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How Paul Rudd acted opposite himself for new Netflix series "Living With Yourself"

Paul Rudd talks new Netflix series
Paul Rudd on the challenges of playing opposite himself in new Netflix series 06:24

Paul Rudd has become one of Hollywood's most beloved actors over his more than 25-year career. Now, we're getting a Paul Rudd two-for-one with the new series "Living With Yourself."

The Netflix comedy features Rudd as a man who isn't in the best place. In the hopes of turning his life around, he visits a spa and undergoes a mysterious treatment. Upon returning home he finds he's been replaced by a better version of himself. But acting without someone else to play off of wasn't easy for even the veteran actor. 

"It was a challenge, and I was excited to try it," he told "CBS This Morning." "And you know, normally when you're acting opposite somebody, you don't know where a scene's going to go because what you do is dependent on what the other person is doing. This is the first time I got to think of a scene and construct it from the ground up."

Rudd, who's starred in everything from cult classics like "Clueless" to blockbuster hits like "Anchorman" and "Ant-Man," explained how they were able to make it work behind the scenes.

"For me, the way it worked best was to record the audio for both characters. Whatever character is driving the scene is the one they would film first. I wouldn't act with a double or an acting partner, I would put a little earwig in my ear, I would listen to the opposite line. If I'm playing the new version of the character, I can hear the old version replying because there's somebody off screen hitting the cue," he explained. 

"Living With Yourself" premieres on Netflix this Friday.

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