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Knowing what you want in life is a gift at any age. But figuring it out early like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star Paul Rudd is definitely Tiffany’s or Peloton-level gifting. It’s like the universe handing you a stepladder for those hard-to-reach areas.

Rudd has certainly climbed that ladder, becoming one of the world’s biggest stars. But that’s not to say it has come easy. Looking back on his career thus far, the 53-year-old Marvel actor credits his success to a plan he made when he was 16. 

Acting was never a passion for ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ star Paul Rudd

Born in New Jersey to British parents, Rudd spent his early years on the east coast before moving to Kansas City at 10 years old (he remains a fan of the Kansas City Chiefs and the city’s famous barbeque to this day).

By 16, he knew he wanted to be an actor. But for Rudd, acting was not a goal born of passion or because he sought fame. The actor tells Men’s Health that the decision was a career choice, even from his teenage years. 

“I never wavered from it,” Rudd says. “And I never had a backup.” He attended the University of Kansas where he studied theater and then went to a summer program at the British American Drama Academy at Oxford University. His goal was to study the craft and build a career.

Paul Rudd: From ‘Clueless’ to Judd Apatow

Shortly after his stint at Oxford in 1993, Rudd landed his role as Josh in Clueless with Alicia Silverstone. The film was his first after a few stints on TV and shot Rudd to fame. But Rudd didn’t want that kind of fame. To counteract the anticipated heartthrob typecasting, Rudd left Hollywood for a year after wrapping Clueless to act in a stage play in New York. 

“My agent said, ‘What are you doing?’” Rudd recalls. “My career was just starting. But I had a real clear vision then of what I wanted and how I wanted to do it. I didn’t want to be considered a joke among actors who I really admire. I really wanted to learn how to do this right. I had a real focus.”

But there was no avoiding Rudd’s good looks and likability. He is perfect rom-com material. After Clueless, Rudd’s job prospects as a working actor fell mostly into that category. That is until Judd Apatow changed Rudd’s career forever.

In 2001, Rudd landed his role in the first of what would become many of Apatow’s films, Wet Hot American Summer. “Without that,” Rudd says, “I don’t know if I get to do Anchorman, which was seminal.” 

Paul Rudd movies and roles that flew under the radar

While few of Rudd’s movies and tv appearances have flown under the radar, some managed to slip through the cracks.

Actor Paul Rudd holds flowers in a scene from the 1999 film 200 Cigarettes
Paul Rudd in a scene from the 1999 film 200 Cigarettes | Paramount/Getty Images
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For instance, while Rudd’s turn as Mike Hannigan on Friends is the stuff of pop-culture legends, his reoccurring role on the Emmy-award-winning series Sisters in the ’90s is far lesser known. Likewise, Rudd’s role in the star-studded 200 Cigarettes in 1999 is rarely mentioned when discussing Rudd’s career either. 

But Rudd’s career is more than the Apatow comedies it was built on. It reflects the care Rudd invested in his well-plotted plan with excellence seen in both the small parts and big — something the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania star can surely see the humor in.  

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