Sean Astin and the Real 'Rudy' Reveal How 'Rudy II' Was Made

Speakers Rudy Ruettiger and Sean Astin, the actor who played Rudy in one of the most inspirational movies of all time, now star in this hilarious new commercial for KFC, "Rudy II".

The real Rudy makes a cameo about 13 seconds in saying, "You can't be Col. Sanders- you're Rudy!"

BRIAN LORD: How did this idea come about?

SEAN ASTIN: My agent Tim Curtis at WME has represented 6 of the previous Colonels. He has been working with them diligently for the past three years to make this happen. 

RUDY: The Rudy Brand was a perfect fit for the colonel Sanders! Colonel Sanders was 70 years of age when he made his chicken dream possible! They felt the Rudy Brand was perfect for the facelift of the chicken brand that dreams are real and you are never too old.

BRIAN LORD:  What was your reaction when they asked you?

SEAN ASTIN: I said yes 3 years ago. It’s just been a matter of time.

RUDY: I thought it was such a great idea!  I was excited to be able to have fun with the Rudy Story and thought having Sean involved we could create some creative energy for KFC and the Rudy message.  I played the father in the commercial and it was cool when I saw the iconic scenes being recreated.

BRIAN LORD:  What was it like seeing each other again?

SEAN ASTIN: Rudy is doing so well. We always love seeing each other. He is just as vibrant and upbeat as always. Everyone loved that he was a part of the ad. It made it feel really special. And, he’s a great actor!

RUDY:  Seeing Sean was absolutely a brotherhood relationship! We do Rudy in concerts as well! It was awesome being part of a commercial with Sean. There have been other Rudy commercials such as AT&T Rudy commercial, the Heisman house Rudy commercial, and the CarMax Rudy commercial.  It was such a fun concept to bring both Rudy’s together for this iconic moment for the KFC Commercial!  It has never been done before on a national commercial level. It was a moment I will never forget.  Being in this commercial is awesome!

BRIAN LORD: When was the last time you played football?

SEAN ASTIN:  27 years ago

RUDY:  The last time I played football formally on a team was when I was at Notre Dame.  Since then I tossed the ball around with my son.

BRIAN LORD: In what ways is the commercial better than the movie?

SEAN ASTIN: The commercial is just plain funny with some genuine heart sprinkled in. The actual movie makes you suffer through those pesky emotions of personal growth, the nature of human struggle & much more time spent failing before he succeeds. Who needs all of that drama when you can just yuck it all up in 60 seconds. Also, in the film, you have to suffer through 90 long minutes of the greatest film score ever written. 

RUDY: The commercial is meant to be funny so it can connect to the humor and still bring the message home! A sense of humor connects to American culture! It lifts all barriers!

---

To book Rudy Ruettiger for your next event, please visit https://premierespeakers.com/rudy_ruettiger. Listen to his episode of the Beyond Speaking podcast.

Rudy is the author of Rudy Ruettiger: The Walk On. To order in bulk for your event please visit Bulkbooks.com

To book Sean Astin for your event, please visit https://premierespeakers.com/sean_astin. Listen to his episode of the Beyond Speaking podcast.