The Paul Rudd Easter egg you might have missed in 'Only Murders in the Building'
It isn't a new season of Only Murders in the Building without clues and Easter eggs being dropped aplenty. And while we may only be two episodes into Season 3, Only Murders just casually dropped what could be its best Easter egg ever. And this one is art reflecting the life of Paul Rudd.
It's a blink-and-you'll-miss-it-moment, amid a lot of curious details. Spoilers below.
In episode 2, "The Beat Goes On," Mabel (Selena Gomez) and Charles (Steve Martin) meet Gregg (Adrian Martinez) while attending the funeral of Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd). Now, Gregg introduces himself to Mabel as part of Ben's security detail. So, she hopes they might collaborate on the investigation into who killed Ben. But too late she and Charles learn that he is actually an obsessed stalker. Worse yet, Gregg has these two sleuthing podcasters at the top of his suspect list.
The duo begins realizing that something's amiss when they go to Gregg's home and find that it's filled to the brim with Ben Glenroy-themed paraphernalia, from posters to props to Ben's pants. ("From Old Navy.") But hiding amongst all the Ben memorabilia is an Easter egg hilariously inspired by the best Paul Rudd lore to ever grace the internet.
On Gregg's dresser, you'll find an action figure of Ben Glenroy: Bat Mitzvah DJ. The box notes that it comes with body glitter and its own limbo poles.
The doll itself is wearing a yellow blazer with black shorts. Do you know who else wore a canary-yellow blazer and DJ'ed bat mitzvahs? Paul Rudd.
Paul Rudd's Bat Mitzvah DJ past pops up on Only Murders In the Building.
In the '90s, Rudd used to DJ at weddings and bar mitzvahs to earn some extra cash while trying to kick-start his acting career in Hollywood. A few years ago, home movie footage of Rudd hyping up a bat mitzvah went viral. As you can see in the video above, he's seen wearing the doll's exact outfit and trying to rally up some kids for a game of limbo.
During an interview with Howard Stern in 2015, Rudd explained that his brief DJ career began in a '50s-themed bar in Kansas City. When he moved to Los Angeles, he pivoted to bar/bat mitzvahs and became DJ "Donnie Dweeb," where his admirable dorky dancing was the must-have staple for any kid dreaming of the best bar mitzvah. His sweet moves would later factor into his onscreen charm in movies like I Could Never Be Your Woman and the Netflix series Living With Yourself.
Rudd only DJ'ed at bar mitzvahs for about a year. But his legacy as Donnie Dweeb will live on forever — even as a prop in Only Murders in the Building.
I personally really want my own Ben bar mitzvah doll… and Rudd's yellow jacket. I mean, Weird Barbie got a release. Why not DJ Donnie Dweeb?