous 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 movie he is there to promote. Every movie that Paul Rudd drinks a beer, it is always Sierra Nevada.

Personal life[]

In 2003, he married his girlfriend of five years, Julie Yaeger. In 2006, their son, Jack, was born and 2010, their daughter, Darby was born.

Trivia[]

  • Both Rudd and Jennifer Aniston starred in The Object of My Affection (1998) and again in Wanderlust (2010).
  • Paul Rudd and Reese Witherspoon co-starred in the romcom How Do You Know (2010).

Filmography[]

Film[]

 
Year Title Role Notes
1995 Halloween 6: The Curse of Michael Myers Tommy Doyle Film debut
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
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
The Ex Leon Cameo
Knocked Up Pete
The Ten Jeff Reigert Also producer
Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story John Lennon Cameo
2008 Over Her Dead Body Henry
Forgetting Sarah Marshall Chuck or "Kunu"
Role Models Danny also writer
2009 I Love You, Man
2015 Ant-Man Scott Lang/Ant-Man
2016 Captain America: Civil War Scott Lang/Ant-Man
2018 Ant-Man and the Wasp Scott Lang/Ant-Man
2019 Avengers: Endgame Scott Lang/Ant-Man

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
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)
2011,

2014

The Simpsons

External links[]

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