On the set of the comedy I LOVE YOU MAN. Paul Rudd had this to say about a possible Anchorman sequel as mentioned earlier by Adam McKay.
Rudd: âI think that it would be awesome, I would be in there for sure, and I emailed him afterwards, I think he was serious, I donât think thereâs a script or anything like that, I donât know if thereâs been any ideas, and it was so fun to do and I saw him recently and we were just talking about what a blast that was, so hopefully.â
Rudd also talked about his love of Rush and his sparse interest in internet networking sites.
Rudd: âYouâre starting to reveal something here, Iâve never been to Craigslist or Myspace.â
Rudd had plenty more to say as well about his role in I LOVE YOU MAN and his apparent dislike of Andy Samburgâ¦..
Question: It looks like you can really play the bass guitar.
Paul Rudd: I canât, I can play a couple of those songs though, I tried to learn âLimelightâ on bass and âTom Sawyerâ, and I figured out the very basic⦠oh god, heâs such a media whore, you know what I mean? (on Andy Samburg)
Question: Looks like you guys are having fun.
Rudd: Actually Iâve never met him.
Question: He hangs around.
Rudd: I was trying to formulate some other twisted joke, but Iâll go back to the bass playing, yeah, I tried to get that âLimelightâ, itâs not a really kind of generic way of playing, I could do enough to get the calluses going anyway.
Question: Are you a fan of âRushâ?
Rudd: I do like âRushâ, yeah, when I was a kid they scared me a little bit because I saw the video of âTom Sawyerâ and Geddy Lee just had his hair hanging down, there were certain guys like Rick Nielson of âCheap Trickâ also that I was just kind of freaked out by them.
Question: I was scared by âREO Speedwagonâ, that dude with the big fro.
Rudd: Kevin Cronin.
Question: Yeah, he always scared me.
Rudd: Yeah, and now heâs got like short, gray hair.
Question: Yes he does.
Rudd: Kind of frightening, like a young Tom Skerritt.
Question: Who was horrifying.
Rudd: He puts the Scare in Skerritt. Yeah, there were those musicians that really rattled me, and then âTom Sawyerâ, I was like âWhy is it called âTom Sawyer, it just sounds so dark and evil,â and then I got a little older and then I kind of went through this phase where I bought âMoving Picturesâ, that record, and then I was like âRed Barchettaâ, thatâs where itâs at, and I went through a little âRushâ phase and then I got totally of course kind of into them years ago, and kind of like âThe Spirit of the Radioâ I would play it in my car really loud, so I was really nervous to meet them anyway.
Question: Did you have scenes against them, or are they just playing on stage?
Rudd: No, theyâre in the movie and we didnât have any scenes where I engaged with them, I was just a fan dancing in the show, but I got to meet them, and Jason and I actually interviewed them and I was nervous and like, âHow do you interview âRushâ?â They seem also to be really a band that has shied away, theyâve really lived the words of âLimelightâ, living in the limelight, itâs surreal and they canât pretend that a stranger is a long waited friend, I just kept thinking that when I was trying to buddy up to them, but they were very funny and very friendly, and big fans of âTeam Americaâ.
Question: I was going to say, did you see their âTrailer Park Boysâ episode where they kidnapped them?
Rudd: No.
Question: Itâs a Canadian show.
Rudd: Yeah, I know that show.
Question: They kidnap one of the guitar players, itâs pretty funny, I just watched it the other day.
Rudd: Theyâre really funny guys like they were very nice and yeah, they were really cool, and I donât know how the topic of âSouth Parkâ and âTeam Americaâ came up, âTeam Americaâ and they all went crazy and started talking, and quoting it, and it was just really weird to be exchanging âTeam Americaâ quotes with Neil Peart.
Question: So are you and Segel man pals the same way your characters are?
Rudd: Yeah, I think we get along pretty well, we will do these little extended bits and runs that no one will ever enjoy except us, thatâs outside of the movie, hopefully not just in the movie, probably a few, but yeah, we get on pretty well.
Question: Youâve done movies with him before.
Rudd: Yeah, this is our third one, the first one was âKnocked Upâ and that was actually where I met him and we didnât really have a lot of stuff to do in that movie, âSarah Marshallâ there was a lot more, and that was also really fun besides the location and where it was shot, I mean that was truly like, âYou guys just say whatever you want,â and so I think that we really started laughing and kind of really clicking on that movie and I was really excited that he was doing this movie.
Question: Can I ask you a question about being in
Rudd: Oh yes, yeah, I thought that they would beat me up for my ability to surf.
Question: No, they said they saw it and were really disappointed that you played him like a stoner dude.
Rudd: Well I think thatâs where people really have to have a suspension of disbelief that a surf instructor might actually smoke weed.
Question: Well no, they came and found the rest of the cast and were bugging them, it was kind of fun, I didnât know if you knew about that.
Rudd: Are you kidding?
Question: No, Iâm not kidding, they came and they were like, âIs Paul Rudd here? Weâre really upset about this.â
Rudd: Wow, well Iâm glad I didnât make the junket.
Question: The nice thing about your character in âKnocked Upâ is that your character has no idea that he hates you, or why he hates you because heâs into your wife.
Rudd: Yeah, heâs way into my wife in that movie, that is quintessential Jason Segel that he could just do that creepy stare that lasts a little too long, and it could be very funny, but also unsettling, and he would do that with Leslie Mann in that movie and then he would look at me like probably these surfer guys that wanted to kill me.
Question: Is there some of that in this, is he kind of playing that?
Rudd: Heâs created a completely unique character in this movie, I mean the one thing I like about both of our characters is that weâre both guys, but we wear our hearts on our sleeves, and he has no problem acting in ways that might not be considered stereotypically macho, and he knows how to pronounce aoli, as do I, and I think that says it all.
Question: Do you think this movie is going to start a trend with mandates?
Rudd: Probably not, does that happen? There is friend finder, just finding male companionship, those might be different sites than Iâm thinking of.
Question: You could try them and get back to us.
Rudd: I will, give me your email addresses and Iâll send you updates on Man dates.
Question: Craigslist is pretty good for that too.
Rudd: It is? Youâre starting to reveal something here, Iâve never been to Craigslist or Myspace.
Question: Facebook? I hear Facebook is better, but Iâm with you on Myspace.
Rudd: Iâm really behind on this, everybody I know has these pages, and Iâve tried to, but I donât have a password so I canât get on, I donât have an account.
Question: So why doesnât he have any guy friends?
Rudd: Jason?
Question: Your character, well or Jason, Iâm assuming your character, but if Jason doesnât, you can share.
Rudd: Sorry I was just zoning out.
Question: Guy friends, why doesnât he have any?
Rudd: Jason does, I donât.
Question: Why donât you have guy friends?
Rudd: Iâve always been kind of a girlfriend guy, not that Iâm particularly weird or anything, itâs just that Iâve always been in long relationships and now that Iâm kind of in my mid thirties, itâs really exactly said, I donât even know how old I am, well post college, I have a career and now Iâm getting engaged, and during this engagement, Rashida Jones, who plays my fiancée, you know calls all of her friends that are going to be bridesmaids, and Iâm not calling anybody to tell them the news, my parents are sleeping, Iâll tell them tomorrow, I donât really have any close friends that I would share this news with, and so she says, âWhy not,â and I said, âI donât know, I guess I just kind of put all of my energy into my relationships,â and so thatâs kind of how it happens that I realize for the first time, I never thought I was missing anything, and so then I have to try because I think sheâs weirded out by it, so I have to go out and try to find some friends.
Question: Is there a Vegas sequence somewhere in this?
Rudd: This might be the only movie Iâve done that doesnât have a Vegas sequence.
Question: And ironically Jon Favreau is in this.
Rudd: I know, thatâs true, I think the whole thing takes place in
Question: Youâre doing some voiceover work for âMonsters and Aliensâ, are you done with that, have you started yet?
Rudd: Yeah, Iâve worked on it a little bit and I have a little more to do, I donât have that much to do in it, but itâs the first time Iâve ever done anything like that, itâs been really cool to see how they do all of that, Iâm excited, I donât know who I want to win yet, the monsters, or the aliens.
Question: Adam McKay recently mentioned something about wanting to get an âAnchorman 2â going, I donât know if he was joking or not, serious.
Rudd: I saw that, I think that it would be awesome, I would be in there for sure, and I emailed him afterwards, I think he was serious, I donât think thereâs a script or anything like that, I donât know if thereâs been any ideas, and it was so fun to do and I saw him recently and we were just talking about what a blast that was, so hopefully.
Question: That film was kind of ground zero for what is going on now with of a lot of Judd (Apatow), the freedom to make the kind of films heâs making, and for a lot of you guys, it just kind of exposed you to a wider audience so now you can kind of mix and match and do these kind of all star comedy ensembles.
Rudd: Yeah, it was really the most incredible thing to be a part of that, and it changed my life for sure, these last few years all these movies Iâve worked on have stemmed from that really, that crew, and also theyâve been a lot of fun, Iâve never worked, since âAnchormanâ, it seems like on working with Judd, thereâs a way of making them thatâs different than anything Iâd ever worked on up to that point, and creatively itâs fulfilling in ways that other things arenât, and Iâm just blown away by how funny all those guys are, to sit and listen to McKay and Will Ferrell talk is so intimidating because itâs so crazy and funny and smart.
Question: Whatâs next?
Rudd: I have no idea.
Question: One day at a time?
Rudd: We finish this in a couple weeks I think and then I donât know, thereâs talk of this strike, so weâll see if that actually happens, I hope not, but I kind of wanted to take a little time off, I feel I was kind of overdue, I worked on a movie last year that weâre gonna do about a week of reshoots on, to add some additional scenes for it and that comes out, I have no idea when.
Question: Is that the David Wains film?
Rudd: Yeah, itâs with David, the working title is âLittle Big Menâ, I donât think that thatâll be the actual title of the movie, I donât think the title has really been decided.
Question: I remember that film being set up at first Luke Greenfield was going to direct and it went through several permutations.
Rudd: It went through several, yeah, a lot, I think even before Luke Greenfield was involved, and then it was several writers and then I wrote a version of it, and then David came on and we worked on a version of it together, and so it was kind of constantly changing and yet actually I think at the end of the day it turned out pretty well, we had a screening of it, and seen where itâs at right now, I think everyone feels pretty good about it, so hopefully itâll work out.