Paul Rudd Reveals the Unexpected Reason Why He Almost Lost His ‘Clueless’ Role
- - Paul Rudd Reveals the Unexpected Reason Why He Almost Lost His ‘Clueless’ Role
Nicole MooreFebruary 1, 2026 at 5:14 AM
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Photo by CBS via Getty Images
Even though the film Clueless premiered over 30 years ago, Paul Rudd is still remembered for his role as the charming college student Josh. However, he nearly lost the role because of a haircut.
During a December 2025 interview on TODAY with Jenna and Sheinelle, Rudd was asked to confirm that he almost wasn't cast as Josh because he got a different haircut. Rudd replied that he had auditioned for the role with longer hair, which he described as "grunge-y." He then explained that he got an impromptu buzzcut after the audition.
"I didn't think about it after I auditioned for it. I was down the street and I walked past a barbershop and said, 'Just buzz it.' And they went and cut off all my hair," said Rudd during the interview.
He said that he happened to run into the film's director and screenwriter, Amy Heckerling, after his haircut.
"Then about a week after that, I went to a restaurant and saw Amy Heckerling, the director. She said, 'What did you do to your hair? You were in the running for this part,'" said Rudd in the interview.
He then shared that he was put "in wigs" during his screen test.
"It didn't look right," recalled Rudd.
Eventually, he was hired for the part, despite his shorter hair.
Paul Rudd Commented on the Upcoming 'Clueless' Show
Variety reported that a Clueless sequel series is in the works on Peacock. In a December 2025 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Rudd was asked if he was going to reprise Josh for the show.
“I don’t know. I don’t think so," said Rudd in the Entertainment Tonight interview.
He said, however, that the news of the Clueless Peacock show was "exciting."
Alicia Silverstone, who starred in Clueless as Cher Horowitz, briefly mentioned the sequel series, which she's executive producing, in an August 2025 interview on Sam Roberts' Show. She said that the Peacock show is "in such early baby stages." The actress, who is playing Cher again, also said she believes fans of the original movie will enjoy the upcoming series.
This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
