New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce

Paul Rudd on Why Jack Black is The Best, Worst Auditions, Chiefs Fandom & Naming Your Nuts | EP 171

December 22, 2025

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  • Paul Rudd and Jack Black secured their roles in the movie *Anaconda* after a spontaneous phone call where they realized they both wanted to star in it, despite not consulting the director on who would play which part. 
  • Paul Rudd revealed that his character in *Anchorman* named one of his testicles after his college roommate, James Westfall, who now owns several Kansas City restaurants. 
  • Paul Rudd, despite the Chiefs' recent struggles, maintains a positive outlook on being a Chiefs fan, cherishing the joy the team has brought him and his family, and is looking forward to players getting a needed rest. 

Segments

Bar Mitzvah DJ Playlist
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Rudd’s early DJ career included ‘Shout’ and ‘Mony Mony’.
  • Summary: The hosts discuss Paul Rudd’s first job as a bar mitzvah DJ and the songs he played, including ‘Shout’ and ‘Mony Mony’.
Introducing Paul Rudd & New Movie
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(00:01:05)
  • Key Takeaway: Paul Rudd is the first guest ever returning to the show to promote his new movie, ‘Anaconda’.
  • Summary: Jason and Travis introduce Paul Rudd, mentioning his upcoming movie ‘Anaconda’ and his history as the first guest on the podcast.
Plot of ‘Anaconda’ Movie
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(00:04:33)
  • Key Takeaway: The movie is a meta-comedy about two friends trying to remake the original ‘Anaconda’ and encountering a real snake.
  • Summary: Rudd explains that the film is not a remake but a story about two friends attempting to reboot ‘Anaconda’ and subsequently being hunted by a real one.
Childhood Home Movie Making
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(00:05:26)
  • Key Takeaway: Both Rudd and Jason Kelsey made elaborate, self-edited home movies as kids.
  • Summary: Rudd describes using an old camcorder to self-edit movies, leading Jason to recall making a movie called ‘Ribs of Beef’ and highlight reels for Travis.
Rudd and Jack Black Casting
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(00:10:08)
  • Key Takeaway: Rudd and Jack Black decided on their roles by calling each other and spontaneously agreeing to swap parts.
  • Summary: Rudd explains how he and Jack Black were cast in the movie, realizing they had both assumed different roles until they spoke on the phone and agreed to switch.
Jack Black’s Talent and Energy
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(00:12:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Rudd considers Jack Black to be on another stratosphere of talent and energy.
  • Summary: Rudd praises Jack Black’s enduring energy and talent, recalling meeting him 30 years ago after seeing his first film, ‘Bob Roberts’.
Inventing ‘Buffalo Sober’
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(00:15:07)
  • Key Takeaway: The movie introduced the term ‘Buffalo Sober’ (beer/wine only), leading to local equivalents like ‘Kansas City Sober’.
  • Summary: Rudd explains the term ‘Buffalo Sober’ from the film, and the hosts create ‘Kansas City Sober’ (Boulevard and Rieger) and ‘Philly Sober’ (Citywide Special).
Rudd Impersonates Jack Black
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(00:17:09)
  • Key Takeaway: Rudd humorously claimed Jack Black found him to be a diva and that Maya Rudolph pursued him in high school.
  • Summary: Rudd answers questions pretending to be Jack Black, joking about Rudd being difficult and recounting a fabricated story about Maya Rudolph.
Naming Testicles After Friends
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(00:34:24)
  • Key Takeaway: Rudd named one of his testicles after James Westfall, a college roommate who owns Kansas City restaurants.
  • Summary: Rudd confirms that his character in Anchorman named a testicle after Westfall, who now owns Char Bar in Kansas City.
Rudd’s Favorite Candies
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(00:36:06)
  • Key Takeaway: Rudd’s favorite candies include the seasonal ‘Sour Santa’ and ‘Cloud Hoppers’ (peanut butter chocolate pretzel mix).
  • Summary: Rudd discusses his Mount Rushmore of candy from his shop, Samuel’s Sweet Shop, leaning towards sour and chocolate items.
Welcome to Hollywood Audition Story
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(00:38:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Rudd’s first audition involved stubbing out a cigarette butt into the casting director’s carpet.
  • Summary: Rudd recounts trying to emulate Danny DeVito’s rebellious audition style by destroying the casting director’s carpet, which he learned was the wrong approach.
Chiefs Fandom Status Update
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(00:29:29)
  • Key Takeaway: Rudd remains positive about the Chiefs despite recent losses, focusing on the joy the team has brought his family.
  • Summary: Rudd assures Travis he is okay as a Chiefs fan, appreciating the memories and wishing Patrick Mahomes a speedy recovery.
Paul Does He Know Ball?
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(00:23:10)
  • Key Takeaway: Paul Rudd performed surprisingly well in the fantasy football pick’em game, scoring 2,269.9 points.
  • Summary: Rudd participates in the NFL Harry Pick’em game, selecting players from various teams, ultimately achieving a high score.