# “Neil was the surprise. He’s the GOAT. People think he’s super-serious, but he could be the goofiest one out of all of them.” I Love You, Man writer and director John Hamburg on working with “delightful human beings” Rush

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/neil-was-the-surprise-hes-the-goat-people-think-hes-super-serious-but-he-could-be-the-goofiest-one-out-of-all-of-them-i-love-you-man-writer-and-director-john-hamburg-on-workin/
- Published: 2026-07-31T09:30:44+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-31T10:13:50+00:00
- Original publisher: Louder
- Original article: https://www.loudersound.com/culture/films-tv-shows/i-love-you-man-writer-director-john-hamburg-on-working-with-rush
- Topics: Art, Culture

## Key points

- John Hamburg praised Rush’s warmth and humour.
- Neil Peart was reportedly more playful than expected.
- Rush’s cameo became central to I Love You, Man.

## Summary

Writer-director John Hamburg has reflected on working with Rush in the 2009 comedy I Love You, Man, describing the Canadian trio as “delightful human beings”. Their appearance was central to the film’s portrayal of the friendship between Peter Klaven, played by Paul Rudd, and Rush fan Sydney Fife, played by Jason Segel, and helped give the story its musical and comic identity.

Hamburg said drummer Neil Peart was the biggest surprise, calling him the “GOAT” and saying that, despite his serious public image, he could be especially goofy. The film features the characters bonding over Rush, playing the band’s songs and attending a concert; it also stars Rashida Jones as Peter’s fiancée, Zooey Rice.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.