Paul Rudd wasn't looking for a role that would follow him for the next three decades when he started filming movie "Clueless"« .
In a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actor recalled the 1995 teen comedy and said Josh, Cher Horowitz's former stepbrother and future love interest, wasn't the role that immediately caught his attention. Rudd was more interested in Christian, the stylish guy Cher had a crush on, who later turns out to be gay.
According to media reports, Rudd called Christian "the coolest character in the film" and said he found the role incredibly interesting when he read the script. Christian was ultimately cast as Justin Walker, and Rudd was cast as Josh, opposite Alicia Silverstone.
Christian was the first to stand out to him.
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Rudd said Christian surprised him because his character didn't seem like the typical teen comedy crush. Christian is sophisticated, fashionable, and confident, and he's perceived as one of the most attractive people in Cher's circle.
This made the role more intriguing for Rudd even before he knew how the casting process would pan out. Josh was the more obvious choice for the romantic lead, but Christian had a more compelling premise: a character who momentarily seems like Cher's perfect boyfriend before the film allows him to become something more fleshed out and fun.
Rudd was asked to read several games.
Rudd auditioned for more than just the role of Josh. In a separate episode of Jake Shane's podcast, Therapuss , which was reported by People, he said that he asked to audition for several male roles in the film.
He auditioned for the roles of Christian and Elton, but the role ultimately went to Jeremy Sisto. He also considered playing Murray before realizing the character was written as a black man. Donald Faison later played Murray, and Stacey Dash played Dionne.
Director Amy Heckerling finally asked Rudd to audition for the role of Josh. This decision changed the course of his early film career. Josh gave the film "Clueless"« his slow-burning romantic arc, where Cher's Beverly Hills confidence contrasted with his more mature, level-headed college student energy.
He didn't wait by the phone.
Rudd also claimed he wasn't as desperate as some might now assume. Entertainment Weekly noted that he told THR he didn't call his agents after the audition to find out if he got the part in the film.
At the time, a film career was still new to him, and he was more interested in serious theater work than playing the hero of a teen comedy. EW reported that Rudd had already agreed to star in the Broadway production of "« The Last Night of Ballyhoo"» after «Clueless» , although his agent believed he should exploit the film's success in Hollywood.
In retrospect, the casting story seems even funnier. Rudd wasn't chasing the obvious heartthrob role and didn't see the film as a guaranteed career launch. Ultimately, he landed the role anyway, which introduced him to a wider audience.
Over time, the film became more ambitious.
Rudd said he didn't know, what "Clueless"« will become a comedy for an entire generation. In an interview for Therapuss He recalled that during the script reading, the actors felt something exciting and hoped that the film would be as memorable for audiences as John Hughes' films were for them.
He also described the film's legacy as something that evolves gradually. «Clueless» were successful upon release, but their reputation grew thanks to cable television, DVDs, and years of audiences returning to the films to admire the clothes, slang, jokes, and acting.
Josh became part of that afterlife. Rudd went on to star in films such as «"Friends », «News anchor» , «The 40-Year-Old Virgin» , «"A little pregnant"» , «"I love you, man. »" and Marvel films "« Ant-Man »", But «Clueless» remain one of the first films associated with his participation.
Thirty years later, the role he wasn't originally considered for remains one of the first things fans remember.