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Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Paul Rudd Says He and Judd Apatow Were Actually 'Pen Pals' Before Meeting in Person for the First Time in the Early 2000s
Paul Rudd says he first befriended director Judd Apatow in a unique way — via email, after learning Apatow was also a fan of Steve Martin's early comedy records On the latest episode of the podcast, Rudd says he and the director were "pen pals" for about a year before meeting in person Their first in-person meeting came when Rudd auditioned for the comedy film a role he ultimately landed Paul Rudd's friendship with director Judd Apatow led to iconic roles in films like This Is 40 and Knocked Up — and none of them would have been possible had Rudd not reached out to the director first, via email. On the April 28 episode of the Smartless podcast, 56-year-old Rudd spoke about how he first learned that he and Apatow had something in common — a love of old Steve Martin comedy routines — that led him to reach out. "The first time I ever met Judd, it really is a weird thing," Rudd told hosts Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett. "I don't know if you guys feel this way about those Steve Martin records. I I know we've talked about them a lot, but it seems as if a lot of people in our generation, those albums had a big effect on them." Related: Paul Rudd Reflects on Fame in the '90s Post-Clueless: 'Everything Just Went by a Little Slower' (Exclusive) He continued: "And, one time I was at a dinner and I was talking about fake names and how it's so difficult to come up with a perfect, funny, fake name. And I said a great example is 'Gern Blanston,' which was from an early Steve Martin routine. And someone at the dinner said, 'Gern Blanston. Oh, that explains Judd Apatow's email address.' " "I went home and emailed Judd," Rudd said. "I'd never met him. And I said, 'Hey man, nice, nice reference on your email address. That's amazing.' And he emailed me back." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The email correspondence lasted "for about a year,' Rudd said, until the two did meet face-to-face — when the actor went in to audition for a role in Apatow's 2004 film, Anchorman. "We became kind of pen pals. Never met each other. And it wasn't until Anchorman that I actually met him," Rudd said. "When I went into audition, he was there and it was a little bit like, you know, meeting your, your pen pal that it's like, 'Oh my God. Wow. I can't believe. There you are.' " is now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! In a recent interview with PEOPLE ahead of his new Nintendo Switch commercial, Rudd spoke about another nostalgic film that played a pivotal role in his career: 1995's Clueless. 'I didn't really feel so famous,' Rudd told PEOPLE of life immediately after the film. 'And then as it slowly started to, as I started getting more work, occasionally someone would say, 'Hey, Clueless!' or whatever. But it wasn't — nothing felt so different really." Elsewhere in the interview, he said the pace of life was different in the 1990s — and, by extension, the industry was different. 'I think just the very nature of the time when there was no social media, there was no Internet — everything just went by just a little bit slower,' Rudd added. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tim Robinson and Paul Rudd poised for epic comedic meltdowns in 'Friendship' trailer
Get ready, big screens. Tim Robinson is ready to bring his epic comedic meltdowns to his first starring role in a movie. The trailer for "Friendship" arrived online Tuesday. The dark comedy stars Robinson, who hails from metro Detroit and co-created the cult TV hit "Detroiters", and Paul Rudd, who is known for hits like "Anchorman," "This Is 40" and "Ant-Man" (and who is a People's Sexiest Man Alive alum). In the trailer, Robinson plays suburban dad Craig, who is invited over for a drink by his new neighbor (Rudd). As Robinson becomes friends with Rudd and his circle of pals, he envisions his life changing for the better and is heard saying: "I can see the future. It's full of pals." But things begin to go out of control when Rudd's character hits the brakes on their new relationship. "Look, we had a couple of really nice hangs, but I think it's best we go our separate ways," says Rudd. "I don't wish to continue this friendship." As the frenemies clash, various clips hint at Robinson losing control and spiraling into angry outbursts, much as he does in "I Think You Should Leave," his Emmy-winning Netflix sketch comedy series. More: Movie about Flint boxing great Claressa Shields is star-making moment for Detroit actress More: Michigan screenwriter's COVID experience inspired script for sci-fi thriller 'The Gorge' And as the trailer plays, snippets of what amount to rave reviews can be read. "The funniest thing I've ever seen in my entire life," reads one excerpt from GQ. "The next great comedy hit," reads another from Collider. "Friendship" premiered in September 2024 at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it was part of the Midnight Madness category. Its SXSW film festival debut in Austin, Texas, is scheduled for March 9. It is set to arrive in theaters in May. If the film lives up to the hype, Robinson could add movie star to his current list of credits as a TV content creator, the man wearing a hot dog suit in the popular meme and the star (along with his "Detroiters" co-creator and co-star Sam Richardson) of the Totino's Pizza Rolls Super Bowl commercial. Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tim Robinson of 'Detroiters' stars with Paul Rudd in 'Friendship'
