Paul Rust

Rust worked across comedian, musician, screenwriter, film actor and television actor. This article rests on 1 catalogued composition, 1 published texts, 5 issued recordings and 16 scholarly references drawn from named institutional registers. Every statement below returns to a source shown in the evidence panel; where the record is silent or divided, the article says so instead of resolving it.

• Name — Paul Rust • Education — University of Iowa • Occupation — * Actor • comedian • writer • musician • Years Active — 2003–present • Website — paulrust.com • Children — 1

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 in Le Mars, Iowa. 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.

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.

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

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2006 — Drake & Josh — Ethan — Episode: "Mindy Loves Josh" • 2006 — Cheap Seats — Canadian Violent Hugger — Episode: "Amazing Games: International Toughmen" • 2007 — The Right Now! Show — Cast Member — TV special • 2009 — Late Night with Jimmy Fallon — The Pie Sniffer — 1 episode • 2010 — The Sarah Silverman Program — Customer — Episode: "Smellin' of Troy" • 2010–2013 — Aqua Teen Hunger Force — Various voices — 2 episodes • 2011 — Mr. Sunshine — Director — 2 episodes • 2011–2012 — The Life & Times of Tim — Various voices — 2 episodes • 2012–2013 — The Aquabats! Super Show! — Ronmark — 2 episodes • 2012 — Eagleheart — Schwartz — Episode: "Honor Thy Marshal"; uncredited • 2012 — Best Friends Forever — Kurt McAfee — Episode: "Fatal Blow Out" • 2012–2016 — Comedy Bang! Bang! — Various roles — 9 episodes; also writer • 2012 — Parks and Recreation — Brian Raisins — Episode: "Leslie vs. April" • 2012 — NTSF:SD:SUV: — Sid — Episode: "16 Hop Street" • 2012 — Animal Practice — Jerry — Episode: "Clean-Smelling Pirate" • 2012–2013 — Tron: Uprising — Ott (voice) — 2 episodes • 2012–2021 — Bob's Burgers — Jonas / various voices — 5 episodes • 2013 — Arrested Development — Writer, story editor (season 4) • 2013 — The Greatest Event in Television History — Director — Episode: "Hart to Hart" • 2013–2014 — Super Fun Night — Benji — 8 episodes • 2016–2018 — Love — Gus Cruikshank — 34 episodes; also co-creator, executive producer, writer • 2016 — Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ — Ricky — Episode: "Farsi Lessons" • 2016–2018 — Animals. — Mason / P.A. (voice) — 3 episodes • 2017 — SuperMansion — Freckles (voice) — Episode: "Virtual Reality Bites" • 2018 — American Dad! — Demetri Weinsteinpolis (voice) — Episode: "The Never-Ending Stories" • 2019 — Brooklyn Nine-Nine — Mikey Joseph — Episode: "The Tattler" • 2019 — Black Monday — Brandt — Episode: "364" • 2019 — Drunk History — John Wojtowicz — Episode: "Love" • 2021–2025 — The Great North — Ham Tobin (voice) — Main role • 2021–2022 — Central Park — Various voices — 3 episodes • 2021–2023 — Ten Year Old Tom — Randy / Host (voice) — 15 episodes • 2021 — Santa Inc. — Jeremy / Grandpa Smalls (voice) — 8 episodes; also writer • 2023 — History of the World, Part II — DNC Staffer — Episode: "VIII" • 2023 — Digman! — Kurt (voice) — Episode: "Pilot" • 2023 — Goosebumps — Mahar — Episode: "Welcome to Horrorland" • 2025 — Big City Greens — Little Big City Employee (voice) — Episode: "City Wayne"

Paul Rust was born on 12 April 1981 in Le Mars. Rust held the nationality of United States. Rust was educated at University of Iowa and Gehlen Catholic High School. Married to: Lesley Arfin. Rust worked as comedian, musician, screenwriter and film actor, and the authority record catalogues a further 1 occupations under the same name, among them television actor. Rust was active from 2003.

• 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)