Five can't-miss Paul Rudd movie roles

The discreetly handsome comic actor has been one to watch for the last decade, assembling a CV that includes screwball comedies, dramatic fare and stabs at playing the leading man, all executed with, or at least what appears to be, a refreshing humility. Paul Rudd just seems like a nice guy, doesn’t he?

Yes, he’s long been a favourite of discerning female fans whose interests go beyond the devastatingly handsome – although there will always be a place for you, Mr. Depp – and are drawn to Rudd’s trademark hilarious, smirking cutie (see the fansite unassuming charisma for further proof). And it seems the dudes are equally drawn to his ability to go from ha-ha funny to absurdly silly, with Rudd often cast as a standout player in a motley crew of beta males.

With a principal role alongside Stifler in the upcoming buddy pic Role Models, Rudd is again poised to elevate what could have been a low-brow boy comedy into a crude but sweet laugh-out-loud affair. What other Rudd flicks have made us stand up and take note, you ask?

Behold Paul Rudd’s Top 5 Movie Roles.

Clueless (1995)

Largely considered his breakout role, Rudd’s part as the straight man in this smarter-than-most teen comedy by Amy Heckerling (Fast Times at Ridgemont High) was a welcome balance to the self-referential send-ups and iconic Valley Girl-speak that permeated the film. As Josh, Cher's supposedly nerdy, decidedly not with it step-brother, Rudd was charming, funny and such a Baldwin – and we were totally crushing.

Wet Hot American Summer (2001)

This criminally under-watched comedy from the men behind comedy troupe Stella (that would be Michael Ian Black, David Wain and Michael Showalter for the uninitiated) stars a litany of actors who were on the cusp of semi-stardom, including Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Christopher Meloni and Elizabeth Banks, to name a few. This unrelenting send-up of all the summer camp movie clichés also squeezed in fears of falling meteors, a potentially schizophrenic chef and a fragile divorcée. But any flick about the last blast of summer has to make room for teenage libidos and Rudd nails the role of Andy, the self-centered, douchey camp hunk, who makes out with his girlfriend one minute and ditches her the next. His lecherous portrayal hit all the right notes and showed his flair for over-the-top funny.

The Shape of Things (2003)

Presumably wanting to venture beyond the funny side of life, Rudd starred in Neil LaBute’s unflinching look at relationships, art and artifice alongside an icily enchanting Rachel Weisz, whom he starred opposite during the film’s first incarnation as a play. The labyrinthine story leads to a wallop of a conclusion and Rudd dazzles as a wallflower type who is coaxed from his hiding place by a nervy art student (Weisz) to the (legitimate) concerns of his close friends. Much like LaBute’s still-shocking debut In the Company of Men, this film will leave you thinking about the ultimately predatory and cruel nature of human relationships.

Anchorman (2004)/ The 40-year-old Virgin (2005)

While some may not agree with lumping these two characters together, upon closer inspection they are two sides of the same delusional coin and Rudd plays them both for big laughs. In Anchorman, Rudd is Brian Fantana, one of the schlubby, pleasantly idiotic Channel 4 reporters working with Will Ferrell’s bloated egomaniac Ron Burgundy. In The 40-year-old Virgin, Rudd again plays a sloppy man-boy who is part of a larger group of equally stunted males, but instead of having an inflated sense of his own greatness – and Sex Panther cologne – he’s a bitter slob still pining over his ex-girlfriend with a sizeable, ahem, adult film collection. Even in an ensemble cast, Rudd manages to stand out – not an easy task alongside power players like Ferrell and Steve Carell.

Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)

While his role in this film may amount to little more than a well-played cameo, it’s still worthy of mention thanks to Rudd’s hilarious turn as Chuck (sorry, Kunu) the local stoner who teaches Peter (Jason Segel) how to surf, sort of, and offers up New Age-y gems of wisdom like what to do when life gives you lemons (hint: it doesn’t involve lemonade). As the sun-bleached island buffoon, Rudd's character takes up a collective 10 minutes of screen time but makes every line count. The guy’s a pro.

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