In 1995, a movie debuted that was destined to become an iconic part of the culture. Clueless remains so recognizable that even almost 30 years later, star Alicia Silverstone was able to reprise her role as Cher in a commercial that was shown during the 2023 Super Bowl. Paul Rudd was also, of course, part of the cast of Clueless, as Cher’s ex-step-brother and love interest, Josh. But originally, he thought a different role was a better fit for him.
‘Clueless’ was 1 of Paul Rudd’s first big roles
The popular movie was a modern take on the Jane Austen novel Emma. It was directed by Amy Heckerling, and it featured a very talented cast.
The plot was centered on Cher, a teen from Beverly Hills, whose glib belief that she could achieve whatever she tried could have been simply annoying. But because of her big heart and good intentions, audiences fell in love with her. As did, eventually Josh, portrayed by Rudd.
Clueless is a classic for good reason. Its characters were able to be teens and be funny without becoming the butt of the joke. People loved them, and their sayings and antics are still a rich source of memes today.
As hard as it is to imagine Clueless any other way, when Rudd first read the script, he saw himself in a much different role. He went into the audition with a plan to read for this other character.
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Paul Rudd auditioned for Josh, but he wanted to play Murray
In an interview for GQ, Rudd talked about some of the iconic characters he’s played. Naturally, the subject of his role as Josh in Clueless came up. He said that when he read the script, he thought it sounded smart and that the characters were unique.
He was definitely interested in it, and he was asked to come in and read for Josh. However, he had a different idea. Rudd was mostly focused on comedy, and he wasn’t sure Josh was the right role for him.
“When I went into the audition, I said, you know, this part’s really, there’s nothing really funny about this part,” he explained. He asked if he could try out for a different one, and the producers said he was welcome to read for any part he wanted. “But I said, well, Murray’s really funny. And then they said, ‘Well, actually, that’s an African American part.’”
He agreed that Murray wouldn’t be the right choice for him after all. They again invited him to read for Josh, while Murray went to Donald Faison.
Paul Rudd is now a Marvel superhero
Rudd may have had to accept a less comedic role in the movie, but it definitely didn’t hold him back. He went on to star in a number of huge comedies, including Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Knocked Up. Rudd’s star power only went up from there, eventually landing him a big Marvel payday. His latest film isthe third Ant-Man movie, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
