‘ MY KIDS THINK I’M COOL BECAUSE I’M ANT-MAN’
The nicest guy in Hollywood talks bugs, bromances and shrinking Trump
Paul Rudd’s got two new films out this month and they couldn’t be more different. In the frothy indie comedy
Ideal Home, he plays the long-term partner of Steve Coogan’s TV chef, Erasmus. In Marvel epic Ant-man And The
Wasp, he’s back as the buff superhero who shrinks to the size of an ant and can also grow to the size of… a really big thing. And, of course, he’s entirely loveable and very funny in both.
Rudd, 49 – who’s been married to former film publicist Julie Yaeger since 2003 and has two kids, Jack, 12, and Darby, eight – first came to the world’s attention as the deeply appealing Josh alongside Alicia Silverstone in 1995’s legendary teen romance Clueless. Ever since, he’s been Hollywood’s go-to guy if you want an effortlessly amusing and charming leading man. He’s dazzled in hit comedies, including Anchorman,
Knocked Up and This Is 40, as well as making his indelible mark on Friends as Phoebe’s love interest, Mike. But it wasn’t until the first Ant-man movie three years ago that he embraced the world of the gigantic big-budget blockbuster. Yet, even then, there was a quirky, wry tone to Ant-man, which is retained in this sequel, which is partly due to Rudd himself getting involved in the writing duties. He also happens to be a profoundly decent bloke. US chat show host Stephen Colbert calls him “the nicest person on the planet”, and after talking openly and engagingly about everything from his kids’ fondness for Marvel movies to his touchy-feely relationship with Michael Douglas, who are we to disagree?
Were you a little miffed not to be involved in Avengers: Infinity War? Nobody called me! Nobody texted,
I didn’t get an invitation to the cool-kids’ party. I knew there was a reason, but still… I was in the theatre watching it, going, “This is great. Wow, it would have been fun to be in that.” [Laughs.] But yeah, I still felt OK knowing that there was a reason, this was coming out and I was under house arrest. You worked with Michael Douglas again for Ant-man
And The Wasp [he plays Paul’s mentor]. How has your relationship evolved since the first movie? Well, I didn’t know him until we worked together on these films, and I’ve been a fan of his my whole life, so it was one of just admiration. I’ve had the good fortune of working with some real legends, and there’s the initial period where I just want to be cool, you know, try not to embarrass myself and be respectful, but then also not fawn, and I think by day two with Michael, I was already all in. That guy is the greatest. He seems like a really nice person… As much as I love him as an actor, and I love a lot of the films that he’s done, I have become an even bigger fan of the man. Our relationship has grown to the point where I feel like we’re friends. We talk about our families and sports and current events. It’s always great when he’s on set, because he’s fun to hang out with. I would ask him stories about movies he’s worked on and people that he knows, stories about his dad [legendary actor Kirk Douglas], and he’s very forthcoming – it’s amazing. Getting to work with people like that is one of the coolest things. Was it even easier on the second film? Yeah, I mean I felt like we just know each other more and we know our characters. And he can also just make jokes at my expense and I love it. He’s really playful. He’s a blast. It did, I think, make it easier, because we just knew each other better. Plus, you got to hold hands… Yeah and I’m touching his cheek – that was an interesting scene to shoot. [Laughs.] Every once in a while, I step outside of what it is that I’m doing and it’s like, “Here I am, just holding hands with Michael Douglas”. Presumably you wrote that scene? I was one of a few, yeah. It was like, “Is this going to fly? Is this going to work? Let’s try it.” We kept calling it the All Of Me [the classic 1984 fantasy comedy] scene. I kept thinking of Steve Martin being possessed by Lily Tomlin in that film. How did it come about that you’re writing as well as acting on this project? Well, it’s a pretty collaborative effort between many people. I was a writer on the first one with Adam Mckay, and so I think that’s how it happened on this one. They just said, “OK, well come onboard with this one.” And we started thinking about the story, even while we were shooting the first one, like, “If we did another
Ant-man , what could it be?”
Will we be able to tell what bits you wrote? Is there any specific Paul Rudd humour in there? Well, I think if you see the film, then it’s apparent. I wrote all the good jokes. [Laughs.] How do you feel about the fact that in this movie, it’s women who really kick ass? Great – that was always part of the plan. Ant-man And The
Wasp – that’s what it was in the comics, and it’s really cool to be in the very first Marvel film where, in the title, we have a female hero. I also think
‘I wrote all the good jokes in Ant-man And The Wasp’
that Hope [aka The Wasp, played by Evangeline Lilly] is better suited for the job than Scott
[Ant-man]. So, I love that. Is there anyone you would like to see smaller in real life? I can think of one! He was just over in the UK. [Referring to Donald Trump’s visit.] So, will we see you in Avengers 4? You’ll have to ask [producer] Kevin Feige, but I’d say there’s a chance. You seemed to be the only Marvel Universe character who was left out… Well, you know, you’ll have to talk to… Maybe some other bugs will show up, I don’t know. [Laughs.] When you met all the Avengers, who was the most impressive? Well, they are all pretty impressive. I experienced this on Civil War. I kind of turned into an eight year old, because I saw all the Avengers in real life, and they were all in their suits. I kind of geeked out. It was that feeling of, “Wow, there are a lot of people who would like to be standing where I’m standing right now. There’s Captain America’s shield and there’s the Winter Soldier’s silver armour.” Everybody’s very nice and I really like all of them. I was really knocked out by Robert Downey Jr. Robert is such a great guy and, you know, I’ve grown up watching his movies and he’s got such a good heart. I’m a little bit in awe of him, I think. Are your kids into Ant-man? They really are. My son has gone crazy with the Marvel Universe, and he’s now seen all of the films. He’s 13 and he thinks it’s really cool. He’s a big Bucky Barnes fan. He says, “You’re cool, Dad. But, you know, Winter Soldier is the guy.” But my daughter is eight and she loves it, too. She draws pictures of Ant-man and gives them to me all the time. And she has a real connection to ants now. She’s not scared of bugs. She sees ants and she’s like, “Dad, look!” Has being Ant-man changed your life? Do more people come up to you in the street? They do. I think the big difference is that it was the first thing I ever did that kids saw. So, I’ve noticed a big difference in that regard. And to be a person that’s so global is strange. I noticed a difference right away. Have you got used to the attention now? Well, I’ve worked on other things pre Ant-man, so I’m not so surprised. I mean, I’d had experience with it, but I also don’t live in that world. I think my day-to-day life would be pretty boring to many people, because I’m just a dad, I don’t live in LA. This is a very fun job, I love what I do, but I try to put it in its proper place. People say, “How do your kids react with you being Antman?” And they think it’s cool and they don’t care, because I’m just their dad – they’re not impressed. And then people ask, “What about your kids’ friends?” Maybe for ten seconds, they’re impressed, and then they’re kids. Kids are not impressed by stuff and that’s the way it should be. It’s like, “Argh, it’s your dad again…” And that’s fine with me, that’s great.
Ant-man And The Wasp is in cinemas nationwide from Friday