Billy Eichner says that while there’s currently no plans to return full-time to Billy on the Street, bringing along Paul Rudd to do his recent one-off episode promoting Bros was an easy choice.
“Will there be more? Maybe on special occasions,” Eichner told The Hollywood Reporter during the Sept. 20 New York premiere carpet for his upcoming Universal Pictures film. “I’m never going to do it as much as I used to. I’ve been very focused on Bros, obviously. But you never know. One might pop up here and there when the time is right.”
While fans shouldn’t expect a new season from the comedian, writer and actor’s street quiz show famous for its many viral moments, Eichner had nothing but praise for Rudd, his most recent co-host.
The Ant-Man actor appeared in a special Billy on the Street episode filmed as part of the promotion tour for Bros and released ahead of the New York premiere. In the three-minute clip, Rudd and Eichner approach random straight New Yorkers to ask if they’ll see the gay studio rom-com for a dollar.
For Eichner, Rudd was the perfect choice to join him. “Paul Rudd is one of the best Billy on the Street guests we ever had going way back. Would you have sex with Paul Rudd? Fan-favorite show,” Eichner notes.
For the Bros co-writer and star, the fact that Rudd himself is a New Yorker and seems more comfortable with Billy on the Street‘s sometimes aggressive and tricky improvisational style makes him a stand-out among Eichner’s long history of famous guests.
“Sometimes actors come on and do it and, you know, it’s a tough thing to do. It’s not like acting on a film set. You’re improvising with real people. Some are more comfortable with that than others,” Eichner says. “Paul is so fearless. He loves it. He loves talking to the people. He’s a New Yorker. I think that helps.”
“He’s always been wonderful,” he adds. “I love being with him when we shoot, and so that’s why asked Paul.”
At the Tuesday premiere, which Eichner said took place at the same theater where he first saw You’ve Got Mail during its 1998 opening weekend, another face familiar to Billy on the Street fans made a red carpet appearance. That person is Billy on the Street icon and legend, Elena, who the comedian snapped a shot with.
“My date for last night’s NY premiere of Bros.,” Eichner tweeted.
Elena made her Billy on the Street debut in 2015, becoming a recurring personality as Eichner cavorted around New York’s streets asking unsuspecting people hilarious and sometimes absurd questions for the chance to win a single dollar.
During her runs with the show’s host, she not only took part in Eichner’s impromptu questions but made an attempt to milk a cow and proclaimed she has a stalker named Tapioca, among other comedic bits.
Bros releases in theaters on Sept. 30.
