The “terrible” 1995 movie Paul Rudd will always have a soft spot for: “I have a real affection for it”
Paul Rudd says he has a real affection for his 1995 film debut, *Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers*, despite judging his own performance “terrible”. The film was poorly received and its storyline was dropped by the next sequel, but it remains a meaningful early part of his career.
Rudd recalled researching the role of Tommy Doyle by buying rune stones and watching the previous five *Halloween* films, only to conclude that the preparation was unnecessary. He was credited as Paul Stephen Rudd, and *Clueless*, released two months earlier, soon gave audiences a more successful introduction to him. The article also notes that the franchise has developed five continuities, with Doyle’s version of events ending when he struck Michael Myers with a pipe.
In short
- Rudd still feels affection for his poorly received horror debut.
- *Clueless* reached cinemas two months before the sequel.
- The *Halloween* franchise has five separate continuities.
Explained simply
Halloween is a horror film series centred on Michael Myers, a masked killer, and the people he targets. In the 1995 film, Paul Rudd played Tommy Doyle, a character first seen as a child in the original 1978 film.
The series has been told through several different continuities, meaning later films do not all follow the same storyline. Rudd’s film was poorly received, and its account of Tommy’s story was not carried forward in the next sequel.
The film came early in Rudd’s career: Clueless, released shortly before it, brought him wider attention. His affection for the film reflects its place in his beginnings as an actor, even though he has criticised his performance.