(Credits: Far Out / Alamy)
Over three decades into his career, Paul Rudd has secured a reputation as one of the most loveable presences in modern cinema. He cemented himself as a teen icon in 1995’s Clueless, became a comedic staple through appearances in Anchorman and The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and even pushed into the world of superhero blockbusters with the Ant-Man series, but his acting excursions are not limited to the world of movies.
Rudd seems just as comfortable on the small screen, where he has continually proven his place as a scene-stealer. Though rarely part of the main cast, Rudd has taken up recurring roles in some of the most beloved sitcoms of all time, as the beloved Mike Hannigan in Friends and the spoiled Bobby Newport in Parks and Recreation.
Always fitting right in amongst established casts, Rudd infuses each performance with his familiar humour and comforting presence. Though Rudd has appeared in two of the most iconic comedy series of all time, there are two shows he wishes he could’ve been a part of. Speaking with Still Watching Netflix, the Clueless star picked out two shows he would have loved to star in – original British sit-com classic The Office and the slightly more obscure and off-kilter Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace.
Following his previous role in another beloved office-based sitcom, it’s no surprise that Rudd wishes he could’ve been a part of The Office. First airing in 2001, the original British version of the show was written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. Set across the other side of the Atlantic to the slightly more well-known Dunder Mifflin, it followed office workers at a paper company in south England.
Though it’s a characteristically British comedy, it certainly would have been interesting to see Rudd utilising his Parks and Rec experience to interact with David Brent. It also seems to make more sense than his surprising second pick – Richard Ayoade and Mathew Holness’ Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace.
The bizarre parody series starred Holness as the titular Garth Marenghi, while the setting flits between a hospital and hell with humourous ease. It’s strange in every sense of the word, from the chaotic editing to the off-putting acting. With just six episodes to its name, the show is fairly unknown even in the UK, garnering only a small cult following, so Rudd’s naming of the series comes as a surprise.
“There’s only six episodes,” he stated, “but it’s so funny and great. I don’t care – I don’t even need to play a character”.
As weird and wonderful as the show already is, perhaps it only would’ve added to the eccentricity if Rudd had shown up as a guest star. Unfortunately, Garth Marenghi and Rudd fans can only imagine how an appearance from the American comedy staple might have added to the series.
