The actor that never ages. Paul Rudd has taken on a lot of titles over the course of his decades-long career, from rom-com heartthrob to superhero to one of Hollywood’s funniest stars.
Rudd was born in April 1969 in New Jersey to English parents Gloria Irene Granville and Michael Rudd — the latter of whom died of cancer in 2008 —and is a big brother to sister Mandi Rudd Arnold. After nabbing small roles in TV movies and series throughout the ‘90s, Paul launched into stardom with his role as Josh, the love interest of Alicia Silverstone’s Cher Horowitz, in the 1995 film Clueless.
“I loved working with Alicia,” he said at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo in March 2019. “It was a blast, the whole thing.”
Paul finished out the decade with roles in the TV show Sisters and films such as Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, Romeo + Juliet and The Object of My Affection. He began to show off his goofy side in the early 2000s, taking on roles like Andy in the Wet Hot American Summer franchise, Mike Hannigan on Friends and Brian Fantana in the Anchorman films.
He tied the knot with his wife, Julie Yaeger, in 2003, having met the former publicist not long after his Clueless success. “She was the first person I met in New York,” the I Love You, Man star told Marie Claire in July 2018. “We started talking and there was a maturity with her — she had experienced some tragedy in her life, I had too, and the impression I got was, ‘Wow, this is a woman. This isn’t a girl.’”
The couple went on to become parents of two, welcoming son Jack and daughter Darby in 2006 and 2010, respectively. “I’ve experienced more profound moments in my life: my dad dying, being a parent,” he told Entertainment Tonight of becoming a parent in July 2018. “All of a sudden your sensitivity is heightened. I see things on TV like Undercover Boss and they knock me to the ground. My kids make fun of me. ‘Oh, Dad’s crying again.’”
While fans are charmed by his hilarious jokes and personality, the Ghostbusters: Afterlife actor noted that it only annoys his children. “My favorite thing is when they roll their eyes because it’s such a dad joke, but I know they find it funny,” he added. “They kind of try to fight a smile.”
Along with notable projects such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Our Idiot Brother, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, This Is 40, Parks and Recreation and more, Paul joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Scott Lang/Ant-Man in 2015, going on to star in two sequels, as well as team-up movies such as Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Ahead of the first Ant-Man film’s debut, he earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
“[They’re] big Marvel fans,” he told Us Weekly of his kids in October 2019. “They’re excited to see all of the movies and truthfully just want to know what Tom Holland is like. Really, at the end of the day, I’m just their dad.”
He’s also made headlines for seemingly not appearing to age over the years. When questioned about his secret to looking young at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo in March 2019, he joked, “In here, pure darkness,” while pointing at his chest, before adding, “And a little moisturizer.”
Sign up for Us Weekly’s free, daily newsletter and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more!
Scroll below for a look back at Paul’s life and career:
