As Paul Rudd, the beloved star of the “Ant-Man” franchise, made a surprise appearance at universities in Pennsylvania, he brought more than just his charming personality—he came bearing refreshments for students waiting in hours-long lines to cast their ballots.
While reporting live from Philadelphia’s Temple University, MSNBC National Correspondent Jacob Soboroff spotted the actor and quickly approached him. “Hey, Paul, I’m live with Nicolle Wallace on MSNBC!” “Hey, Paul, I’m on live with Nicolle Wallace on MSNBC!” Soboroff exclaimed, quickly asking Rudd what brought him to the voting lines.
“I just wanted to give people water,” Rudd said calmly. “They’re waiting in line for a long time, and it’s a wonderful thing that all these young people are out voting.” When Soboroff informed Rudd that some voters had been waiting up to two hours, the actor nodded and said, “That’s impressive.”
“We’ve been doing lots of stuff today here in Pennsylvania,” Rudd continued. “We wanted to come out and tell these students they’re doing really great things.” Soboroff then asked Rudd how he felt about the election, prompting the actor to laugh and respond wryly, “I feel good about handing out some waters!”
The reporter then turned his attention to a first-time voter, a young black woman, who stated that her mind was made up and she didn’t need any outside influence. She expressed her readiness to vote immediately. “I didn’t need to hear people talking in my ear.”
Rudd then emerged from behind them, prompting Soboroff to offer the voter a water bottle. “Yes, I do!” she exclaimed, passing her phone to Soboroff for a memento of the encounter.
According to photos shared on X, Rudd also showed his support for students waiting to vote at Villanova University, which is located less than an hour from Temple. During the 2020 election, the actor made headlines for handing out cookies to people standing in the rain while waiting to vote in Brooklyn, New York.
“It’s a wonderful thing that all these young people are out voting,” Rudd reiterated to Soboroff. “We wanted to come out and tell these students they’re doing really great things.”
The long lines at polling places near Philadelphia-area colleges were not unique to Temple and Villanova. Precincts near Lehigh University in Bethlehem reported voters waiting up to seven hours, while over 200 people queued outside a precinct near Villanova’s Delaware County campus, with many college students waiting over 90 minutes to cast their ballots.
The ACLU unsuccessfully filed a lawsuit Tuesday evening, asking a judge to extend voting for two hours at the Villanova location, citing inadequate support from the county. The filing stated that the county provided only three machines to accommodate two voting divisions.
“The counties know from history that students come out for presidential elections, and they should have been better prepared,” said Witold Walczak, legal director of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, in a statement.
Despite the long waits, students were determined to make their voices heard. Some passed the time by playing Frisbee, eating Mexican food and pizza, and blasting Miley Cyrus’ “7 Things” from a large speaker. And when Rudd showed up, they were thrilled to snap photos with the celebrity and quench their thirst with the water he brought. “This water,” said Emily Prus, a 19-year-old Villanova freshman, “is from Paul Rudd.”