Paul Rust

Early life

Rust is the son of Jeanne and Bob Rust. His family is of German heritage. Rust was raised Roman Catholic and attended Gehlen Catholic High School. His mother was a teacher at Le Mars Community High School and his father owned a Western goods and boot-repair shop. He graduated from the University of Iowa in May 2004.

Rust struggled with obsessive-compulsive disorder in his youth.

Career

Rust is best known as a standup and sketch comedian at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in Los Angeles, where he is a member of the sketch comedy group A Kiss from Daddy and the improv team Last Day of School. He has appeared in films such as Inglourious Basterds, Ass Backwards, Freak Dance, Paper Heart and Semi-Pro. He had his highest-profile acting role in 2009, playing the male lead in the comedy film I Love You, Beth Cooper alongside Hayden Panettiere. Rust has written for television programs such as Human Giant and Moral Orel.

In 2010, Rust appeared in the Comedy Central sketch comedy special This Show Will Get You High, created by and starring Matt Besser. He and Paul Reubens co-wrote the 2016 Pee-wee Herman film Pee-wee's Big Holiday.

Rust is a frequent guest on the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast, where he is best known for his "New No-Nos" segment. He has written for IFC's Comedy Bang! Bang! and was a writer and story editor on the revived for Netflix fourth season of Arrested Development in 2013.

Rust starred in the Judd Apatow-produced Netflix series Love (2016–2018) with Gillian Jacobs. He co-created the show with his wife, Lesley Arfin.

Rust and the comedian Charlyne Yi formed the band The Glass Beef in 2006. They appeared together in a video for "Song Away" by Hockey. He is also the lead singer and bass guitar player in the comedy rock duo Don't Stop or We'll Die with fellow comedian Michael Cassady. The band had Harris Wittels on drums until his death.

In 2018, Rust started hosting In Voorhees We Trust With Gourley and Rust with Matt Gourley, a podcast series reviewing every film in the Friday the 13th franchise. The self-proclaimed "easy-listening cozy-cast", now titled With Gourley and Rust, has had several seasons analyzing and discussing horror films.

Personal life

Rust married comedy writer and author Lesley Arfin in October 2015. They have a daughter born in 2017.

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

;Albums (with Don't Stop or We'll Die)

• Gorgeous (2014)
• Dazzle Me (2018)
• SONG-A-WEEK Volume One: Bloom of the Goji (2021)
• Lives of Leisure, SONG-A-WEEK Volume II (2021)
• Signature Please (2023)

;EPs (with Don't Stop or We'll Die)

• The Ballad of Bird and Fox (2008)
• One of the Gang (2011)
• Diamond Skies Over Western Dreams (2019)

References

References

1. "Paul Rust".
2. "Episode 795 - Paul Rust / Dax Shepard". WTF with Marc Maron Podcast.
3. Landegent, Magdalene. (May 18, 2009). "Love and war: Paul Rust on the big screen". Le Mars Daily Sentinel.
4. Fett, Jeff. (August 4, 2004). "Paul Rust fulfills his dream". Le Mars Daily Sentinel.
5. Littleton, Cynthia. (June 30, 2010). "Apatow developing Pee-wee Herman pic". [[Variety (magazine).
6. Anthony, David, Austin Bernhardt, Trip Cook, ''et al'', [https://www.avclub.com/everybody-visits-everybody-as-podcasters-ring-in-the-ho-1798237022 "Everybody Visits Everybody as Podcasters Ring in the Holidays"], ''AVClub.com'', December 21, 2012. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
7. (October 14, 2022). "The Coziest Horror Movies of All Time, From 'Halloween' to 'Psycho II'". Variety.
8. Juneau, Jen. (October 17, 2017). "Paul Rust and Lesley Arfin Welcome Daughter Mary James".
9. (June 23, 2014). "Don't Stop Or We'll Die Released Their First Full-Length Album Today".
10. "That Dazzles Me Already, episode #575 of Comedy Bang Bang: The Podcast on Earwolf". Earwolf Media.
11. "SONG-A-WEEK Volume One: Bloom of the Goji, by Don't Stop Or We'll Die".
12. "Lives of Leisure, SONG-A-WEEK Volume II, by Don't Stop Or We'll Die".
13. "Signature Please, by Don't Stop Or We'll Die".
14. "The Ballad of Bird and Fox EP - Don't Stop or We'll Die".
15. "Don't Stop or We'll Die - One of the Gang (album review)".
16. "Diamond Skies Over Western Dreams, by Don't Stop Or We'll Die".