Before becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars, Paul Rudd was spending his weekends DJing bat mitzvahs, weddings and birthday parties.
The actor recently looked back on his early side hustle while appearing at an advanced screening of his upcoming film Power Ballad at 92NY in New York City.
“I was in school. I could work on the weekends — Bat mitzvahs and weddings and birthdays,” Rudd shared. “I did that for about a year.”
According to the actor, he quickly learned which songs could get different generations onto the dance floor.
“If I wanted the kids to get out there, I knew that ‘Can’t Touch This’ by MC Hammer was a big one,” he said with a laugh.
“But if I wanted the grandparents to dance — Glenn Miller. Swear to God.”
Rudd has often spoken about working odd jobs while trying to establish himself as an actor in the early 1990s. Even after landing a Nintendo commercial in 1991, he said fame didn’t happen overnight.
“I didn’t really feel so famous,” Rudd previously recalled while reflecting on his early acting career. “I was a working actor and I still had a regular job.”
It wasn’t until his breakout role in Clueless that people started recognizing him in public.