Hollywood actor Paul Rudd has recently made an unexpected appearance at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on election day, surprising students by handing out bottles of water to those waiting in long lines to cast their votes. The gesture quickly won the internet's admiration, with fans hailing him as a "national treasure."

As MSNBC covered the event, anchor Nicole Wallace connected with NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff, who was reporting live from Pennsylvania. Soboroff spotted Rudd in the crowd, handing out water and interacting with students. Excited, Soboroff rushed over to speak with the actor, sharing the moment live with viewers. 

Paul Rudd showing up at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to bring students water while they were getting ready to vote made me so happy!

He's a national treasure! pic.twitter.com/5KQSKbPv5O

— Art Candee (@ArtCandee) November 5, 2024

When asked what brought him to the polling station, Rudd responded, "I just wanted to give people water. They've been waiting in line for hours, and it's incredible to see so many young people showing up to vote." 

Soboroff noted that some voters had been in line for up to two hours, to which Rudd replied, "That's impressive." 

Fans quickly took to social media to praise the actor's thoughtful gesture. One user on X (formerly Twitter) wrote, "Paul Rudd showing up at Temple University to bring students water made me so happy! He's a national treasure!" Another joked, "Paul will be passing out water in the 2096 election and look no different," referencing Rudd's famously youthful appearance.

The star's kindness offered a brief moment of calm in the midst of election day fervour, with one fan summing it up: "America needed Paul Rudd today. He's like America's safety blanket."

Famous for his role as Mike Hannigan in the popular sitcom "Friends", Paul Rudd made his acting debut in 1991. He has played the superhero Ant-Man (Scott Lang) in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), beginning with "Ant-Man" (2015) and most recently in "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" (2023), and the Ghostbuster Gary Grooberson in "Ghostbusters: Afterlife" (2021) and "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire" (2024).

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His films include "Clueless" (1995), "Romeo + Juliet" (1996), "Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy" (2004), "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" (2005), "Knocked Up" (2007), "I Love You, Man" (2009), "This Is 40" (2012), and "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" (2013). 

He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in July 2015 and was included on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list in 2019. In 2021, he was named People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive".