Listen: Paul Rudd Shares Crazy Stories From His Theatrical Career on SMARTLESS Podcast
Hear about how a member of the audience died during a show, another vomited, and how Rudd flashed once flashed the audience.
By: Stephi Wild May. 05, 2025
Paul Rudd may be best known for his onscreen roles, but he is no stranger to the stage. Making his Broadway debut in Tony Award-winning The Last Night of Ballyhoo in 1997, Rudd also appeared on Broadway in Twelfth Night (1998), Three Days of Rain (2006), and Grace (2012) and Off Broadway in The Shape of Things (2001), among many other stage productions.
During a recent appearance on the SmartLess podcast, hosted by Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes, and Will Arnett, Rudd shared some crazy stories from his theatrical career, including when a member of the audience died during a performance of The Last Night of Ballyhoo.
He went on to share a story of how a member of the audience vomited during a performance of Grace, which Rudd appeared in alongside Michael Shannon.
"We hear this noise. We’re both aware that, like, there’s a commotion, but usually it dies down and it’s getting louder and louder. And Michael is pissed off and starts screaming his lines toward the direction of the noise to make a point," Rudd shared. "Of course, when Michael Shannon is yelling at you, like, it’s the most terrifying thing ever. It’s the thing that did make everybody kind of quiet down."
"Somebody was drunk and threw up over the balcony, and it puked onto about 10 different people," which was the cause of the commotion, Rudd later shared.
Rudd also went on to tell another story of how he accidentally flashed the audience during a performance of The Shape of Things.
Listen to these stories and more in the full episode below:
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