A Brief History of Paul Rudd Hooking Up With Every Cool Girl Ever in His Movies

If there’s any guy out there who can’t get away with what he does onscreen in real life, it’s the twinkly eyed, darling, just-gets-betta-with-age Paul Rudd.

By that I mean: if any guy steadily dated his way through such an elite group of brilliant, gorgeous women, he’d be manwhore-blacklisted by the social circle.

But in the world of the movies, we can’t get enough of his love life–he’s dated virtually every actress we’ve ever adored. (Next up: Tina Fey in Admission, out March 22. We can barely contain our excitement.) Behold, a track record proving that while Paul is perfectly adorable on his own, the ladies on his arm only make him more attractive.

The lady: Leslie Mann

The movie: Knocked Up + This Is 40

The deal: They’re always slightly annoyed with each other, but if that’s the cost of doing business–business being their hilarious verbal sparring–so be it.

The lady: Jennifer Aniston

The movie: Wanderlust + The Object of My AffectionThe deal: In Wanderlust, they’re a city-rushed couple who rediscover themselves–and each other, and, um, others–at a hippie retreat. Though their relationship is in tatters, they have that believable but-we’re-each-other’s person thing going down pat, probably thanks to The Object of My Affection–a rom-com classic if there ever was one. Nineties Jen pines for gay Paul–but their love proves to be deeper than romance.

The lady: Reese Witherspoon

The movie: How Do You Know? + Overnight Delivery

The deal: I know, not a lot of us saw the first one. Suffice to say, it takes Paul the whole darn movie to convince Reese to be with him. Reese, whatsa matta with you? Oh, you were dating Owen Wilson? All right. We’ll let it slip this one time. Only because in Overnight Delivery, you showed a wounded Paul the light, after that jezebel Christine Taylor broke his heart.

The lady: Rashida Jones

The movie: I Love You, Man

The deal: He’s Rashida’s cocktail-brewing, bro-less fiance–who forgets his doting self and threatens his relationship when he finally gets a pal, only to obviously recover in the end by reminding Rashida that, oh right, he’s Paul Rudd, and he’s adorable.

The lady: Lisa Kudrow

The show: Friends

The deal: Paul and his collar-curling ‘do turned out to be the ditzy, mouse-sheltering Phoebe’s one true love (sorry, Hank Azaria). Just one of our favorite jobs of Paul’s ever.

The lady: Eva Longoria (and Lake Bell)

The movie: Over Her Dead Body

The deal: Everybody makes mistakes. Luckily, Paul’s presence elevated this beyond-the-grave concept from pure hell to sick-day heaven.

The lady: Elizabeth Banks

The movie: Wet Hot American Summer

The deal: They’re the two hottest counselors at camp. Why wouldn’t they make out on the dock all summer?

The lady: Alicia Silverstone

The movie: Clueless

The deal: The deal is that this changed our lives forever.

What’s your favorite of Paul’s on-screen romances?

Photo: IMDB