We asked Will Ferrell to pick his favorite Paul Rudd movie
Rudd says (sarcastically) of his Shrink Next Door co-star, "I'm a fan of most of the things I've seen"
TV Features Will Ferrell
As two of the funniest actors working today, Paul Rudd and Will Ferrell have certainly crossed paths a few times, both on-screen and off. The two appeared together as oddball newscasters in the Anchorman movies, and are now being reunited in in the Apple TV+ series The Shrink Next Door.
The A.V. Club sat down with Ferrell and Rudd for a video chat about that new series, and their admiration for each other work. After all: If everyone has their favorite Will Ferrell movie, shouldn’t Paul Rudd have one too? You can watch that chat in the video or read a transcript below.
The A.V. Club: Paul, your character in the show is a lot of things, but one of them is a collector of photos of himself with famous people. What does that say about him, and how does that add to his character?
Paul Rudd: I’m no therapist, but if I was…
I think that there are some narcissistic qualities there, but there’s also insecurity. “Look, I’m friends with… I’m an important person like…” There’s a lot there that you could say, “this is the reason for it.” All of that could be true. None of it could be true. I mean, maybe it was just that he took lots of pictures, and that’s the reason. But I have my own thoughts, and I tend to lean toward that.
AVC: Who wouldn’t be excited to see Raul Julia?
PR: One of our greatest actors.
AVC: Will, both of you do some dancing in the series. Do you figure out how your character would dance and dance in that way? Or is it really just how you dance, but with a few tweaks?
Will Ferrell: I probably don’t really figure it out in terms of dance until the actual moment. Hopefully [by then] I’ve gotten to move as the character would move enough times to be able to say, “this is how they would dance.” But I don’t spend time dancing as the character.
AVC: How was Marty’s motion and gait different than yours?
WF: I feel like it was more of a manifestation of his neurosis. I don’t know. I just felt kind of smaller and more vulnerable.
Paul felt so big to me. Paul’s character was someone I truly looked up to and and I wanted to listen to his every word. I think I took that on physically.
PR: In a way, it’s a little bit like those two questions are related.
When you’re playing a character—and certainly characters like this, where their looks are very different than the way we normally look in real life and we sound different than the way we sound in life—For us, it really feels like we are truly inhabiting a character. We always feel that.
It’s very much that sometimes even subconsciously that manifests itself in a physicality. So we do stand differently. We will dance differently. That kind of stuff just happens.
AVC: And I have to imagine it changes over the course of the series. Episode one Marty isn’t episode six Marty.
WF: Yeah, it changes with the aging process. Exactly.
AVC: Both of you have been in so many quotable and amazing movies, shows, etc. I’m wondering if you each have a favorite project from the other person. So, Paul, do you have a favorite Will project or line? Will, do you have a favorite Paul project or line? Besides The Shrink Next Door, of course.
WF: Well, I love Wet Hot American Summer.
AVC: It’s classic.
PR: I don’t want to put you on this spot trying to think of my—
WF: Paul has been very open with me. He’s like, “I think you’re a great guy. I really do like you. But I don’t love the work. I’ll give you one last chance,” and I think I finally proved it to you this time.
PR: Actually, you know what? You really surprised me with this thing.
No, I mean, Will has done iconic performances, including one of them that I was in. I think Ron Burgundy is one of the greatest comic creations.
WF: Fantana, come on.
PR: Not only that, but I mean, Buddy The Elf, who else could do that?
Step Brothers is one of the funniest films of the last quarter century, and then Will’s dramatic work is really good too. He’s a great actor. I’m a fan.
WF: I feel the same about Paul.
PR: I’m a fan of most of the things I’ve seen. [both laugh]
That’s one of those ‘trying to sound insulting while paying a compliment” things. “I’m a fan of most of it.”
AVC: He’s gotten a lot better lately.
PR: He’s the best. He’s the best. I would say to anybody, “if you ever get a chance to work with Will Ferrell, go for it because it’s a masterclass.”
WF: Be careful what you wish for.
38 Comments
I don’t think I could speak to either one of these men without acting like a complete idiot. They’re probably both very nice, but I’d be ridiculously starstruck. After I got over it, though, Rudd would be getting some serious questions about that mysterious painting in his attic.
My favorite Paul Rudd movie is the one where he’s not even really acting, he’s just being Paul Rudd, banking on his inexplicable but undeniable screen presence and the fact that everyone who doesn’t outright love Paul Rudd is at least very much okay with Paul Rudd.You know, that one movie of his.
Overnight Delivery?
Partly right.
Yes!
no, i do not know.
Bummer!
so what movie is it?
Yes.
I loved him in Mac and Me.
I Could Never Be Your Woman?
Yup.
For sure!
Fundamentals of Caring?
The answer is yes.
It ain’t Halloween Six, that’s for damsure.
Captain America: Civil War?
I know someone like that. every famous person they meet they need to take a pic. No idea what’s up with that.
He should have picked Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers
Ill just leave this right here
Buddy! Hey, buddy! You left this YouTube clip lying on the ground over here!
Hey! Hey mister! You forgot your YouTube cli—[YouTube clip somehow explodes]
I’ll play.Step BrothersRole Models
I will not play! I’ve no time for these shenanigans.
Look, I’m not here to service you. I’m here to service these young boys.
The looks both Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott give during those scenes with Jane Lynch are priceless. The best, though, is the look from Bobb’e Thompson when Lynch mentions what she used to do to the judge at the end of the movie. Flippin’ genius!
“What did you have for dinner?”“Was it cocaine?”Fucking priceless.
When she uses air quotes around “presence” and Paul Rudd asks “Why did you use air quotes? Are you implying we’re not really here?” is the best improv I’ve ever seen in a movie.
I had no idea that part was improvised! Outside of the main actors, I love the running gag of “Love Take Me Down To The Streets” being a song by Wings. That David Wain reached out to the guy in Rain, the Beatles tribute band, to write and record a song with that title is awesome and the song itself would fit on a Wings’ greatest hits, for sure!
I’m only assuming it’s improvised, because it’s a joke that doesn’t really work on paper.In Wanderlust, Wain’s follow up to Role Models, there’s a scene where someone plays Love Take Me Down To The Streets on acoustic guitar.
Then which shenanigans do you have tine for? I think that we deserve an answer.
I’ve already wasted enough time!
Role Models with the whole KISS LARP thing was just… *chef’s kiss*
Role Models should be mentioned in the same breath as any of the great comedies from the 2000s. It is so damn good – every joke lands and every performance is excellent and the characters actually feel real. I cannot recommend it enough.
Rudd unloading on Augie’s dad is such a satisfying moment, too, and felt like a genuine epiphany of what a judgmental prick he himself had been.
That is such a satisfying character moment, for sure, and the perfect demonstration of his growth as a person. Damn, what a great movie!
Just wanna say that I really appreciate this transcript of the video. Makes me so happy!