Paul Rudd remembers the painful lesson his late father taught him

• Paul Rudd showed up unaccompanied to his news cover shot on a dismal day in January, 30 minutes early.
• Especially following the 2008 cancer death of his father, Michael.
• Rudd’s father talked to his son about his conception of religion. “

Paul Rudd showed up unaccompanied to his news cover shot on a dismal day in January, 30 minutes early. Even for a Hollywood superstar, let alone one who was awarded the Sexiest Man Alive in 2021, that was unusual conduct. But for Rudd, it’s nothing new.

The 53-year-old actor says in this week’s cover story that he and his father “would chat about this idea.” “Everything will be better if you are kind and polite to other people and treat them the way you would want to be treated.”

Rudd, who plays the title character in the next Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania film from Marvel, has fully embraced this lesson. Especially following the 2008 cancer death of his father, Michael.

“I had a good relationship with my dad, we always got on and talked. But we didn’t have, like, the real heart-to-hearts. We didn’t really have that,” recalls the actor, who grew up in Kansas City. “But I do remember one time where we really did have a great, interesting conversation, and I was asking him just about his thoughts on life.”

According to Rudd, it was a time “when life was fairly harsh.” We started talking about religion and spirituality because we weren’t a particularly religious family and were having a bit of a hard time as victims of the economy and other things.

Rudd’s father talked to his son about his conception of religion. “”I do believe that you should treat people as you would like to be treated,” he continues. And if I do that, I hope it takes care of everything for me if there is anything else [beyond this life] “says the actor. “Since you’re only going to be here for a little while, try to do something that makes the world a little bit better for someone else while you’re here instead of just getting all you can from it.”

Rudd was left with a lasting impression of the conversation. Adds he, “I firmly believe that, and I probably did so earlier as well. But you know, I think about it now. A significant occasion to share with my father.”

When it comes to being a husband to his wife Julie and father to their children Jack, 18, and Darby, 13, Rudd also recognizes his father in himself.

“It’s how similar I am in many ways to my dad,” he says. “I identify myself as part of a collective more than I did because I feel like a husband and a father when I think about myself. And I feel like I’ve learned a lot. People say, ‘Oh, you know, I still feel 20.’ I don’t feel 20 at all, or in my 20s. I feel my age … in a good way.”

Rudd is certain of what he would say if he could speak to his father. “I would revisit that discussion. What follows, then? Existence of God? After you pass away, is it very awesome and can you travel wherever you want? And can you, like, peek around the ocean’s bottom and be everywhere and check in on us from the furthest reaches of space?”

“When you died, did you float above and see everything down? And did you just feel all of your dead relatives coming around? And if so, how far back did that go? Did you stop at the grandparents or did you have great-great-grandparents that you never knew that were like, ‘Mike, finally. Great to see you.’ Wait till you see what this whole thing’s about. Get ready for your mind to be blown.’ ”

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