Paul Rudd may be better known for looking young than he is for any of the characters he's played, including his role as Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe—and it's not hard to see why. The 53-year-old actor doesn't look very different today than he did in the 1995 classic Clueless, when the public first swooned over him. But how, exactly, does he maintain his youth?
Many of us have wondered over the years, and in a recent Men's Health interview, he spilled his secrets. The good news? They're all things that anyone can do, no fame or fortune required. Read on to find out how the star stays so fresh-faced—and how you can, too.
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Everyone wants to know Rudd's superhero training plan.
GIO_LE / Shutterstock.comWhen you look as good as Rudd does, year after year, it's not surprising that people want to know how you do it. Rudd, who was crowned "Sexiest Man Alive" by People in 2021, told Men's Health that he gets peppered with questions all the time.
"People ask me, 'Can you send me your meal plan? How many times a week do you work out? Do you drink? Do you eat carbs? Do you have a cheat day?'" the star—who is famously an ex-smoker—told the magazine.
Rudd is not immune to feeling bad about himself.
Tinseltown / Shutterstock.comIf you think stars (especially ones who play superheroes) aren't susceptible to self-doubt, think again. Rudd told Men's Health that when he was getting into shape for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania—the latest Ant-Man film, hitting theaters Feb. 17—he was riddled with anxiety.
"I had fallen off more than I had in the past," he explained. "All of a sudden my clothes fit tight. And I thought, God, this sucks. I can’t even wear these pants. So I’d say to myself, Well, I might as well just eat some of these cookies. I was irritable and self-conscious. I just wasn’t in a good mood. I really beat myself up."
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He says sleep is the number one secret to eternal youth and happiness.
Featureflash Photo Agency / ShutterstockNeedless to say, Rudd did manage to whip himself back into superhero shape in time. "I can be a hyper-focused person if I have a goal," he told Men's Health. "If I’m doing one of these movies and I know that in four months I have to do a shirtless scene, I’m pretty dialed in."
When asked for his number-one tip to eternal youth, a superhero body, and happiness, he gave a one-word answer: "Sleep."
And while he admitted that diet, weight-lifting, and cardio are also essential, he said sleep is the key to making it all work.
"The most important part of training is sleep. People will set their alarm and then sleep for four hours and they’ll get up so that they can train. They’re doing themselves a disservice," he said, noting that he finds eight hours to be the optimal number of hours spent snoozing each night.
Having a routine helps, too.
ShutterstockBesides a good night's sleep, Rudd says he's a fan of following a solid daily routine. "I get up and I have a cup of coffee, and then I do cardio before I eat anything," he told Men's Health. "I lift weights, hopefully at least three times a week."
And while his diet—which includes eggs every day, plenty of salmon, and protein shakes without any fruit in them (presumably because of the sugar factor)—might sound restrictive, he told the outlet he likes it.
"It sounds like hell. It’s really not. I find routine comforting," Rudd said. "Routine is a human need. It’s grounding in a really positive and healthy way."
The actor told Men's Health that at this point, staying fit for him isn't about looking like a superhero—it's a way of life. "I finally understand if you make fitness a part of your lifestyle, you’ll just feel good," he noted.
