Paul Rudd and Jason Segel really love each other, man

The MUSE spoke with Paul Rudd and Jason Segel about their careers, bromances and their upcoming movie, ‘I Love You, Man,’ in theaters March 20th. Peter Klaven (Rudd) is about to marry his fiancee Zooey (played by ‘The Office’s’ Rashida Jones) when he realizes he doesn’t have a best man. He embarks on a series of man-dates to find ‘The One’ when he meets Sydney (Segel). They enjoy each others’ company so much that it begins to compromise Peter’s engagement.

The MUSE: What was your favorite part of shooting the movie?

Jason Segel: My favorite part of shooting the movie was working with Paul Rudd again. I must say, it’s our third movie together and you know, it took us a while, but we finally get along.

Paul Rudd: It was rough at first.

JS: Yeah.

PR: I feel like my answer would be the same. It’s working with Jason. You know, we’re in the same room. And we’re kind of looking at each other now. And I want to know ‘-‘- Jason, is that really your answer? Really? Would it be working with me really?

JS: Yeah. Absolutely. I’m already trying to plan the next one.

PR: See what I mean? How do you not love going to work every day opposite that?

JS: Yeah. And we also got to fight Lou Ferrigno.

The MUSE: What is your idea of a perfect man-date after working on this romantic comedy?

PR: Jason, do you want to take it first?

JS: Why don’t you go first while I formulate what I’d like to do with you tonight.

PR: Oh, all right. I want to go first because I want you to formulate it. A perfect man-date would be an early dinner, maybe like some Brazilian food, maybe starting at 5:30, 6 p.m.’ I’d like to have a pitcher of sangria. And then I would like to go back to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel where I have rented a suite.’ And slip into a bathtub of linseed oil. And then I would like a massage ‘-‘- an ice cream massage.’ And then finally settle down with a little SpectroVision and then maybe catch ‘Defiance’ ‘-‘- the film with Daniel Craig.

JS: My idea of a man date would be to have a . . .

PR: That, by the way, I actually just call Tuesday.

JS: Yeah. My man date would be sometime around 5:45, just some Argentinean food ‘-‘- real casual Argentinean dinner, maybe a pitcher of red sangria. And then I would head back to a suite at the Four Seasons that I have rented and give the guy who I am having a man date with a bath in salted butter.’ And, yeah, then we would settle in to watch a movie on DVD ‘-‘- maybe something like the first James Bond without Daniel Craig.

PR: Jason, we are so close in our perfect man-dates.’ We should really revise it.

JS: I like Argentinian food though.

PR: All right, we’ll go for a compromise here. We’ll go Guatemalan here at 5:45. We’ll go back to The Bowery Hotel and you can give me a bath in heavy whipping cream and I’ll bring my DVD of ‘Kate & Leopold.’

The MUSE: Do you see yourselves working together on another movie in the future?

PR: Jason do you see it?

JS: Yeah. I definitely see it.

PR: I see it too. What would it be?

JS: Maybe a remake of ‘Harold and Maude.’

PR: Which one of us is Maude?

JS: Two guesses.

PR: F—,’ it’s me, isn’t it?

JS: Of course.

The MUSE: How did the idea for a ‘bromantic’ movie come about?

PR: You know, I don’t know where the idea initially came from and how long ago.’ I just remember reading the script with Jason and us both really liking it.

JS: Well, it was originally from The Bible ‘-‘- Sodom and Gomorrah.

PR: You are right.’ Now, did that Larry [Levin, writer of ‘I Love You, Man’] write that as well?

JS: He may have. He very well may have.

PR: Have you read The Bible? It’s a script going around Hollywood right now.

JS: Oh, it’s amazing.

PR: It’s incredible.

JS: So many good parts.

PR: Yeah, I’m hoping for Methuselah. They say I’m too young though.

The MUSE: Some of the recent comedies that you have been involved in, such as ‘Knocked Up’ and ‘Role Models,’ explores the relationship between guys. Do think that this genre is the new chick flick, or a chick flick for guys?

PR: A dick flick.

JS: Whoa.

PR: I like that even more than bromantic.’ I can’t believe I’ve never thought of that before.

JS: It’s pretty great.

PR: Something tells me we’re going to be saying that a lot now.

The MUSE: You both have played characters that you’re Average Joe, but also character actors like Brian Fantana’ in ‘Anchorman.” Do you have a preference for which you like playing more or which you think is funnier?

JS: I like mixing it up.’ I’ve always thought of myself as a character actor whether the character is the main guy or one of the supporting guys. I just like playing a different character each time.

PR: Same here.’ As long as it’s funny and I like the people that I’m working with, then it doesn’t really matter. You’re allowed to go further and crazier with a cartoon-y kind of character but they are both really fun to play as long as there is something funny about each of them.

The MUSE: You two have now worked together three times within similar story and plot constructs. Do you ever think the well is going to run dry?

JS: Oh, it did a long time ago.

PR: Yeah.

JS: We’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel at this point.

PR: It took a lot of editing work in ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ just to get something.

JS: Just to look like any of us cared, frankly.

PR: I was drunk throughout most of that shooting.

JS: Not much has changed.

PR: I have moved on to heavy drugs.

JS: Yeah. I’m, like, a great deal younger than Paul, so I still am a little bit excited about things.

PR: I like to think that I have more experience from which to draw.

JS: Paul and I are doing another movie together next year where he plays my father.

PR: It’s called ‘I Love You, Dad.’

The MUSE: Have either of you thought about trying out acting in a genre other than comedy?

JS: Paul Rudd is a very diverse actor. He’s gone from Broadway to the Weston in London to drama to comedy to somewhere in between. You look at an actor like Paul Rudd and you think diversity and talent.’ As for me, I’d like to play like a villain.

PR: I think you’d be a great villain.

JS: Thanks, man.

PR: I think that you could be terrifying. You also [coughs] Oh my God, I almost choked on my own spit. [coughs] You also are physically imposing.

JS: Oh yeah, I’m a big dude. Thanks.

PR: And I’m short and squatty. I look like a thumb. I like any genre in which I can play a thumb.

The MUSE: Jason, you have a successful TV show with ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and your film career is taking off.’ What medium you are ready to conquer next?

JS: Wow, thanks. I’m pretty excited. I’m writing that new Muppets movie which is film, but it’s sort of a new avenue for me. I’d like to see those Muppets brought back to their former glory. So that’s what I’m trying to conquer next, for sure.

The MUSE: Any chance your ‘Dracula’ musical from ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ is going to make Broadway?

JS: You know, I would like to put it up for a limited run. I’m not going to lie to you, I had so much fun doing that.

PR: It seemed like a natural fit. I mean if ‘Avenue Q’ can sell some f—ing tickets, why not ‘Dracula?’

The MUSE: Paul, you’ve been married for about 6 years.’ Who was your best man?

PR: I did not have a best man.

JS: Whoa.

PR: Yeah.

JS: Oh buddy.

PR: My wedding was not a traditional wedding in that there were people there.

JS: Was it a Jewish wedding?

PR: It was a Jewish wedding which is strange because I’m Catholic. No, I’m kidding. It was a Jewish wedding, but it was just kind of casual and small. and there was a guy playing guitar, which sounds horrible. He was the rabbi. He played some guitar.

The MUSE: What do you think the most important duties are for a best man to carry out for the groom?

PR: Try and talk him out of it.

JS: Yeah. It’s a mistake.