One of the most likable stars in Hollywood, Paul Rudd has generated both audience goodwill and critical praise over the course of his three-decade career.
He boasts tremendous variety in his work: big-budget comedies (“The 40-Year-Old Virgin”, “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy”), acclaimed dramas (“Romeo + Juliet”, The Cider House Rules”), beloved TV series (“Friends”, “Parks and Recreation” and an Emmy-nominated turn in “Only Murders in the Building” among them) and, of course, as part of the sprawling, star-studded Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The star’s latest project is the new A24 bromance comedy “Friendship,” the directorial debut from Andrew DeYoung that co-stars cringe-comedy great Tim Robinson. With that funny flick out in theaters in limited release (it will open wide in the U.S. on May 23) and getting a solid 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating out of the gate, let’s take a look back at Rudd’s other acclaimed projects. Here are five of Paul Rudd’s best movies, ranked.
5. ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’
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Given that Paul Rudd has become so famous in the comedy genre, it’s sometimes easy to forget he’s a classically trained dramatic actor. He puts both that natural humor and honed pathos to good use in a small but vital role in the 2012 coming-of-age dramedy “The Perks of Being a Wallflower,” adapted from the novel of the same name by writer-director Stephen Chbosky.
Rudd plays Mr. Anderson, the compassionate English teacher of introvert freshman Charlie Kelmeckis (Logan Lerman), who — along with a pair of upperclassmen misfits played by Emma Watson and Ezra Miller — help the painfully shy young teen shed his wallflower tendencies.
As the empathetic educator, Rudd also gets to utter one of the book’s most precious lines: “We accept the love we think we deserve.”
Watch ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ on Max now
4. ‘I Love You, Man’
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This bromance-focused 2009 comedy is a spiritual sibling to “Friendship.” Rudd plays Peter Klaven, a friendless groom-to-be looking for a best man for his upcoming nuptials to fiancée Zooey (Rashida Jones). When he meets enigmatic investor Sydney Fife (Jason Segel), however, the twosome becomes instant BFFs thanks to their shared enthusiasm for the rock band Rush.
Anchored by Rudd and Segel’s charm and chemistry, the bro-com is a sweet and silly send-up of the usual romantic comedy tropes, complete with hilariously awkward platonic “first dates” and the customary third-act grand gesture to usher in the pair’s happily-ever-after by the movie’s end.
The main duo is also excellently surrounded by a top-notch comedic ensemble that includes Andy Samberg, Jaime Pressly, Jon Favreau, J.K. Simmons and, memorably, the Hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno.
Watch ‘I Love You, Man’ on Paramount+ now
3. ‘Clueless’
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Rudd’s big-screen breakout came as the sarcastic ex-stepbrother — and love interest — of Alicia Silverstone’s high-school socialite Cher Horowitz in the iconic 1995 comedy “Clueless”, a righteous retelling of the classic Jane Austen novel “Emma.”
Now, the logistics behind the romantic connection between Cher and Rudd’s character Josh do make things complicated and, admittedly, a bit creepy looking back, but the actors manage to evade any icky feelings with the sweet-and-salty sparring the Beverly Hills kids regularly engage in.
With a cast of mostly unknowns like Rudd, Brittany Murphy and Donald Faison, “Clueless” was a surprise sleeper hit when it debuted in the summer of ’95 and in the decades since is now widely regarded as one of the best teen comedies ever. We’re totally buggin.
Watch Clueless on Paramount+ now
2. ‘Knocked Up’
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For more than 20 years, Rudd has engaged in a very successful creative collaboration with filmmaker Judd Apatow, kicking off with 2004’s news-anchor satire “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.”
We’re particularly partial, though, to their 2007 partnership “Knocked Up” and its 2012 spinoff “This is 40,” which sees Rudd star as talent scout Pete, who is married to Leslie Mann’s Allison.
Opposite Seth Rogen’s Ben Stone and Katherine Heigl’s Allison Scott — whose one-night stand turns into a very unexpected pregnancy — Rudd and Mann’s characters are supposed to be the stable, more responsible foils to those messy, fledgling new parents.
But both “Knocked Up” and its successor allow the comedians to fly those freak flags, with psychedelic mushroom trips, hotel-room hijinks and hilarious takedowns of nightclub bouncers. (“Doorman!”)
Watch ‘Knocked Up’ on Peacock now
1. ‘Ant-Man
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The 2015 superhero movie “Ant-Man,” based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, proved a huge genre switch-up for Rudd, bringing the comedy star into the action-flick fold and the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.
However, as Scott Lang — a former systems engineer and petty criminal who acquires a suit that allows him to shrink in size but increase in strength — Rudd’s easy charm and expert comedic timing are still very much on display, even when behind that futuristic helmet.
Rudd would reprise his role as the eponymous Ant-Man in the 2018 sequel “Ant-Man and the Wasp” and its 2023 follow-up “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania”, as well as in fellow MCU titles like “Captain America: Civil War” (2016) and “Avengers: Endgame” (2019). (He is also slated to appear in 2026’s “Avengers: Doomsday”.) So if you love “Paul Rudd, Superhero Star,” you can really make an entire movie marathon of it.
Watch Ant-Man on Disney+ now
