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Hollywood actor Paul Rudd has revealed a surprising detail from his early career, admitting that one of his first managers fabricated his CV by claiming he had been directed by Sir Ben Kingsley.
The Ant-Man star, 56, shared the anecdote during an appearance on The Graham Norton Show.
Rudd explained that, having “no credits to put” on his CV at the time, he had included a brief “afternoon masterclass” he once attended with the Oscar-winning Sir Ben Kingsley while still in school. His manager, however, embellished this experience significantly.
“My manager put this down as, ‘Paul played Hamlet in a production directed by Sir Ben Kingsley’,” Rudd recounted.
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Paul Rudd says he ‘lived in fear’ that Kinglsey would one day see his CV (PA Archive)
“I lived in fear that he would one day see my CV!” Both Rudd and Sir Ben, 81, are now part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with the Gandhi star known for his role as Trevor Slattery in films such as Iron Man 3 and Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings.
Rudd, celebrated for roles in Clueless and This Is 40, is currently promoting a new film alongside Jack Black. The upcoming project sees the pair star in a meta-comedy about a group of friends attempting to film an amateur remake of the 1997 cult classic, Anaconda.
Speaking about the film, Rudd said: “Jack and I are both huge fans of Tom Gormican’s The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent and when this script showed up, it seemed to have similar DNA in that it was a clever meta comedy take on a reboot. I was very excited to work on it, particularly when I found out Jack was involved.”
Black, 56, echoed Rudd’s enthusiasm, adding: “It is really very funny and crazy. I had never read anything like it. I was mainly excited to work with Paul because he makes me laugh so much. I made sure he was definitely attached to the film before I signed anything.”
He continued: “When I read a script, I need at least three ‘worth the price of admission’ moments and this definitely has some powerful scenes.”
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Sir Ben Kingsley in ‘Iron Man 3’ (Marvel/Disney)
Also joining Norton on the sofa this week are Hamnet star Jessie Buckley and comedian Michelle de Swarte.
Buckley shared an emotional experience watching her new film, which explores William Shakespeare’s marriage to his wife, Agnes, and the profound grief following the death of their young son. “There have been some beautiful moments in putting it out into the world,” she said. “I watched it first when I was eight months pregnant and I was not OK. It was so embarrassing to cry at my own film, but it was so beautiful.”
Musical guest Tom Odell will perform “When I Close My Eyes” from his album, A Wonderful Life (Epilogue), live in the studio before joining the guests for a chat.
The Graham Norton Show airs on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday at 10:40pm.
