‘It’s a very weird thing to be famous’

Hollywood star Paul Rudd said that he finds it ‘boring’ when actors complain about being famous as there are some things that are ‘kind of nice’ about it.

Rudd started his acting career in 1991 and after featuring in some of the iconic titles of the era such as ‘Clueless’, ‘Romeo + Juliet’, ‘Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy’ and the popular sitcom ‘Friends’, he started playing superhero Ant-Man in ‘Marvel Cinematic Universe’ (MCU) in 2015.

‘Ant-Man’ completely changed his life, the actor said.

“Itw is a very weird thing to be famous. I have been working as an actor for a long time now. So, I have known different levels of it. I always think it is boring when actors complain about how famous they are because some things are kind of nice about it. You get to see lots of different things and you are awarded many opportunities, that is for sure,” Rudd, 53, said in a virtual roundtable interview attended by the top news agency.

The fame he attained after his MCU debut also made him ‘nervous’, the actor said, adding that he was concerned about the effects it would have on his children. Rudd shares son Jack Sullivan and daughter Darby with his wife, screenwriter and producer Juile Yaeger.

“ ‘Marvel’ is such a visible thing and it is worldwide. My life changed and my visibility and fame really jumped. I would feel very differently and I think I did because I only view it through my kids. And when they were really little, I got nervous about it because I just wanted my children to have a normal life,” Rudd said.

The actor added, “I would think it would be hard having famous parents. I never knew what that was like. So, my main concerns about it are really just how does it affect them?”

In the grand scheme of things, the New Jersey-born actor said that being a public figure has turned him into a bit of a recluse over the years.

“I probably have become a bit more reclusive. I think my world, strangely, has gotten a little smaller. But I love what I do and it is an honour to be an actor. It was my goal and that is what I wanted. It is an honour to work with ‘Marvel’.”

And marking the beginning of phase five of the MCU, ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ has brought even more ‘credibility’ to his position in the franchise.

Directed by Peyton Reed, the film marks the third movie in the MCU, led by superheroes Scott Lang/Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne/The Wasp (Evangeline Lilly).

It also features Jonathan Majors as Kang the Conqueror and Kathryn Newton as Cassie Lang, with Michelle Pfeiffer as Janet Van Dyne and Michael Douglas as Hank Pym.

“I think that it is pretty great, that phase five starts off with an ‘Ant-Man’ movie. He is the hero that has to go up against Kang the Conqueror, who is arguably the biggest villain we have seen in the ‘Marvel Universe’. So, personally, it fills me with credibility and satisfaction. It has been amazing. We have been able to do three of these and I have loved every minute of it and I feel part of it,” Rudd said.

For the actor, the main quality he loved about Scott Lang was that he is a ‘reluctant’ superhero, a regular guy trying to be a good person and a father.

“I think one of the things that I really like about the character is that he is a bit of a reluctant superhero and he is a regular guy with no innate super abilities. He is conflicted. He makes mistakes. In his heart, he really wants to be a good person and a dad. I like those qualities,” he added.

‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’ started filming in mid-2021 and wrapped in November of the same year.

The film finds Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne continuing to explore life as a couple. Life is good: Scott has penned a book, Hope is championing humanitarian causes and their family - Hope’s parents, Janet Van Dyne and Hank Pym and Scott’s daughter, Cassie - is finally part of their day-to-day lives.

Cassie, it turns out, shares her family’s passion for science, technology and the ‘Quantum Realm’. But her curiosity leads to an unexpected, one-way trip for them all to the vast subatomic world, where they encounter strange new creatures, a stricken society and a master of time whose menacing undertaking has only just begun, reads the official synopsis of the movie.

Rudd said that he was thrilled with the way the team, including director Reed and screenplay writer Jeff Loveness, took the story forward.

“The journey Scott has been through over the last 10 years - becoming this superhero reluctantly, going into the quantum realm and losing years having to fight Thanos - he has been through a lot, so much so that now he does really treasure what time he has. What he wants to do, which is to be a father to Cassie,” the actor shared.

Rudd added, “I loved the idea that we were going to start a movie and it was going to be enormous. It was going to introduce Kang and I thought, ‘Oh my gosh, we really are getting some respect here because this is a big deal’. As a result, it felt like we were taking a really big swing and that was exciting.”

Produced by Kevin Feige and Stephen Broussard, ‘Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania’ was released on February 17, 2023.