Paul Rudd was born on June 28, 1969, and This Is 40 was filmed and released in 2012, making him 43 years old during production and release. The film centers on his character Pete, a 40-something advertising creative navigating marital and financial stress in suburban Los Angeles. Co-starring Leslie Mann as his wife Debbie, the movie functions as a loose sequel to Knocked Up while deepening the characters introduced there. Released in December 2012, the project aligns with Rudd’s career phase in the early 2010s, blending adult comedy with dramedy elements. The following details confirm production context, casting, and age at time of release based on publicly available records.
Paul Rudd birth date and age context
Paul Rudd was born June 28, 1969 in Passaic, New Jersey, United States. By late 2012, when This Is 40 was released, he had turned 43. This places him in his early forties during the film’s production and marketing, consistent with the title’s direct reference to turning 40. Production on This Is 40 occurred in 2011 and wrapped before its premiere at the end of 2012. These facts clarify how old Rudd actually was during each phase of the film’s development and release.
Production timeline and filming schedule
Principal photography for This Is 40 began in mid-2011 and concluded later that year. The movie entered post-production and finalized in 2012, with a theatrical release on December 21, 2012 in the United States. Because filming took place in 2011, Rudd was 42 during the shoot, turning 43 by the film’s wide launch. The project was directed and co-written by Judd Apatow, who also produced alongside Rudd and Apatow’s producing partner, among others. This schedule aligns standard pre- and post-production cycles for a major studio dramedy.
On-screen role and character age
In This Is 40, Rudd plays Pete, a creative director at an advertising agency who is navigating career plateau, financial strain, and marital recalibration as he approaches and passes age 40. The story tracks Pete and his wife Debbie, played by Leslie Mann, as they manage family dynamics, parenting, and adulthood anxieties. Although the film does not state an exact on-screen birth year, Pete’s experiences mirror Rudd’s real-life timeline, giving the performance an autobiographical inflection. The narrative underscores the cultural weight of turning 40 while highlighting evolving identity and relationship dynamics.
Comparative context in Rudd’s filmography
By 2012, Rudd had established a career spanning cult comedies, family films, and dramatic turns. This Is 40 arrived between roles such as the Ant-Man preparations phase and later entries like Anchorman 2 (2013). The table below summarizes key career milestones and their relation to This Is 40, clarifying how age and project selection intersected at this point in Rudd’s trajectory.
| Year | Project | Paul Rudd’s age that year | Role significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Knocked Up | 38 | Supporting role as Pete, precursor character |
| 2011–2012 | This Is 40 | 42–43 | Lead role as Pete, expanded dramedy focus |
| 2013 | d>Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues | 44 | Supporting ensemble role |
| 2015 | Ant-Man | 46 | Lead role as Scott Lang / Ant-Man |
Release details and cultural impact
This Is 40 premiered in December 2012, entering a crowded awards and holiday season slate. It grossed over $100 million worldwide, demonstrating solid box office performance for an R-rated dramedy. Critics highlighted the naturalistic family dynamics and understated humor, with particular note of Rudd’s grounded performance as a man confronting middle-age uncertainty. The film’s candid approach to adulthood, finance, and communication helped establish it as a touchstone for the adult-life comedy subgenre.
