Paul Rudd Named Hasty Pudding’s 2018 Man of the Year

Paul Rudd, a decorated actor, producer, and screenwriter, will be the Hasty Pudding Theatricals 2018 Man of the Year.

Rudd is widely known for his roles in movies like “Ant-Man,” which he starred in and co-wrote. He earned nominations for several awards for his performance in that film, including the Saturn Awards and the MTV Movie Award for Best Hero.

He has also played roles in romance and comedy films including “They Came Together,” “Clueless,” “The 40 Year-Old Virgin,” and “Anchorman 2.” He is also known for his role in the hit ’90s TV show, “Friends,” in which he plays the husband of main character Phoebe Buffay.

Paul Rudd. By Courtesy of Hasty Pudding Theatricals

Hasty Pudding Theatricals will honor Rudd with festivities in Cambridge on Feb. 2. During a celebratory roast hosted by the troupe in the evening, Hasty Pudding members will present Rudd with the Pudding Pot in Farkas Hall, Hasty Pudding Theatricals’ historic, centuries-old home in Harvard Square. The event will be live-streamed on Facebook.

“The entire company is in awe of his many accomplishments in film and television. Specifically, in his ability to have not aged since 1995,” Pudding president Amira Weeks ’18 said. “We cannot wait for him to reveal the fountain of youth to us.”

The Man of the Year award, established in 1963, recognizes performers who made longstanding and notable contributions to the world of entertainment. Former recipients include Harrison Ford, Robert De Niro, Justin Timberlake, Robert Downey Jr, Chris Pratt, Tom Hanks, and, most recently, Ryan Reynolds.

Upcoming appearances for Rudd include roles in the sequel to Ant-Man, “Ant-Man and the Wasp,” which will be released this summer, and “The Catcher Was a Spy,” which will premiere in the 2018 Sundance Film Festival.

Earlier this week, Hasty Pudding Theatricals announced that actress Mila Kunis will be the 2018 Woman of the Year.

—Staff writer Andrea M. Bossi can be reached at andrea.bossi@thecrimson.com.