Paul Rudd, Nicks talk about ‘Clueless’ reunion and ‘Avengers: Doomsday’

The Universe Was Trying to Send Paul Rudd a Message: Get Out of Los Angeles

First there was an earthquake, then a robbery, followed by five car accidents in one week. It was the mid-’90s, not long after Clueless had been released, and Rudd was already thinking about moving to the Big Apple to do theater. This series of unfortunate events and a chance encounter with actor Tom Hulse sealed it. Rudd moved to New York City, made her Broadway debut in 1997’s “The Last Night of Ballyhoo,” and never looked back.

So it’s no surprise that his latest film, Rain Reign, will premiere at the 25th Tribeca Festival. The film marks Rudd and Jeremy Sisto’s “Clueless” reunion, this time about a battle over the best way to raise a child and the affections of the most popular girl in school, as well as the first collaboration between Rudd and his wife Julie, who produced the film.

Directed by Erica Burke Rossa, “Reign” centers on Rose (a standout newcomer Felice Cacaretris), a neurodivergent 12-year-old living in a small town. Despite her kindness and warmth, Rose struggles to make friends and adjust to middle school life. To make matters worse, her single father (Systo) is away from home alone most nights, drowning his sorrows at a local watering hole. When her beloved dog Rain goes missing, Rose embarks on a journey to find him with her amiable uncle (Rudd).

Below, Variety speaks with the seemingly ageless actor about everything from the Knicks’ historic run in the NBA Finals to reuniting the gang for Avengers: Doomsday, which will be released later this year.

I’ve seen you at a Knicks game before, so I guess you’re a fan.

oh yeah.

What do you think about the current performance of the Knicks?

It’s very exciting. Think you’re a Knicks fan?

oh yeah.

That’s amazing. Obviously, their performance was incredible, the point difference and the way they played so dominant. It’s very exciting for them to make it to the finals. I’ve always wondered for decades that if the Knicks really won it all, this place would be in an uproar. And while New York will be excited in a different way than it was with the Yankees and Giants — it’ll be just as exciting against the Mets and Jets — there’s something about the Knicks and New York City that makes me really want that to happen.

Of course, “Rain Reign” will premiere here at the Tribeca Festival in New York City. What do you like most about living in New York City?

Well, it’s the greatest city in the world. I mean, God, if you know, you know, right? I’m a big fan of New York City history. Whenever a documentary about New York or a book about New York history comes out, I’ll definitely read it. When the Ken Burns documentary came out, I voraciously watched it. I just finished reading a book about the Brooklyn Bridge. The city itself puts us all in the right place. The city is bigger than all of us. It’s good to live your life, feel and experience a part of it, but it doesn’t feel bigger than that. This is a place where people from different backgrounds from all over the world come together, do different things, squeeze together and somehow make it work. It creates an energy and attitude that really clicks with me.

I can’t seem to get bagels right even in LA. Apparently it’s water.

know! know. I was born here and I moved around a lot as a kid, so when I came back, it was always the most important thing, so my family would say, “We’re going to a diner now! A real diner!” “I’m going to bring a load of bagels home because you can’t get bagels in Kansas City.” I have very fond memories of the food growing up here and everything about this place. I’ve lived here for more than half my life and I’m still discovering and harvesting it all the time.

So, what attracted you to “Rain Reign”? Apparently his wife produced it.

First and foremost, it was the script. I read it and was really moved. I too thought this should exist in the world. This is the kind of story that makes you feel like there are people out there who you think are really important and relatable and inspirational. I felt like this should have been made and it has a great main character named Rose and a very positive message. It’s very special to be a part of something like this.

Was it especially important to emphasize the humanity of neurodiverse children right now? This country’s head of health (RFK Jr.) believes some pretty crazy things about neurodiverse children and their causes. And “Rain Reign” does a great job of humanizing neurodiverse kids, instead of viewing them as statistics or problems to be solved.

Yeah. I thought there were probably other neurodivergent kids out there for whom this movie was very important to them for that reason. And the character of Rose is someone we should all strive to be like. she is not a victim. She is courageous, strong-willed, loving, bright, and the decisions she makes and the way she chooses to live her life is something we should all emulate.

There’s a great moment where one of her classmates is suffering mentally and she quickly figures it out and takes her out into the hallway to calm her down.

absolutely. And probably after the kids in her class treated her badly. I love that scene. There were many such scenes in the script, which made me emotional.

The world is crazy right now, but how does Paul Rudd relax? I sometimes find myself watching reality TV. That’s because you can completely turn off your brain and give it a rest.

I like watching sports. I play fantasy sports. you know what? I’ve been playing Rummikub a lot lately. Something seems to be in the air right now. Everyone I knew was participating in mahjong tournaments and seemed to want to play mahjong games. So, one day I was nearby and my wife was learning mahjong, and we spent the whole day playing mahjong and kind of got hooked. I thought, “Okay, now I know what’s great about this.” But the problem is that we need four people. So my mom said, “Why don’t you try Rumikubu?” Well, I set these tiles up on my kitchen table… and played with them this morning! I play Rummikub a lot. I like crossword puzzles.

I feel it when you talk about the noise of the world and how bad it is, and I’ve now gotten to the point where I have to wake up in the morning, drink coffee, and do puzzles, it’s not political, it’s a good way to wake up my brain and ease into the chaos swirling outside, as this is the state of the world these days.

As a native of the great state of Missouri, have you ever met West Wilson from “Summer House”? He is a fellow Missouri resident who is currently bringing great shame to your home state.

(Laughs) I’ve never met him, I don’t know anything about him, I’ve never seen the show, but I know very well who you’re talking about. I think I’ve seen the story and seen the picture of that guy wearing Royals gear.

“Clueless” is one of my favorite movies, and “Rain, Rain” reunites me with my “Clueless” co-star Jeremy Sisto. What was it like getting back together with him on this matter, and what do you think of “Clueless” today? Just like The Breakfast Club of the 1980s, it became the definitive youth film of the 90s.

It was a real pleasure working with Jeremy. Jeremy and I didn’t have many scenes together on Clueless, but we were together all the time, so I knew him from then on and we’d seen each other for years. He’s also a New Yorker and I’ve known him for a long time. That was so cool. Because that’s when we started, and now, decades later, we’re here working on a film together. When this happens, there is a unique sense of satisfaction and pride. Oh, there really is history here! I certainly felt that way.

As for Clueless being such a seminal 90s movie, it’s humbling to be a part of something that so many people care about. That whole experience was exciting because it was where it all started for me. I have very fond memories of the people involved and being able to appear in the film. It’s great to be a part of something that has legs and means something to someone, and I don’t take that lightly. Because God knows I’ve participated in many things that didn’t have that effect.

But will the goatee never grow back? Is that a drawback?

(Laughs) Do you understand? I don’t think I’ve even tried to grow a goatee. I remember leading up to “Clueless,” and I know it was in the script, but I had such a crazy beard and long hair, so I thought, if I’m going to have facial hair, I’ve got to at least have some fun with the design. But apparently after “Clueless,” he’s either grown a beard or nothing at all.

I read that you and Jeremy Sisto both auditioned for the role of Jack in Titanic, and that Leonardo DiCaprio told you that you were offered the role in Romeo + Juliet and that you told him to go for it.

I remember him being offered the role and I remember having a conversation with him saying he had just been offered the role. Everyone knew the movie was being made. Of course I didn’t convince the guy to make the film, but I remember talking to him about it. My father was an expert on the Titanic and made a living from it, so I knew a lot about the Titanic and we talked about it. It’s simply funny how you can look back on such moments. It’s very interesting to think that I was sitting in a car talking to Leonardo DiCaprio about Titanic before he signed on to be in it. What a surreal moment to look back and see how it turned out.

You may have shaped the course of history.

no. I think I just had a “Forrest Gump” moment. There I encountered some really interesting moments with some people doing amazing things, and I had a front row seat to see it all happen.

Avengers: Doomsday will be released later this year. You’ve been in this superhero world for over ten years now. What was it like getting the gang back together?

It’s surreal and amazing to be a part of that. I feel like I’ve become friends with a lot of people over the years, and you mentioned how long it’s been, and I think it’s amazing – I’ve been at Marvel for longer than I realized – but I love every time I meet all the actors I’ve worked with on these films several times, and there’s something unique about Marvel: It makes you feel like a kid. There’s something cool about looking around and seeing actors in superhero suits. When you see Chris Hemsworth walking around dressed like Thor, or actually walking around dressed like Thor, you think, “Wow, this is crazy.” You can see how many children would be surprised to see this.