I'll be honest: I've been a fan of Paul Rudd ever since he first appeared in Friends as Mike Hannigan, Phoebe's longest love interest and eventual husband, and in Clueless as Josh Lucas, Cher's ex-stepbrother. Minor roles, sure, but I loved them nonetheless. Then there was Wet Hot American Summer. Before long, Rudd was acting and starring in some of the funniest comedies in recent history: Anchorman, 40-Year-Old-Virgin, Knocked Up, I Love You Man, Forgetting Sarah Marshall.
Beyond all that, Rudd is something of a hometown hero. Having moved to Kansas City when he was ten, Paul remains a regular visitor to the city and a huge Chiefs fan. Hell, he even narrated their season of Hard Knocks on HBO. In interviews, you can sense both his humility and his humor. He's a professional who never makes the mistake of taking himself too seriously. As he once told Nylon, "I hear people talk about 'the craft,' and I just think, 'Oh, you're so full of shit.'"
Also, he's pretty damn good looking. As one Elle writer once wrote, Rudd is "better looking that your neighbor but not so gorgeous that he couldn't play your neighbor in a movie." Plus, we're pretty big proponents of men who are just as comfortable in a week's worth of unshaven scruff and T-shirts as they are in a tailored suit. Paul, of course, is one of these men. He's also a Jayhawk. While that is something that we're willing to overlook, his swagger is something we simply cannot.
*Try not to stare into those eyes for too long, ladies.
