The pair also spoke on FaceTime after Brody Ridder, of Colorado, returned from school with the yearbook. Brody, who signed his own blank yearbook with the message: “I hope you make more friends”, was said to have been repeatedly alienated and bullied by his classmates. But after his mother, Cassandra, went public about the incident in a Facebook post that went viral, the schoolboy befriended his favorite superhero. Ant-Man star Rudd, 53, got in touch with the family and arranged a FaceTime call, in which the pair bonded over their shared interests in chess, fencing and dinosaurs. Rudd followed with a signed Ant-Man helmet and letter, in which the former Clueless star assured Brody that “things get better” and to remember the many people who love him. “Dear Brody, It was great talking to you the other day. It’s important to remember that even when life is hard, things get better,” he wrote. “There are so many people who love you and think you’re the coolest kid around – I’m one of them! “I can’t wait to see all the amazing things you are going to accomplish. Your friend, Paul.” The actor also included a handwritten note on the front of the Ant-Man helmet, encouraging Brody to “take on the world.” “To my good friend Brody for when he takes over the world!” He wrote. In a Facebook post, Cassandra called Rudd an “amazing man,” while revealing that she and her son have continued to stay in touch via text. “Guys, more tears. Paul Rudd is an amazing man. Brody and Paul have texting terms now. The message got me,” he wrote. Subscribe to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every morning at 7am. BST Speaking to the Independent, she said the exchange and gift had left her son “ecstatic”. In addition to sparking a friendship with Rudd, Brody’s story has sparked an outpouring of support from other students, including older students from his school. According to the Washington Post, after hearing that his classmates refused to wish him well, a group of older students visited Brody in his classroom, filling his yearbook with impromptu signatures and sympathetic messages.
