Episode 173 - Writing the Hits: The Wonderful Words and Films of Paul Rudnick – Part 1

In Part One of my fascinating conversation with acclaimed novelist, playwright, essayist, & screenwriter Paul Rudnick, we travel back to his childhood in Piscataway, NJ, his years studying theater at Yale University, and his move to NYC, where he learned the realities of putting on a production while launching his career with “Poor Little Lambs,” featuring future stars Kevin Bacon, Bronson Pinchot, & Blanche Baker.

Paul also takes us inside the creation of some of his most beloved stage works, including “I Hate Hamlet,” inspired by the NY brownstone he moved into where legendary actor John Barrymore once lived. He recounts what really happened during the notoriously turbulent production starring Nicol Williamson. He also shares hilarious & heartfelt stories about working with extraordinary performers such as Christine Baranski, Linda Lavin, Anjelica Huston, Patrick Stewart, & Tom Selleck. Along the way, he offers a fascinating look at the magic, terror, and unpredictability of first script readings, where great actors often transform good material into something unforgettable.

The conversation also explores Paul's enduring admiration for comic actors, whom he considers among the most gifted performers in entertainment. From unforgettable cast read-throughs to star-studded Hollywood moments, Paul shares some fun behind-the-scenes stories.

Finally, Paul reflects on the groundbreaking success of “Jeffrey,” the award-winning comedy he wrote at the height of the AIDS crisis. He discusses the resistance the play initially faced, the courageous actors who took a chance on it, and how its unexpected Off-Broadway triumph changed both his career and his personal life. Filled with laughter, honesty, Hollywood history, & remarkable stories from one of America's sharpest comic writers, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

PAUL RUDNICK

Paul Rudnick is a novelist, playwright, essayist and screenwriter, whom The New York Times has called, “one of our pre-eminent humorists.” His plays have been produced both on and off Broadway and around the world, and include “I Hate Hamlet” “Jeffrey”, “The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told”, “Valhalla”, Regrets Only” and “The New Century”. He has won an Obie Award, two Outer Critics Circle Awards and the John Gassner Playwrighting Award. His novels include “Farrell Covington And The Limits Of Style”, “What Is Wrong With You?”, “I’ll Take It”, “Playing The Palace” and “Social Disease”. He’s a regular contributor to The New Yorker and his articles and essays have appeared in The New York Times, Vogue, Esquire, Spy and Vanity Fair.

HarperCollins has published both Mr. Rudnick’s “Collected Plays” and a group of essays entitled “I Shudder”. His essays have been included in The New Yorker anthologies ”Fierce Pajamas” and “Disquiet, Please”. Mr Rudnick is rumored to be quite close to Premiere magazine’s film critic Libby Gelman-Waxner, whose collected columns were published by St. Martins under the title If You Ask Me”. Mr. Rudnick’s screenplays include “In & Out”, “Addams Family Values”, “Sister Act”, “Coastal Elites” and the film adaptation of “Jeffrey”. His Young Adult novels, “Gorgeous” and It’s All Your Fault”, have been published by Scholastic. Mr. Rudnick has appeared on the Today Show, Real Time with Bill Maher, Conan O’Brien, A Prairie Home Companion and Fresh Air, along with other programs & podcasts, and he appears in the documentary “The Celluloid Closet”.

His new espionage thriller entitled “The Tuxedo Society” will be published in May of 2026 by Simon&Schuster.

Paul Rudnick Website – https://paulrudnick.com

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