If you’ve heard anything about Paul Rudd, it’s likely that he’s a Nice Guy. Nary a scandal nor a salacious rumour has touched him in decades of stardom; meanwhile, anecdotes about his singular kindness abound, with Parks and Recreation co-star Amy Poehler calling him Mr Perfect and Stephen Colbert describing him as “the nicest person on the planet”. Rudd has made a long and fruitful career of lending his affable sensibility to a series of iconic comedies, as well as tender, affecting films about love and friendship. Now 50, Rudd has taken his career in surprising directions, from a science fiction television series to a starring role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—meanwhile, his reputation remains as polished as ever. Rudd doesn’t hate the Nice Guy label, though he’s not eager to be pigeonholed—and he’d be the first to let you know.
“I’m fine with people thinking I’m a nice person,” Rudd says. “I don’t want people to think I’m a mean person; I wouldn’t want to be an unkind person. But when I hear that over and over again, I don’t want it to be the number one thing people say about me.”
What’s the number one thing for which Rudd wants to be known, you might ask? “Pole-vaulting,” he quips, with that signature wry, surprising wit.
This story is from the January 2020 edition of Esquire Singapore.
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This story is from the January 2020 edition of Esquire Singapore.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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