Hollywood is a weird place where you can be one of the most famous people on the planet and still get mistaken for the guy from those other movies. Honestly, it happens more than you’d think. Take Paul Rudd. He's the guy who seemingly hasn't aged since the mid-90s, the "nicest man in show business," and a literal Avenger. Yet, he spent a good chunk of his career being told he looks exactly like Ben Affleck.
It sounds crazy now. Affleck is the brooding, towering presence of Batman and Gone Girl. Rudd is the charming, self-deprecating lead of Ant-Man. But if you look back at the late 90s, the two of them were circling the exact same orbit. They were both the "it" boys of a certain era, frequently vying for the same roles and, in at least one cult classic, sharing the screen before they became the titans they are today.
The Clueless Connection: What Almost Happened
You probably can’t imagine anyone but Paul Rudd playing Josh in Clueless. He was the perfect pseudo-stepbrother love interest—smart, slightly pretentious, but ultimately sweet. It was the role that launched a thousand crushes.
But here’s the thing: Ben Affleck almost had it.
Director Amy Heckerling has openly discussed how Affleck came in to read for the part of Josh. At the time, Ben was just starting to make waves with Dazed and Confused. He had that same "smart but slightly annoying" energy that the character required. Eventually, the producers felt Rudd had a certain softness that balanced out Alicia Silverstone’s Cher better. Can you imagine the timeline where Affleck got that part? We might have had a very different Good Will Hunting if he’d been busy filming teen rom-coms in 1995.
200 Cigarettes: The Forgotten Collaboration
If you want to see Paul Rudd and Ben Affleck actually working together, you have to dig up a copy of the 1999 film 200 Cigarettes. It’s this weird, sprawling ensemble comedy set on New Year’s Eve in 1981. It’s got everyone: Courtney Love, Dave Chappelle, Kate Hudson, and both Affleck brothers.
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In this movie, the two aren't exactly best friends.
Rudd plays Kevin, a guy who is basically having the worst night of his life, wandering around the East Village in a state of romantic despair.
Affleck, meanwhile, plays a character simply credited as "Bartender." He’s a slick, smooth-talking guy with a truly questionable mustache who spends his time hitting on women with lines like, "How do you like your eggs in the morning: scrambled or fertilized?" It’s Ben Affleck at his most comedically greasy, and it’s a far cry from the serious Oscar-winning director we know now.
The Mistaken Identity Crisis
The most hilarious part of this whole "rivalry" is that it isn't really a rivalry at all. It’s more of a recurring case of face blindness.
Rudd has told this story a few times during press tours. A few years back, he was on a flight when a fellow passenger started talking to him. The person was convinced he was Ben Affleck. Rudd tried to play it cool. He politely explained that he wasn't the guy who played Batman.
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The passenger didn't believe him.
They kept pressing him for details about Matt Damon. "How’s Matt doing? Give him my best!"
Rudd just had to sit there and say, "I don't know him! I've never met the man!"
It’s a funny glimpse into the life of a celebrity. Even when you’re Paul Rudd, sometimes you’re just "the white guy who isn't Matt Damon's best friend."
Different Paths, Same Peak
When you look at their careers side-by-side, it’s basically a study in how to stay relevant in Hollywood for thirty years.
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- The Drama vs. The Comedy: Affleck leaned hard into the prestige drama and directing world. He won Oscars for screenwriting (Good Will Hunting) and Best Picture (Argo). Rudd, on the other hand, became the king of the "Frat Pack" era, anchoring movies like Anchorman and The 40-Year-Old Virgin.
- The Superhero Pivot: Both eventually landed in the superhero machine. Affleck took on the heavy, dark mantle of Bruce Wayne in the DCEU. Rudd brought a much-needed levity to the MCU as Scott Lang.
- The Public Persona: Affleck has always been a tabloid magnet, from "Bennifer" to those memes of him looking exhausted with a Dunkin’ Donuts coffee. Rudd has somehow managed to remain almost entirely "scandal-free," existing in a perpetual state of being everyone’s favorite guy.
What This Tells Us About Hollywood Longevity
The fact that we are still talking about Paul Rudd and Ben Affleck in 2026 says a lot. In an industry that eats its young, both of these guys have managed to evolve.
Affleck moved from heartthrob to serious auteur. Rudd moved from the cute guy in Clueless to a massive action star. They both represent a specific breed of 90s actor that didn't just fade away when the next generation showed up.
If you’re looking to dive deeper into this specific era of cinema, your best bet is to track down a copy of 200 Cigarettes. It’s a time capsule. You get to see two of the biggest stars in the world before the "mega-fame" truly settled in.
Next time you're scrolling through a streaming service, look for the early stuff. Check out The Locusts (1997) for a moody Rudd performance, or Chasing Amy for Affleck at his most vulnerable. It’s easy to forget that before they were icons, they were just two guys trying to figure out how to be leading men.
Go watch 200 Cigarettes this weekend. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it features a version of Ben Affleck that he probably hopes you’ve forgotten about.