Paul Rudd becomes real-life superhero for 12-year-old whose classmates refused to sign his yearbook
Not all heroes wear capes…or ant costumes.
Paul Rudd has come to the aid of a 12 -year-old boy whose classmates refused to sign his yearbook.
News of Brody Ridder's alienating middle-school experience went viral in May after his mother Cassandra expressed her anguish on social media.
"My poor son. Doesn't seem like it's getting any better," Cassandra captioned a photo of his near-empty autograph page. "2 teachers and a total of 2 students wrote in his yearbook despite Brody asking all kinds of kids to sign it."
A Washington Post article later detailed how older students stepped in to support the Colorado preteen. In the piece, his mother revealed that her son has endured excessive bullying and "been through a lot."
The story caught the attention of Marvel star Rudd, who gave the boy a signed Ant-Man helmet and a handwritten letter. And if that weren't enough, he also surprised him with a FaceTime call.
Cassandra captured the heartwarming gesture, sharing images of the gifts as well as a clip of the conversation.
"Anyway, I heard about you," Rudd says in the video. "I'm like, 'I gotta talk to this kid because this kid sounds like my kind of guy.'
"Likes chess, likes fencing, likes dinosaurs... am I right?" he continued. "Well, I'm very excited that I get to talk to you and I get to meet you!"
The actor also imparted some wisdom to his new pal, writing him a message after their call.
"It's important to remember that even when life is tough that things get better," Rudd wrote. "There are so many people that love you and think you're the coolest kid there is — me being one of them! I can't wait to see all the amazing things you're going to accomplish."
Wow. He may not have been able to single-handedly defeat Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, but the man can sure write a letter (and warm our hearts).
The touching story also caught the attention of the Dear Evan Hansen cast, who invited Brody to attend the Broadway production of the show and bring his yearbook for them to sign.
So yeah, Rudd is right. When you have Ant-Man and Evan Hansen in your corner, it really does "get better."
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