There are oh so many reasons to love High Fidelity – from the comedic romantic misery of John Cusack's Rob Gordon to what is one of the all-time great soundtracks – but one of its most important legacies is that it turned Jack Black into a star. While Black worked steadily during the 1990s, his scene-stealing turn as obnoxious music nerd Barry Judd in the 2000 movie turned heads in the industry and helped him become one of the biggest names in big screen comedy. What you may not know, however, is that one person who apparently played a key part in him getting the role was none other than Paul Rudd.
Black and Rudd will be featured as a true buddy pair for the first time on the big screen next month when Anaconda arrives in theaters, but their connection goes back more than a quarter of a century. In an interview with the actors in Empire, Rudd says that he auditioned to play Dick in High Fidelity, and while he didn't end up getting the gig (it went to Todd Louiso instead), he made a point of putting in a good word for his future co-star when he was talking with the film's director. The Ant-Man star explained,
