The 25 best Paul Rudd roles

David Wain’s “Wainy Days” had a lot of celebrity guest stars — and the in-show version of Wain was basically a ladies man who dated a lot of said guest stars — but in Episode 16 (“The Pickup”), Rudd played a “Master Seducer” (a pickup artist) named Alias, as Wain suddenly needed help picking up ladies. And he had it all: the top hat, the bandana, the hideous necklace, the soul patch and chinstrap, the guyliner, the negging (“Great hair. It looks silky as shit. Is it real?”). Alias was pretty much if Andy from “Wet Hot American Summer”—and yes, Andy from "Wet Hot American Summer" will be featured here — grew up to be a pick-up artist. He was already halfway there, honestly.

One of the most impressive things about the "Friends 10-season run is how well Paul Rudd’s Mike “Crap Bag” Hannigan integrated into the cast — coming in during the penultimate season — especially more than any other love interest. There’s a reason why he was the only guest star who actually ended up with a series regular, after all. Because he was Paul Rudd. (Sorry, Hank Azaria.)

Ah yes, perhaps the most formative Paul Rudd role. It definitely defined a generation that is currently making galleries about Paul Rudd’s best roles. Josh was so charming — but in an accessible, dorky college student way — that he made all of us feel OK with him ending up with his ex-stepsister.

First of all: Justice for “Clueless” the series! Seriously, the spinoff show holds up really well —especially the second and third UPN seasons — with the only things to really struggle with being the fact that Rachel Blanchard has more range than Alicia Silverstone (despite Alicia’s Cher Horowitz, of course, being the more iconic version) and Stacey Dash being genuinely great with the larger role (as current day Stacey Dash has made all Dionne-based appreciation stressful). In the ninth episode of the series (“I Got You Babe,” written and directed by “Clueless” mastermind Amy Heckerling), however, Paul Rudd literally played the Sonny to Blanchard’s Cher, a college boy who was absolutely perfect for Cher until he learned she was in high school. The series left the door open for Sonny and Cher to get back together when she was, you know, of age, but unfortunately it never went back to that pairing.

In the third season of “Veronica Mars,” episode “Debasement Tapes” (hehe, get it?), Rudd plays washed-up indie rock star Desmond Fellows. This was the result of years of “Veronica Mars” writers/producers John Enbom and Dan Etheridge trying to get the busy Rudd on the show, as he’d originally been up for the role of Vinnie Van Lowe (which his buddy Ken Marino obviously got instead). Rudd’s Fellows is one of the few bits of absolute, pure unmitigated joy in Season 3, and “Debasement Tapes” is easily the season’s most rewatchable episode, unless you’re so anti-Piz you just can’t handle it. This is also not the last time Rudd teamed with “Veronica Mars” creator Rob Thomas, as they worked together as co-creators of “Party Down” (which he surprisingly never appeared on) and as the voice of Rudd on “iZombie” (just last year).

Few people could make the concept of cleaning up a mess as funny as Paul Rudd does in the original “Wet Hot American Summer” movie. Fewer people could pull off the line, “You taste like a burger. I don’t like you anymore.” Really, if we’re being honest with ourselves, Rudd is the only person who can do it.

Despite being partially responsible for Rob Corddry’s “Childrens Hospital,” “The Ten” (written by David Wain and Ken Marino) is not a beloved movie. But Paul Rudd’s role as Jeff, the presenter of the 10 stories (all based on the 10 Commandments, by the way) is objectively delightful in how absolutely awkward he is. (“Ten is. Tennis. Tennis, anyone? It's like I can't even reserve a court unless it's a holiday weekend,” is probably one of the most David Wain lines ever that was not actually recited by David Wain.)

Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston have worked together a number of times — not just on “Friends,” where their characters barely interacted — and this was the first time. This 1998 romcom starred Aniston as Nina, a woman who becomes best friends and falls in love with Rudd’s George…who is gay. In a “Will & Grace” type of way, the story is about a duo so co-dependent that the question becomes one of whether they should end up together. And Rudd and Aniston have such great chemistry you question whether it’s right or wrong to want them together. This is certainly one of Rudd’s more earnest roles, and it’s a testament to his acting ability that he does have the range to pull off this type of character.

“Tell me about it. … You can say that again.” Now from the most earnest romcom leading man to the most ironic is Rudd in David Wain and Michael Showalter’s “They Came Together.” Paired with Amy Poehler in this send-up of the genre, “They Came Together” is absolute absurdity from beginning to end. I mean, just look at the title. And as Rudd is a professional, he sells it just as well as he does George in “The Object of My Affection.”

“David, what do you suggest we play?” Seriously, this could have been Rudd’s only scene in the movie, and it still would have been worth it.

On the one hand, promoting an Emile Hirsch movie sucks. On the other hand, it’s a great movie, and it’s so fundamentally different from other things Rudd is known for. It’s not necessarily mumblecore, but it’s a low-key, understated film and role that is unlike anything else here.

You know how “Veep” — while still extremely funny — became sort of irrelevant because of how real politics transformed? In a sense, that’s the case for the Bobby Newport character from “Parks and Recreation.” But at least, in this case, one is still able to appreciate this absolute buffoonery because of how ultimately good-natured Newport is. He’s still a privileged idiot, but Rudd makes it so you can at least appreciate and understand the appeal.

There are four “The Greatest Event in Television History” specials, with Rudd in the first (as himself…as a director) and the last (as himself…as one-half of the “Bosom Buddies” duo with Adam Scott). In the former, Rudd was inspired by Gus Van Sant’s “Psycho” shot-for-shot remake, and he managed to say so with a straight face. In the latter, he immersed himself with ‘80s culture and compared himself to Daniel Day-Lewis. Yes, to all of this.

Brian Fantana is a disgusting human being, and just the thought of Sex Panther is enough to make anyone dry heave (even though, “60 percent of the time, it works every time.”) But that’s what makes it a top Paul Rudd role: Sure, he rocks the ‘70s look beautifully, but then he opens his mouth.

“I Love You, Man” is a pretty great comedy about adult male friendship, but the awkwardness of Rudd’s Peter Klaven is the key to this film. Well, that and the musical power of Rush. But both of those things ultimately lead to lines like “Laters on the menjay.” and “Slappin’ da bass!” so there you go.

Not only does Rudd star in this film as Danny, alongside Seann William Scott’s Wheeler, but he also co-wrote it with Timothy Dowling (“This Means War,” “Pixels”) and two of his previously mentioned (many times) buddies, David Wain and Ken Marino. If you’re a fan of the dry, charming asshole style of character, look no further than Rudd’s Danny, who wormed his way into all of our hearts with his coffee size (and general colloquialism) rant.

And now we go from Elizabeth Banks as Paul Rudd’s love interest to Elizabeth Banks as one of Rudd’s sister, with Rashida Jones — who played his love interest in “I Love You, Man”— as another one of his sisters’ (Zooey Deschanel) love interest. Interesting. But while Rudd has played slackers and dummies before, there’s a marked difference between those roles and Ned here. One of his best performances ever.

Amy Heckerling isn’t just responsible for Rudd as Josh in “Clueless” and Rudd as Sonny in “Clueless” (the series): She’s also responsible for his role as the leading man alongside Michelle freakin’ Pfeiffer in the  2007 romcom “I Could Never Be Your Woman.” (Yes, the title is taken from the White Town song “Your Woman.” Yes, the movie is great.) This is the real reason why “Ant-Man and the Wasp” was so heavily anticipated. It was the Rudd/Pfeiffer reunion everyone wished for.

Fun fact: If you look up the dictionary definition of the word “goober,” a picture of Paul Rudd as Paris in that astronaut costume in “Romeo + Juliet” appears.

As great as Paul Rudd is, few people could have honestly said they saw him eventually playing a superhero. Maybe they could have seen him as Shazam — and honestly, that would have been awesome — but again, Rudd is a goober. Now he’s a Marvel superhero, and while the "Ant-Man" movies aren’t the top of the MCU, that’s still frickin' awesome.

Another Rudd and Aniston team-up, as well as another Wain and Marino film, ”Wanderlust” is definitely not as earnest as “The Object of My Affection” or as beloved as “Friends." But it is a solid comedic feature for the duo. One day, a list of Rudd’s best roles will be able to be filled with just Rudd/Aniston projects. One day.

“Oh, the weather outside is weather…” Surf bro Paul Rudd has a relatively small role in this movie, but he steals every scene he’s in with his asides and faux platitudes.

Look, Tayne is just here to enter-TAYNE you, OK?

It’s an uncredited Paul Rudd role, but still, it’s a Paul Rudd role. “Don’t you agree, John Lennon?”

In this particular case, the role is as a Paul Rudd who just doesn’t know how to properly promote his projects. Or perhaps, he knows better than any how to promote them. If you don’t know what any of this means, please watch this video. (You don’t have to watch the 1988 movie “Mac & Me.")