The haircut that almost cost Paul Rudd his big break: “I was so stupidly cavalier about it”
Paul Rudd is one of the most lovable rogues in Hollywood, forging a reputation as one of the most unproblematic and likeable actors in the business through his laid-back persona that is endlessly endearing.
While many celebrities are corrupted by fame and become completely obsessed by their own image, Rudd remains as one of the few who seems to be pretty grounded and unbothered by the rest of the Hollywood bullshit. Whether it be his role in the Marvel universe as Ant-Man, his iconic work with Judd Apatow in Anchorman or his upcoming role in Friendship, which is sure to be a heartbreaker, the actor has firmly cemented himself as one of the nicest guys in the business.
But unfortunately, being laid-back is not a quality that can get you very far in such a ruthless business, with many artists being forced to be the most cutthroat versions of themselves to get ahead, doing anything to sabotage the careers of fellow actors or climb their way up the greasy pole. However, this is not something that is in line with Rudd’s personality, with the actor having such a relaxed attitude that it nearly cost him one of his biggest roles.
Clueless, directed by Amy Heckerling in 1995, is without a doubt, one of the most influential teen comedies of all time, with the story of Cher and her head-in-the-clouds approach to life becoming synonymous with the mindset of the nineties and the humour of the time. The story follows a popular girl who is beloved by everyone in her high school, attempting to boost her grades by setting up two of her most miserable teachers while pining for her stepbrother and making over a new student who is desperately in need of some TLC.
Starring Alicia Silverstone and Brittany Murphy, it is one of those cult classic films with a sense of charm that never fades, with a young Paul Rudd starring as the titular role of Josh, the aforementioned step-brother who catches Cher’s eye.
However, Rudd very nearly blew his chances to star in the film, describing how one poor haircut nearly led the casting producers to find someone else for the role. Rudd explained, “I went in and I auditioned for all the different parts. And they said read for the part that I wound up playing which is Josh. So I didn’t really hear anything afterwards. And I remember I had really long hair and then a couple of weeks later, I wasn’t even thinking about it, I was walking past a barber shop and I said, ‘just buzz my head’. And my hair was down to about there”.
But unfortunately for Rudd, the story didn’t end there. He said, “And then a week later I went into a restaurant and Amy Heckerling who directed the movie was eating there and she looked at me, she froze and goes, ‘what did you do to your hair?’ I was like ‘I shaved it off’. She goes, ‘you auditioned for this part, you can’t cut your hair’. I was like ‘well if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be’”.
It might seem like an obvious no-go to some, but Rudd was so sure he wouldn’t get the part that it didn’t seem like an issue. He reflected on this, saying, “I was so stupidly cavalier about it. And then I had to do a screen test for it and wear a wig. Eventually, enough time goes by and they’re like ‘this is not going to work’, so they skipped the wig and by the time it got the filming, my hair had grown enough that it worked okay”.
