‘Bridesmaids’ Director Compared Cutting Paul Rudd Scenes to ‘Kill[ing] Your Babies’
Back in 2011, when Bridesmaids first came out, it was an immediate success. After years of movies featuring the hijinks of misbehaving men, one showed women get into trouble, too. The comedy featured existing comedy heavyweights like Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph. It also catapulted the careers of Melissa McCarthy and Rebel Wilson. In addition to the main characters, Bridesmaids featured an array of cameo appearances — one of which was almost Paul Rudd.
‘Bridesmaids’ was an instant classic — and a big win for director Paul Feig
Bridesmaids was hilarious from top to bottom. It was clear director Paul Feig had a vision for what would make it a hit, including unexpected cameos. Then there are the infamous food-poisoning scenes where McCarthy made her mark. And of course, Kristen Wiig’s many standout moments, like when Annie makes a scene on a plane:
Feig trusted the improv instincts of those like McCarthy and the Saturday Night Live album-heavy cast to carry the film. But he also had to make critical decisions to cut certain scenes. As he exhibited expert precision in crafting the movie to pack a comedy punch, it also meant getting rid of an actor Feig really wanted in the movie.
Paul Rudd had scenes in ‘Bridesmaids’ that ultimately got cut
Enter the discussion of the Paul Rudd scenes that might have been in Bridesmaids. Employing a metaphor often used by artists, Feig said that choosing to cut the Rudd scenes was the result of “that terrible moment when you have to kill your babies.” In other words, he recognized when something was good but didn’t fit the bigger picture and needed to go.
According to BuzzFeed, the role Rudd played in the deleted scenes was “a seemingly perfect blind date for Kristen Wiig’s Annie (before he went on a deranged rampage around an ice rink swearing at kids).” No doubt like many of the deleted scenes from Bridesmaids, the moment would have been hilarious.
But it also probably would have messed with the pacing and story development. Feig specifically noted that despite Rudd’s truly hilarious cameo, the film’s length and the existence of a love triangle already in place made it clear he had to go.
There was a lot going on behind the scenes of the classic rom-com
Ready for more Bridemaids fun facts? Melissa McCarthy is such a strong improviser that she improvised large parts of many scenes. This includes most of the pep talk she famously gives Annie when her character is experiencing a depressive episode. And apparently, Jon Hamm also refused to be credited for his role in the movie. He worried that, given his association as a dramatic actor in Mad Men, he might hurt the long-term success of the film.
Additionally, Biography notes other surprises from behind the scenes. Rudolph was pregnant during the filming of the movie. Co-writer Annie Mumolo made a cameo appearance (as a nervous airplane passenger). And the man who McCarthy’s character hits on in the airplane, Air Marshal John? He’s actually McCarthy’s real-life husband, Ben Falcone.
