Paul Rudd's Candy Shop Owners Sing His Praises

Transcript

00:00 He's one of the most likable and bankable stars in Hollywood.

00:04 In the latest issue of Us Weekly, insiders talked to us about how Paul Rudd juggles his

00:08 superstar status with small-town family life. On any given day, actor Paul Rudd can be spotted

00:14 at Samuel's Sweet Shop in Rhinebeck, New York, which he co-owns — a 400-square-foot space

00:20 that sells old-school candies, baked goods and coffees to locals and visitors.

00:25 John Traver, the managing partner of Samuel's, tells us,

00:28 "Paul's always friendly. He takes time to speak to the staff and learn their names and ask them

00:32 questions about their lives. And he'll talk about his life and show us pictures from the Super Bowl

00:37 or tell us what's going on with his house or his dog."

00:40 Now, it's not exactly the kind of behavior people come to expect from an A-lister.

00:45 At 54 years old, the actor has starred in over 60 movies and raked in an estimated $41 million

00:51 just from his work as Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe alone.

00:55 But Paul isn't your average celebrity. The married father of two is a dedicated family man

01:00 who refers the simple life in upstate New York to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood.

01:05 He and his wife, film producer Julie Yeager, have been married 21 years and share 17-year-old son

01:10 Jack and 13-year-old daughter Darby. A source tells us, "Paul is the sweetest man to everyone,

01:16 personally and professionally. He treats everyone the same, from the CEO to the person who gets him

01:22 coffee. For him, kindness has always been key." Now, in the idyllic town of Rhinebeck,

01:28 Paul has become a fixture among the locals. He attends his kids' sports games and school

01:33 functions and hits up local eateries for a low-key meal. We hear that Paul fell in love

01:38 with the scenery, the community and the quiet and doesn't plan on leaving until his kids are off to

01:43 college and maybe not even then. Living roughly 3,000 miles from Hollywood is a no-brainer for

01:49 Paul. He has said, "One of the most important things any human can experience is to be a part

01:54 of a community and feel connected to where you live and to other people who live there,

01:59 especially in a job like mine." A local to Rhinebeck, Rebecca Sell, has waited on Rudd and

02:04 his family at the local diner, Pete's Famous Restaurant. "Sometimes he'll come in the morning

02:08 when it's quiet in town. I probably wouldn't even notice Paul was a celebrity. He looks like

02:13 everyone else and doesn't ask for special treatment." Mari Bird, owner of Willow Wood Boutique,

02:18 says Paul fits right in. She tells us, "He's just like the rest of us. He has no errors.

02:23 He's just a sweet, generous man. I remember during COVID, there was a line out the door of Samuel's

02:29 and Paul was there with a mask and hat on to get orders going with all the other kids.

02:33 No one knew who he was. He was working just as hard to get coffee and hot chocolate to people."

02:39 Ali Stern, supervisor at Bread Alone Bakery, tells us, "Paul is an absolute pleasure when he

02:44 stops in. He's not condescending and is a normal guy. He has a great presence in the community.

02:49 People love him." Now, Paul's family also keep him grounded, and the actor even admitted that

02:54 his son Jack had no idea he was a movie star until he was a teenager. Paul has said, "When I go to LA

03:00 for work or to a premiere, I like it because it feels like I'm just popping in. I identify myself

03:05 as a parent and a husband way more than somebody who rides around on the back of an ant." Now,

03:10 Paul is just as well-liked on set as he is off. A source tells us, "Paul will remember production

03:16 assistant names and even send birthday gifts to people's kids." The second source adds,

03:20 "It's not like other movie stars when there's a distinction between the talent and the crew

03:25 who are on tenor hooks. With Paul, he's so low-key, you don't notice he's there half the time.

03:30 Then suddenly he's working and he brings the magic for the camera."