Massacre's 'Lonely Heart,' Claudia Quintet's 'For'

DATE July 31, 2007 ACCOUNT NUMBER N/A
TIME 12:00 Noon-1:00 PM AUDIENCE N/A
NETWORK NPR
PROGRAM Fresh Air

Interview: Actor Paul Rudd on the films "Knocked Up," "The 40-
Year-Old Virgin" and "Anchorman"
TERRY GROSS, host:

This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross.

My guest, Paul Rudd, co-stars in this summer's hit "Knocked Up" as a husband
and father going through a pre-midlife crisis. He also co-starred in "The
40-Year-Old Virgin" as one of Steve Carell's friends. In "Anchorman," Rudd
played a member of Will Ferrell's news team. We're going to talk about making
those films. Rudd's first hit film was 1995's "Clueless." He starred opposite
Jennifer Aniston in "The Object of My Affection." In the TV series "Friends,"
he played Phoebe's boyfriend and eventual husband. He also starred in the
films "Romeo and Juliet" and "Wet Hot American Summer," as well as numerous
Neil LaBute plays.

Now Rudd is starring in the new comic, independent film "The Ten." It's a
series of 10 vignettes, each loosely connected to one of the Ten Commandments.
It features Liev Schreiber, Rob Corddry, Wynona Ryder and Jessica Alba. Rudd
acts as the movie's emcee, introducing each story and starring in one of them.
Here he is at the beginning of the film.

(Soundbite of "The Ten")

Mr. PAUL RUDD: (As Jeff Reigert) Heh. Hi, I'm Jeff Reigert. OK, good. So
I've got the Ten Commandments over there and I'm going to give you 10 stories.
Each one of them correlates to one of the commandments. So let's get right
into it. Sorry I was late, by the way. Long story short, my wife--you know
what? I'm not going to go into this. All right. Long story short, my wife
and I were at Bed, Bath & Beyond. We'd agreed to go in beforehand because she
wanted to buy a hand blender and leave. I mean, we weren't going to make a
big day shopping because--you know what? I'm not going to get into this.
This is just going to get me really upset and besides, you didn't come here to
listen to my...(word censored by station)...right? I came here to give you
these 10 stories and we're already running a little bit late so why don't we
just do it to it. Right? Let's get this party started.

(Soundbite of bass guitar)

(End of soundbite)

GROSS: That's actor Paul Rudd in a scene from the new film "The Ten." Paul
Rudd, welcome to FRESH AIR.

Mr. RUDD: Thank you.

GROSS: The team who made the movie, Ken Marino and David Wain, co-founded a
couple of sketch comedy groups. How do you know them? You always seem to be
connected to all these comedians and sketch comic guys.

Mr. RUDD: Yeah. I try and horn my way into any group that will take me, and
they were one of them. I remember watching their show "The State" on MTV.
There were part of this collective, and I met them about 10 years ago, I
think, about 10 years ago. They were doing a play in New York called--that
they'd written called "Sex, aka Weiners and Boobs." And so I met them there,
and David gave me this script for "Wet Hot American Summer" and I read it and
thought it was really funny, and a few years later we were able to make it.
So we became friends in that period of time, but then during "Wet Hot American
Summer," I think, was really when we became good friends. And same thing with
Ken and a lot of the people that were in that troupe.

GROSS: Now, you've done a lot of comedy films. You've worked with a lot of
comics, but I don't think you've ever done sketch comedy or stand-up yourself.

Mr. RUDD: No, and, you know, growing up I was a big comedy fan. As a kid I
remember being really affected by Steve Martin's comedy records and I used to
love watching comedians on television and things like that. But I studied
theater when I was in college, and then went to a theater school and didn't
really pursue comedy, per se. I never wanted to be a stand-up comedian and
I'd never studied the improv comedy or anything like that. I always liked it,
but that is--yeah, my background is different from theirs and actually a lot
of the people that I've worked with, some of the people in the Judd Apatow
camp also kind of have Second City backgrounds or Groundlings, that kind of
thing.

GROSS: Speaking of the Judd Apatow camp, he was behind three movies that
you've been in. He was the producer of "Anchorman," he directed "40-Year-Old
Virgin," and "Knocked Up." How did you get to know him?

Mr. RUDD: Well, I got to know him on "Anchorman"; that was actually where I
met him. Speaking of those Steve Martin records, it does play a part in
actually how I know Judd a little bit. I was at a dinner party a few years
before "Anchorman" was ever made, and I was talking about fake names and that
one of my favorite fake names is Gern Blanston, which was from one of those
records, Steve Martin was saying that his real name was Gern Blanston. And
somebody at the dinner said, `Oh, that explains Judd Apatow's e-mail address.'
So I went home and e-mailed him and he e-mailed me back. I just e-mailed him
kind of congratulating him on, you know, the reference, and so we kind of
became pen pals though we'd never met, and the first time we actually met was
on "Anchorman."

GROSS: And he knew who you were. You were already an actor who'd been in
movies when you e-mailed him?

Mr. RUDD: He said--and I remember his first e-mail back to me was that he
was surprised but he was happy because he thought maybe now he had an in for
free Neil LaBute theater tickets.

GROSS: So you'd already been in...

Mr. RUDD: I'd done some plays...

GROSS: Was it "The Shape of Things"?

Mr. RUDD: Yeah, "The Shape of Things" and "Bash" and, yeah, a couple of
plays that Neil had written. And so that was Judd's response, yeah.

GROSS: Now, what do you think you and Seth Rogen and Judd Apatow have in
common?

Mr. RUDD: We're all Jews.

GROSS: OK.

Mr. RUDD: Let's see. What do we have in common? I think that Judd, Seth
and I have, I don't know, similar reference points, I think. You know, I have
found--I kind of have found this out with people who I've worked with in the
past that Steve Martin, those records were very instrumental in a lot of
people's lives, but I think we have a similar sensibility, the three of us do.
And a lot of the same things make us laugh. So it's just kind of nice to work
together. Not only, hopefully, the finished product is good, but the actual
experience of making a movie together is fun. You know, we spend months at a
time together, so it's nice to enjoy the company of the people you're working
with.

GROSS: Now, you know the basis of a lot of like Seth Rogen roles is that, you
know, he's the nerd, or he's funny looking, but he's going to get the girl
anyway, or he can't get the girl or whatever. You're very attractive, so that
kind of issue wouldn't be your issue. And Judd Apatow, I've never seen him.
Like I don't now if he has like, physically, self-conscious kind of issues, so
is that a place where you all do or don't connect?

Mr. RUDD: Well, first of all, thank you for saying that, but, you know, all
of our--I think our comedy, or the things we joke about, all stem from
insecurities, and all three of us certainly have those. As far as me, growing
up I would--you know, I grew up in the Midwest and I was Jewish and I was on
Accutane. I had terrible skin.

GROSS: Really? Boy, you'd never know that from your movies.

Mr. RUDD: Accutane worked, I think, before they realized that it was
poisonous. And I was really self-conscious about many things growing up. I
was never a great athlete and, you know, where I lived that kind of the thing
that got you in cool clique. And I just kind of dealt with all of that stuff
by, you know, trying to make people laugh or telling jokes, and I think Judd
was, you know, the same way and Seth is the same way. We just--that was kind
of our defense mechanism--and still is.

GROSS: How old were you when your acne cleared up, and were you already doing
plays, like high school plays?

Mr. RUDD: It was in high school, and it was, you know, it was a couple of
years there. I mean, it wasn't, you know, disgusting or anything, but, you
know, I was a candidate for medicine. I went to a dermatologist because of
it. And I was probably, you know, in those formative years when you're a
teenager and your in high school and just desperate to be liked and you want
girls to notice you and not notice the, you know, papules and pustules on your
face.

GROSS: Oh, well put.

Mr. RUDD: So, yeah, you know, that was formative. Judd, Seth and I also
have really, you know, a pretty healthy amount of chest hair and body hair,
which is another thing that makes you self-conscious, you know? You just
don't want to look like a Greek fisherman when you're wearing a turtleneck and
it's just still coming out on top, you know, like Robin Williams' knuckles.

GROSS: You mentioned chest hair, you mentioned chest hair...

Mr. RUDD: Yeah.

GROSS: ...so we have to talk about the scene in "40-Year-Old Virgin"...

Mr. RUDD: Hm. Right, yes.

GROSS: Where Steve Carell is getting his enormous amount of chest hair waxed.

Mr. RUDD: Uh-huh.

GROSS: And you're one of his friends who is looking on as it happens, and I
read that like that was really a genuine chest waxing for Steve Carell. It
was really his hair and...

Mr. RUDD: Yeah.

GROSS: ...not prosthetic hair that was getting torn off.

Mr. RUDD: Yeah, and it was his hair, and we obviously only had, you know, a
few takes. Because once you rip that off, it can't really go back on. So we
had set up five cameras, or something like that, and filmed it. It was--that
blood was real, you know. Yeah.

GROSS: Now, let me go back for a second. When you were talking about the
acne and you mentioned the pustules and papules.

Mr. RUDD: Right. Yeah.

GROSS: Oh...

Mr. RUDD: I had blackheads in my ears. That's a painful memory that I've
completely buried until right now.

GROSS: Oh, well...

Mr. RUDD: I had a blackhead in my ear and I remember finding this out in
class one day. Somebody said something. Todd Shepherd said--was sitting
across. I said, `Oh my god, is it bad?' and his response was, `Don't worry
about it, man. It's not as bad as people say.' Which made me realize that
people had talked about it, that this was a thing, so that was yet another
painful memory that has come...

GROSS: Oh, that's so horrible.

Mr. RUDD: Oh, yeah. It was tough.

GROSS: My guest is actor Paul Rudd. We should hear a scene from another
film. Why don't we hear a scene from, since we're talking about "40-Year-Old
Virgin," why don't we hear a scene from "40-Year-Old Virgin." And this is a
scene where you're sitting in a coffee shop with Steve Carell, who is the
40-year-old virgin, and you're trying to convince him it's time to end being a
virgin; it's time to change.

(Soundbite of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin")

Mr. RUDD: (As David) Look, you got to take a risk. You got to risk it.
Look at me. I went out with this girl for four months and it was the
greatest, greatest thing in my life--until she...(word censored by
station)...this guy in an escalator, I think. And you know, instead of like
saying, `OK, what am I doing that caused this behavior?' I dumped her. Stupid
decision. I spent the last two years of my life regretting it.

Mr. STEVE CARELL: (As Andy) Well, why don't you get her back right now?

Mr. RUDD: (As David) Oh, because she's dating this pot dealer. Stupid,
horrible decision, I mean--but hey, that's her journey, you know? I got to
respect that. I've got to give her the space. If she wants to be some
immature little bitch and...(word censored by station)...everybody, that's
love, man.

Mr. CARELL: (As Andy) Sounds horrible.

Mr. RUDD: (As David) Of course it's horrible. It's suffering and it's pain
and it's, you know, you lose weight and then you put back on weight and then
you, you know, you call them a bunch of times and you try and e-mail and then
they move or they change their e-mail, but that's just love.

(End of soundbite)

GROSS: That's really funny.

Mr. RUDD: Yeah.

GROSS: You must feel so good when you get a great script, like "40-Year-Old
Virgin."

Mr. RUDD: Yeah, you know, it's really fun, and it's fun working the way that
we do, you know, when we're kind of involved in the writing of it and we...

GROSS: How involved? Like in that scene, for instance, what was your
involvement?

Mr. RUDD: Well, quite a bit. You know, when we were kind of thinking of the
script, we would get together and talk about our characters and say, `Well,
you know, what should this guy be like and what's his deal?' and then we'll
improvise some scenes and film them, and then they will eventually make their
way into the script.

Early on, Judd and I had a conversation, and we both realized--said that the
guy who goes out with somebody for a couple of months and then years later
still can't get over that person is funny. And in that scene, you know, we'll
shoot it as it's kind of written in the script, but more often than not we'll
just go off of the script and then just start improvising. And most of that
was improvised although, you know, we knew the theme, so we kind of venture
off. The whole thing about putting on weight, you know, when you become
obsessive and you put on weight and you lose weight, that was done
specifically because when we started shooting that film I was particularly
heavy and actually was asked--the studio said to lose weight. So I figured,
all right, my weight fluctuates in this film, this might be able to justify
that. And that was strictly the reason why I said that.

But you know, it's a bit of a battle. It's another thing working with Judd.
Judd asked me to gain weight. He likes it--he doesn't want anybody to be in
very good shape. He thinks that fatter is funnier, and I think he's right.
None of us are too chiseled. We're all pretty gooey as a collective.

GROSS: How do you feel about putting on weight for a movie?

Mr. RUDD: I love it. I don't like the taking it off part. But as I get
older, I'm finding that it's--you know, obviously getting harder and harder to
lose weight, and it gets easier to gain it.

GROSS: My guest is Paul Rudd. We'll talk more after a break. This is FRESH
AIR.

(Announcements)

GROSS: If you're just joining us, my guest is Paul Rudd, and his new movie is
called "The Ten."

At the end of "40-Year-Old Virgin," after Steve Carell marries and on his
first night as a married man, he has two blissful hours of sex with his new
wife, he looks up into the camera from his bed and starts to sing, `When the
moon is in the seventh house'...

Mr. RUDD: Mm-hmm.

GROSS: `...and Jupiter aligns with Mars.' Then there's a whole kind of like
video that ends the movie of the cast of the movie and then some singing "Age
of Aquarius" in a park, singing it, and then there's choreography too and in
your choreography close-up moment you're doing this kind of martial arts
choreography move...

Mr. RUDD: It's awkward to look at, yeah. Yeah. It's kind of martial arts.
It's a little jazz. It's kind of like a little showtune-y, you know, a little
"Fosse" and a little Chuck Norris.

GROSS: Did you...

Mr. RUDD: Whatever it is, it's kind of gross. I find it hard to watch. I
really do find that a little hard to watch.

GROSS: Why? I think it's funny.

Mr. RUDD: Well, that's good. It's just, it's embarrassing. You know, you
throw yourself into the moment and I'm not really trying to think about what
it looks like. But I know that I've done moves like that before. Actually, I
did a move like that rehearsing a play with Neil LaBute, and he asked me never
to do it again, it was so disturbing to him. And I agreed. I said, `OK.
I'll buy that. You'll never see it again.' But then there was a version of it
in that film.

GROSS: Let's play another clip from one of your films, and this is a scene
from "Knocked Up," which also stars Seth Rogen, and this is a scene from early
on. Your sister-in-law Alison, who's played by Katherine Heigl, has been
staying with you and your wife at your home. Now, the sister-in-law got drunk
and picked up a guy at a bar and brought him back for the night. That guy Ben
is played by Seth Rogen. The next morning you're standing outside of your
house with your young daughter in your arms about to get in the car with her,
and you see your sister-in-law and Ben as they come out of the house.

(Soundbite of "Knocked Up")

(Soundbite of music)

Ms. KATHERINE HEIGL: (As Alison) Morning.

Mr. PAUL RUDD: (As Pete) Good morning, Alison.

Mr. SETH ROGEN: (As Ben) I'm Ben. What's happening, man? Ben. How's it
going?

Mr. RUDD: (As Pete) Ah, to be young.

Ms. HEIGL: (As Alison) Stop it.

Mr. ROGEN: (As Ben) You stop it.

Ms. HEIGL: (As Alison) OK, see you later.

Mr. ROGEN: (As Ben) All righty.

Mr. RUDD: (As Pete) See you later. Enjoy the day.

Never do what they did.

Ms. IRIS APATOW (As Charlotte) I'm going to do it.

Mr. RUDD: (As Pete) You are? Uh-oh. Someone's getting home schooled.

(End of soundbite)

GROSS: That's Paul Rudd in a scene from "Knocked Up." Now, your wife in this
movie is played by Leslie Mann, who's actually married to the film's director,
Judd Apatow, and the kids who play your kids are actually Judd Apatow's and
Leslie Mann's kids, so does it make it any harder or easier to act when you're
playing with the director's family?

Mr. RUDD: It was easier, actually, because I've known his family for years.
You know, Iris, his youngest daughter, the girl who I was holding in that
scene, you know, I met her during "Anchorman." She still actually calls me
Fantana. I don't even think she knows my real name. She calls me by my
character's name in "Anchorman," Brian Fantana. So just having the
familiarity there was helpful. You know, Leslie and I have known each other
for years.

And it's tricky with kids, too, because Judd, you know, really wanted to
capture what kids are like and not have actors, really, not have children, you
know, not have child actors. So I think it was a little more, you know, the
kids were comfortable because they knew most of the cast and the crew as well.
You know, the crew on "Knocked Up" was a lot of the same crew from
"40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Anchorman" and going back to even "Freaks and Geeks"
and "Undeclared," you know, Judd's television shows, so it really was a family
affair.

GROSS: One of your very funny lines in the film was when you're talking to
your sister-in-law and Ben, played by Seth Rogen, and they're about to have a
baby, and so you're saying, `Isn't weird when you have a kid and all your
dreams and hopes go out the window?' because you already have two children.
When you actually became a father a couple of years ago or so, did you feel
like any of the characters that you had ever played who were fathers?

Mr. RUDD: Well, you know, I think that "Knocked Up" was the first time I
ever actually played a father.

GROSS: You wanted to be one in "The Object of My Affection."

Mr. RUDD: I wanted to be one, yes. That's true. I did want to be a father,
but this one was--you know, I'd had a son not that long before we started
shooting "Knocked Up." And, you know, it was--I felt very--like I did connect
to that role. In many ways, I could relate. It was all heightened,
obviously. I mean, I think that my own marriage is in much better shape than
the one I was in in the film, but, you know, I understood those fears of
having a kid and feeling as if your life might be over. You know, I know
everybody says it's the greatest thing that can happen to you and it will
enhance your life, all of which are absolutely true and I completely feel
that. But before he was born, I remember thinking, you know, `What's it going
to be like? I mean, am I going to feel like myself? You know, am I going to
be able to do things that, you know, do the things I want to do?' And it's
really scary. So, you know, it was jokey, but I definitely could relate to
certain things that that character was saying.

GROSS: Paul Rudd will be back in the second half of the show. His new film
is "The Ten." I'm Terry Gross, and this is FRESH AIR.

(Announcements)

GROSS: This is FRESH AIR. I'm Terry Gross back with actor Paul Rudd. He
stars in the new comic independent film "The Ten." He produced it with Ken
Marino and David Wain, who also wrote the film. Marino and Wain co-founded
the sketch comedy group The State. Paul Rudd also co-starred in "Anchorman,"
"The 40-Year-Old Virgin," and this summer's hit "Knocked Up." He first became
known for his role in the 1995 film "Clueless."

Let's play another scene from one of your films, and this is from "Anchorman"
with Will Ferrell playing the local San Diego star anchorman, and in this
scene, he's decided he's in love and he's shouting it to three members of his
news team, including you and Steve Carell.

(Soundbite of "Anchorman")

Mr. WILL FERRELL: (As Ron Burgundy) Veronica Corningstone and I had sex and
now we are in love! Did I say that loud?

Mr. RUDD: (As Brian Fantana) Yeah, you pretty much yelled it.

Mr. FERRELL: (As Ron Burgundy) Well, I can't help it. It's fantastic!

Mr. STEVE CARELL: (As Brick Tamland) What's it like, Ron?

Mr. FERRELL: (As Ron Burgundy) The intimate times? Out of sight, my man!

Mr. RUDD: (As Brian Fantana) No. The other thing. Love.

Mr. CARELLL: (As Brick Tamland) Yeah. What is that?

Mr. FERRELL: (As Ron Burgundy) Well, it's tough to explain.

Mr. RUDD: (As Brian Fantana) I think I was in love once.

Mr. FERRELL: (As Ron Burgundy) Really? What was her name?

Mr. RUDD: (As Brian Fantana) I don't remember.

Mr. FERRELL: (As Ron Burgundy) That's not a good start, but keep going.

Mr. RUDD: (As Brian Fantana) She was Brazilian or Chinese or something
weird. I met her in the bathroom of a K-Mart and we made out for hours, and
then we parted ways, never to see each other again.

Mr. FERRELL: (As Ron Burgundy) I'm pretty sure that's not love.

Mr. RUDD: (As Brian Fantana) Damn it!

Mr. CARELL: (As Brick Tamland) I love--carpet. I love--desk.

Mr. FERRELL: (As Ron Burgundy) Brick, are you just looking at things in the
office and saying that you love them?

Mr. CARELL: (As Brick Tamland) I love lamp.

Mr. FERRELL: (As Ron Burgundy) Do you really love the lamp? Or are you just
saying it because you saw it?

Mr. CARELL: (As Brick Tamland) I love lamp!

Mr. FERRELL: (As Ron Burgundy) You really want to know what love is?

Mr. CARELL: (As Brick Tamland) Yeah.

Mr. RUDD: (As Brian Fantana) Yes! Tell us!

Mr. CARELL: (As Brick Tamland) More than anything in the world, Ron.

Mr. FERRELL: (As Ron Burgundy) Well, it's really quite simple. It's kind of
like...

(Singing) Gonna find my baby
Gonna holder her tight
Gonna grab some afternoon delight
My motto's always been when it's right, it's right
While wait until the middle of a cold dark night

Mr. FERRELL and Mr. CARELL and Mr. RUDD: (Singing in unison as Ron, Brick
and Brian) When everything's a little nearer in the light of day
And we know the night is always gonna be here anyway
Thinking of you's working up my appetite
Looking forward to a little afternoon delight
Rubbing sticks and stones together make the sparks ignite
And the thought of loving you is getting so exciting
Sky rockets in flight

Mr. RUDD: (As Brian Fantana) Beeeeeooooo!

Mr. FERRELL and Mr. RUDD and Mr. CARELL: (Singing in unison as Ron, Brian
and Brick) Afternoon delight.

Mr. RUDD: (As Brian Fantana) Whooooop!

Mr. FERRELL: (As Ron Burgundy) You got that?

(End of soundbite)

GROSS: That's from a scene from "Anchorman," and my guest is Paul Rudd. I
love that whole scene.

Mr. RUDD: Oh yeah. I was just sitting here listening to it laughing
because, you know, there's another example of--also of why these films are fun
to work on, Adam McKay's movies and Judd's, and that is there's an element of
creative fulfillment that doesn't normally happen on movies. That scene is an
example. You know, a lot of that is improvised. Carell going around naming
things was just off the top of his head, so we never really know what the
other person is going to say.

But about a week before we shot that scene, Steve and I were sitting at the
news desk while they were setting up some lights, and I had listened--I was
listening to a '70s music compilation CD and "Afternoon Delight" was one of
the songs on it and, you know, we were talking and said, `We should learn
"Afternoon Delight" because it's four-part harmony.' And we thought that if we
ever had to promote the film, like on one of the talk shows or something, it
would be funny to sing it, and we mentioned that to Adam McKay, who said,
`Absolutely. Learn it. That would be really funny.' And so a friend of mine
named Craig Wedren, who actually did the music for "The Ten," was in town and
he came by the set and he just kind of taught us our parts, our harmony parts,
and it was forgotten about. And about a week later we were getting ready to
shoot that scene and Adam McKay said, `Hey, why don't you guys sing "Afternoon
Delight" in this scene? It would work.' It was never really planned. It
wasn't in the script or anything, and we hadn't worked on it, so we just said,
`Mm. OK.' So we took about 20 minutes and went to the side and worked on it
and then we shot the scene and then there it is.

GROSS: That's such a great story. Now, did you remember "Afternoon Delight"
from the '70s or were you just catching up on it?

Mr. RUDD: No, I did remember it. My parents loved that song. My mom, in
particular. It was actually only my mom loved it. My father was too busy
listening to military marches, so he was never kind of hip to what was, you
know, popular on the radio, but the Starland Vocal Band eight-track was, you
know, played quite a bit in my house growing up.

GROSS: And did you like the song at the time, or did it seem silly to you?

Mr. RUDD: I didn't know what it was about.

GROSS: Oh, oh.

Mr. RUDD: I thought it was about fireworks because there was "sky rockets in
flight," and until I really listened to the lyrics I never really kind of
figured--I think I was in my 20s when all of a sudden, I was like, `Wait a
minute. Oh my goodness. I know what that song's about.' But...

GROSS: Another song secretly about sex.

Mr. RUDD: But I remembered thinking the voices were pretty. Before I
understood harmonies and things like that, I remember thinking, `I like the
way they sing.'

GROSS: I read an article about you that made it seem like you go to karaoke
bars and sing a lot.

Mr. RUDD: Again, something I don't admit proudly. But I have, I'd say, in
the last couple of years, gone to karaoke more than I should. I don't do it,
you know, like once a week or anything, but, you know, Ken Marino and a lot of
these guys, like we've just kind of discovered karaoke and there are these
places where you can rent a private room. So we usually get a group of people
and we 'roke. We do it enough that we actually call it 'roking, which is also
awful that you would say that.

GROSS: What are your favorite records to karaoke to, or to 'roke to?

Mr. RUDD: To 'roke? What are some 'roking staples? You know, it started
off where "Wichita Lineman" was one that I would do.

GROSS: That's got a real high note in it, you know?

Mr. RUDD: Yeah, yeah. It does. And I think that--you know, when I hit it,
there's a real pride--I feel real pride in that--when I do. But the thing is
is that I started, you know, 'roking with a lot of the same people, so no one
wants to hear that "Wichita Lineman", which is a fantastic song, but you know,
you don't want to hear the same people singing the same song, so we all try to
mix it up. So I was in a big "Kiss and Say Goodbye," The Manhattans. I was
on a kick of that for a while. What else was I doing? "Guitar Town" by Steve
Earle. When I see that in a book, I usually punch in that number.

GROSS: Now, I've got another question for you about "Anchorman." There's a
rumble scene, a very funny rumble scene in "Anchorman" where all the local
news teams are rumbling, and it starts off with, you know, switchblades and
chains and then it ends up--the scene ends up being a parody of, like, Western
fight scenes and barbarian battle scenes and...

Mr. RUDD: Right.

GROSS: It's really a scream. Now, you know, there's always like the chaos of
war even when you're shooting a war scene. Is there a comedic chaos of
comedic war? I mean, like, what was it like to shoot that scene?

Mr. RUDD: That was one of the hardest sequences to shoot. It was outside
and it was really hot and there were a lot of people. So just the, you know,
the choreography of it all and the stunts. I mean, there was a guy on fire,
you know. Dave Koechner threw a guy through a car window. There was the
whole thing with Tim Robbins cutting off Luke Wilson's arm. So there was a
lot of makeup and things like that involved, so it was time-consuming and it
took a few days to shoot that sequence. So it was kind of the biggest thing
in the movie to shoot, and it's hard, you know, when it...

We shot it in the summer, the entire film, and it happened to be a
particularly hot summer. There was a kind of heat wave going through
California and I remember thinking--I remember it being 100 degrees or so many
days. And we were all in period clothing. I mean, we were in like, you know,
these three-piece suits. They were wool or polyester, and it was pretty
uncomfortable and so, you know, when you get about 60 guys dressed up in that
kind of stuff in 100-degree weather and trying to fight each other, it can get
a little trying. To me, anyway.

GROSS: My guest is Paul Rudd. He stars in the new independent film "The
Ten." His other films include "Knocked Up," "Anchorman" and "The 40-Year-Old
Virgin. We'll talk more after a break. This is FRESH AIR.

(Announcements)

GROSS: My guest is actor Paul Rudd, and his new movie is called "The Ten."
Your parents were British. You grew up in New Jersey and then--I mean, you
were born in Passaic, New Jersey, and then grew up in Kansas.

Mr. RUDD: Right.

GROSS: Why did the family move to Kansas?

Mr. RUDD: My dad used to work with TWA, and TWA's hub was in Kansas City.
Yeah. They're both from London, and I was born in New Jersey, and we moved
around a lot because he just kept getting transferred. He was a sales
manager. And so, you know, I lived in New York, and I moved to Kansas for a
year when I was about five or six, and then I moved to California for a few
years, and then we moved back to Kansas, and TWA moved their hub to St.
Louis, and we were in Kansas for the second time for about a year, and he was
just tired of moving so he quit, and we stayed.

GROSS: Your parents were British. Did they seem very different than your
friends' parents?

Mr. RUDD: They did. Yeah, they did. And the one thing that I remember,
too, was that I would talk to kids in school and I'd say, `Where were you
born?' and they would say, `Here in Kansas,' and that was a really strange
concept to me, that you actually lived in the place that you were born. And
then I'd say, `Well, where are your parents from?' And they said, `Here.
They're from Kansas.' And I couldn't wrap my brain around that. You know, my
parents were European. Also, you know, I wasn't--not that I'm religious in
any way, but growing up Jewish in an area that wasn't particularly Jewish in a
school where there weren't like a lot of Jewish kids, I did feel a little
different.

GROSS: How do you think moving around so much affected your speech? Like, I
don't hear--I don't think I hear an accent when you speak, a regional accent.

Mr. RUDD: Well, I think it's pretty neutral. Actually, in Kansas City, I
think most of my friends have somewhat of a neutral dialect. It isn't
like--you know, if you go further south and get into Oklahoma, there are
certain twangs that you hear in certainly the South and things like that, but
yeah. I became kind of--I think it just became a little generic from moving
to different places. And then, as kid, when I was learning to speak, my mom
says that I got very mixed up, and I would, you know, say like I needed to
take a bath but I wanted to eat a "ba-nah-na." You know, because my mom still
has her accent.

GROSS: Right.

Mr. RUDD: So it was a little confusing, but I guess at the end of the day
it's just kind of come out like this now.

GROSS: Now, you said that, you know, growing up in Kansas City there weren't
a lot of Jewish kids there, but you did, early in your career, work as a
deejay for bar mitzvahs. I assume this was in Kansas?

Mr. RUDD: No...

GROSS: Oh.

Mr. RUDD: Actually, this was in California. And actually Kansas City has a
sizable Jewish population. There's Jewish populations everywhere, but it just
happened to be in my school that...

GROSS: Mm-hmm.

Mr. RUDD: ...you know, I was teased and things like that because there
weren't a lot of Jewish kids in my school. But as far as deejaying bar
mitzvah and bat mitzvah receptions, that happened when I was in California.
And I'd left college and I was in acting school and I worked on weekends, and
I worked for this company and did different parties. But most of them, you
know, they were weddings or birthday parties, things like that, but I would
say the majority of the things that I did were bar mitzvahs. Yeah.

GROSS: What were your favorite themes at themed bar mitzvahs?

Mr. RUDD: I had no favorite themes. It was a tough gig. You know,
sometimes you would have two a day and--that was another thing that was
strange to me. In Los Angeles, you know, people would spend hundreds of
thousands of dollars on a bar mitzvah, and they would have themes. You know,
like the Lakers or you know, the "Indiana Jones" theme, and then I think back
to my bar mitzvah which was, you know, like I went back to my grandmother's
house and she made kugel. That was about it. The theme at my bar mitzvah was
back pain. That was it. Everybody, you know, it was just like a bunch of
old...(unintelligible)...walking around handing out envelopes. But it was
such a production. It really startled me to see all of these kids growing up
so quickly and the money that was spent on these parties. It was more than
weddings.

GROSS: Almost like super sweet 16, right?

Mr. RUDD: Yeah, which is another thing, like when did that happen? That you
would spend all much money on a sweet 16 party? That just seems...

GROSS: So what were your favorite records to play at bar mitzvahs?

Mr. RUDD: Well, you know, my favorite records to play were not really the
records that I could play. There's a trick when you're building a set for a
bar mitzvah. You know, you have to really try and cover your bases, because
you have a lot of kids that want to hear what's popular at the time, but then
you also have a lot of grandparents that would like to hear what was popular
during, you know, their time. So Glen Miller would get everybody out on the
floor, but then eventually, you know, "Can't Touch This" would come on, and
the kids would go crazy, and all of the older set would leave the floor. So,
you know, "Can't Touch This" was really popular at the time. Right Said Fred,
the "I'm Too Sexy for My Shirt" was a real favorite for a summer.

GROSS: When strangers meet you on the street and they recognize you, what do
they say?

Mr. RUDD: They usually say, `You know how I know you're gay?' That would be
the first thing, from "40-Year-Old Virgin." And then, they'll sometimes say,
`How's Phoebe?' because I would get some "Friends"--like, when I did some
episodes of "Friends" and I dated Phoebe. I guess I married Phoebe. They'll
sometimes ask me that. Or they'll sometimes say, `How's Alicia Silverstone?'

GROSS: From "Clueless"?

Mr. RUDD: It has to be one of those three things, yeah.

GROSS: Well, Paul Rudd, it's been great to talk with you. I want to thank
you a lot.

Mr. RUDD: Thank you very much. I've had a nice time.

GROSS: Paul Rudd stars in the new comic independent film "The Ten."

On Thursday we plan to feature an interview with Pegi Young. She's done
back-up vocals for her husband Neil Young. Now she's up front in her first
solo album. Here's a track from it. It's a song she wrote called "Fake."

(Soundbite of "Fake")

Ms. PEGI YOUNG: (Singing) Were I to leave you
Would you miss me?
Come and kiss me
Then let me go
It's only heartache, I know
We go so fast
Now go so slow

Can I be here
And not leave here
With a pocketful of blues?
It's only that I'm feeling used up
It's only that I'm feeling used

I can fake it, but
Can we make it?
Can you take it if I leave?
I wonder
Do you believe in me?
I wonder
Do you believe in me at all?

I'm so....

(End of soundbite)

GROSS: Coming up, Milo Miles reviews new instrumental albums by two groups,
one led by John Hollenbeck, the other by Fred Frith. This is FRESH AIR.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Review: Milo Miles looks at instrumental albums that don't belong
to a particular school of music
TERRY GROSS, host:

Critic Milo Miles has a review of a pair of what he considers rarities:
instrumental albums that don't believe to a clear school or style of music.
But in the case of the band Massacre and The Claudia Quintet, Milo says that's
a good thing.

MILO MILES reporting:

Usually I'm put off by instrumental albums when I can't quite decide what type
of music is being played. Either the performers lack personality or, by doing
a little bit of this and a little bit of that, they're trying to be all things
to all listeners. On occasion, though, an elusive style is not a muddle but a
harmonious, unfathomable fusion.

Such is the case with The Claudia Quintet, led by drummer and composer John
Hollenbeck, and the group Massacre, led by guitarist and composer Fred Frith.
The Claudia Quintet's new album is its fourth and it's called "For," but
because all the tracks are dedications, that's "F-O-R." On the surface
Hollenbeck could be considered a jazz man because of his long-time association
with Bob Brookmeyer's big band and others. Certainly Chris Speed, who plays
tenor sax and clarinet in The Claudia Quintet, is a celebrated jazz blower.
But the Claudia Quartet is liable to be filed in the alternative rock section
in stores. Hollenbeck and Speed, as well as accordianist Ted Reichman and
vibraphonist Matt Moran are played in world music ensembles with Balkan,
Middle Eastern, and Brazilian touches. Finally, bassist Drew Gress has
released solo albums of sounds as unclassifiable as The Claudia Quintet's.
It's the quicksilver texture changes of Hollenbeck's tunes and the
ever-shifting focus on lead instruments that pull the Quintet's sound into a
coherent conversation.

(Soundbite of music)

MILES: The Claudia Quintet's numbers may seem tidy, but they produce a
sensation of freely flowing sounds and ideas. "For" is one of those albums
you slip on at a gathering, and somebody's bound to be captivated and ask,
`Who is that?'

On the other hand, Massacre gets attention like a sledgehammer. Fred Frith
formed the band way back in 1979 as a thinking musician's power-rock trio,
which meant dissonance and zigzag tune structures. The group disbanded
quickly but reformed in 1998 with Frith, original bassist Bill Laswell and new
drummer Charles Hayward. With a new live set "Lonely Heart," Massacre finally
gets the muscle to equal with the brains. The group's fascinating
simultaneous soloing interaction stand out in this quiet passage of this
nearly-20-minute number "Sin."

(Soundbite of "Sin")

MILES: If Massacre presents a coherent conversation, it's not the shouting
match you might expect, but rather like declamations or recitations. There's
another track on "Lonely Heart" that's more than 18 minutes.

Fred Frith is a masterful declaimer, though--restless, churning phrases and
shifting moods with a grand veteran's confidence. One of the shows here was
at a European festival opening for Metallica. One hopes some fans weren't
expecting a death metal band also called Massacre, but they obviously warmed
up to these old art hippy renegades. Love of racket unites the generations.

(Soundbite of music)

(Soundbite of cheering and applause)

MILES: What secretly delights the metal crowd is control at the core of
apparent chaos. Nothing better than a band like Massacre, who can seem to be
head down, charging, really tearing up the pea patch and suddenly snap into
precise silence, masters of their madness--even if you can't quite give the
madness a label.

GROSS: The Claudia Quintet's "For" is on the Cuneiform label. Massacre's
"Lonely Heart" is on the Tzadik label.

(Credits)

GROSS: I'm Terry Gross.
Transcripts are created on a rush deadline, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of Fresh Air interviews and reviews are the audio recordings of each segment.