Paul Rudd traveled with his family during his early years because of his father's airline job. he attended the Shawnee Mission West High School in Overland Park, Kansas, and then enrolled in the University of Kansas in Lawrence, majoring in theater. He graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts/West in Los Angeles and participated in a three-month intensive workshop under the guidance of Michael Kahn at the British Drama Academy at Oxford University in England. Rudd helped to produce the Globe Theater's production of Howard Brenton's "Bloody Poetry", which starred Rudd as Percy Bysshe Shelley.


1998: Began filming on a movie called "Chicken Blood and Other Tales," but production was canceled before it wrapped. Was classmates with Matthew Lillard at American Academy of Dramatic Arts. 2/23/03: Married his girlfriend, Julie Yaeger in upstate New York. They live in Manhattan. As of 2009, they have been together for 14 years. Attended the University of Kansas. His parents were Jewish immigrants from England. Original family surname, "Rudnitzky," was shortened by his grandfather. Has a son with wife Julie Yaeger named Jack Rudd (b. 2006). Kansas City Chiefs fan. He spray painted his name on Shawnee Mission West High School's stage wall. Another ex-Shawnee Mission West student was Jason Sudeikis. As part of a running gag during his appearances on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" (1993), Rudd often brought a clip from the film Mac and Me (1988) where the wheelchair-bound Eric (Jade Calegory) flies off a cliff while Mac watches on, instead of showing clips from the actual movie he is there to promote. The only exception was when he came to promote Knocked Up (2007). Judd Apatow showed up specifically to make sure Rudd wouldn't do it.