Paul Rudd Was Nervous About Kissing Alicia Silverstone In Clueless
"Clueless" hit screens in 1995 and has never stopped charming audiences. The modern remake of Jane Austen's "Emma" captured the hilarious twist of the matchmaker making a match for herself, unbeknownst to her. The film solidified Alicia Silverstone – who played lead Cher Horowitz – as a film icon, though there was one thing that Silverstone didn't like about the movie; she later admitted that she found her character annoying. Obviously, Silverstone was able to delve deep into Cher and came to love her, which came out so clearly on screen.
Donald Faison, who played Murray, later admitted that he kept his character's braces, which were made specifically for him as part of his costume. Hey, nostalgia hits everyone differently, even in orthodontic form. Actor Elisa Donovan, who played the arch nemesis Amber, hasn't gone on to have as prolific a career, but she's certainly become an icon thanks to "Clueless." Then, of course, there's Paul Rudd, who played love interest Josh, based on Austen's character Mr. Knightley. He's blown up, starring in Marvel's "Ant-Man," "This is 40," and "I Love You, Man," among so many more film credits. Despite moving up so far in Hollywood, Rudd still reminisces about "Clueless," specifically the kiss.
Paul Rudd admitted that he thought kissing Alicia Silverstone was 'awesome'
At the end of "Clueless," Alicia Silverstone's Cher and Paul Rudd's Josh share a kiss. It's the quintessential finale to their budding romance. All these years later, it's still a memorable scene, especially for the actors who acted it out. The cast sat down with Vulture in 2015 for an oral history of the iconic film, and Rudd spoke about the kiss and why he was so nervous about it. "[The kiss] was — you get a little nervous," Rudd began. "But also, I was psyched." Rudd referred to past advice he had received about romantic scenes and admitted that they were all wrong. "Growing up you hear these actors, and granted, they're talking about sex scenes and not just kisses, but they're like, 'Oh, it's all technical. Nothing's there. Nobody's excited. It's all just kind of embarrassing.' I remember thinking, 'Is that really true?' And then I remember thinking, 'This is pretty awesome.'" Omg, adorable. Rudd then added, "I sound like a total perv." No, he just sounds honest!
While Rudd may have been nervous about his iconic "Clueless" kiss, you might be surprised to learn which actor the "Ant-Man" star has shared the most on-screen smooches with. During an appearance on BBC's "The Graham Norton Show," Rudd revealed, "The most kisses I've had in a movie was with ... Jack Nicholson."
Why is the kiss creepy for some viewers?
While Paul Rudd and Alicia Silverstone's kiss in "Clueless" created the classical ending to the rom-com, the smooch hasn't aged well for everyone. The issue is that their characters, Cher and Josh, are technically former step-siblings. Not only that, but Cher was 16, while Josh was a freshman in college. Does the age gap create discomfort? Yes, for some. Does the slight tinge of incest also cause an icky feeling? It sure has for some viewers.
In 2015, Decider wrote a piece on the film's end titled: "Is This the Creepiest Kiss in Cinematic History?" They argue that since viewers see them as siblings throughout the movie, it's a bizarre adjustment to suddenly accept them as lovers. In terms of their ages, the piece notes that if Josh is 19, which would be plausible, they aren't actually doing anything illegal or prohibited by the State of California, where the film is based. Refinery29 had a similar take and sought out marriage therapist Moraya Seeger DeGeare to offer her perspective. "She's 16. He's in college. Why is a college student in general wanting to hang out with a 16-year-old?" Seeger DeGeare said. "I think it's thinking about the age difference a little bit more than the 'incest' piece of it. It's not really incest because they're not related." So there's that to consider. In the end, "Clueless" is still a cult classic, but certainly sparks conversation.