Who is Claud? Paul Rudd appears in fan’s music video after meeting them at Taylor Swift concert
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS: Paul Rudd is fulfilling dreams while the majority of Hollywood is on strike. The 54-year-old actor, who has appeared in music videos for fans and dressed in everything from superhero gear to a '70s mustache throughout his career, wore a mailman's uniform for his most recent appearance.
Rudd appeared in the music video for Claud's track 'A Good Thing' after the 24-year-old indie musician "randomly met him in passing" at a stop on Taylor Swift's Eras Tour. The Chicago-born singer-songwriter described in a TikTok video captioned "How I Got Paul Rudd to Make a Cameo in My Music Video" how they contacted the Clueless actor after spotting him in the VIP area of the concert.
Who is Claud?
Claud Mintz, also known as Claud, is a Chicago suburb-based American bedroom pop singer-songwriter who identifies as non-binary. Their songs 'Soft Spot' and 'Wish You Were Gay' are well known. With the release of an EP in 2018, Claud started releasing music under the alias Toast. They created Shelly in 2020 along with Clairo, Josh Mehling, and Noa Frances Getzug. Claud was the first artist to sign with Phoebe Bridgers' record company, Saddest Factory Records, in the same year, as per reports.
'I'd love to hear your album'
When the 24-year-old noticed the 'Ant-Man' actor Rudd in the VIP area, they explained: "I was like, 'Paul Rudd, this sounds kind of weird but there's a song on my album, the song's called 'Paul Rudd'," Claud said in the brief video. "He was so nice about it and he gave me his email and was like, 'Send it to me. I'd love to hear your album,'" they said, adding that they "can't believe" the star gave them the address. The 'Wish You Were Gay' singer explained that they titled the song after Rudd because it represents them "trying to envision" themselves as a "cool, confident, and charismatic" character like those the star regularly portrays on screen — and who they "often are not."
'It was the best day of my life'
The song apparently spoke to Rudd, since after hearing it and the rest of Claud's new album 'Supermodels', he wrote the artist through email that he "loved the album." Claud, taken aback by his response, asked Rudd if he would consider appearing in their music video for "A Good One," another track from the just-released album — and he agreed. "He came for the whole entire day," Claud explained in their video. "He stayed for like five hours, and we shot that whole scene and danced outside. It was the best day of my life."
'I just have a ferret'
In the video, the actor plays a clumsy, ferret-owning mailman who is horrible at his job, not a "cool and confident" persona. Rudd showed up at Claud's door just as the song starts and says, "You have no idea," in response to the singer's question about his day. It’s just like, I’m walking, it’s so many houses, it’s hot, I have this ferret … something’s wrong with his eye." The odd mailman then handed them nearly all of the mail in his bag and asks, "Girlfriend? ", before giving Claud a gift from their girlfriend. "I wish I had a girlfriend. I just have a ferret." The actor is hilariously seen dancing throughout the new song video and attempting to give every mail to the puzzled artist.
'Rudd is a national treasure'
Fans have been thrilled by the video, with one declaring it to be their "movie of the year" even if it may not be his greatest role. A fan wrote on YouTube, "Its so ironic that paul rudd is in a good thing mv but not in the paul rudd mv lol i love this." "This music video is TOP TIER,,, they are always so unique," another commented. One fan hailed, "This is so cool more actors need to take notes from Paul." "Rudd is a national treasure and this song is a bop," claimed another.