Biography

Judd Apatow

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Judd Apatow is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and comedian. He directed The 40-Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, This is 40, Funny People, Trainwreck and The King of Staten Island. He also developed the television shows Freaks and Geeks, Undeclared, Girls, Love and Crashing. He is married to Leslie Mann and has two children.
- IMDb mini biography by: Christian Frates

Frequently casts: Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, Martin Starr, Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones, Leslie Mann, James Franco, Matt McKane, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Ken Jeong and Craig Robinson
Realistic, comical improvised dialogue
The films he directs are either near or well over two hours, uncharacteristic for comedies
Deliberate awkward, clumsy fight scenes for realistic effect.

Was once a roommate of Adam Sandler.
Before he was famous, he asked his comedy hero, Steve Martin, for his autograph, but Martin refused (he didn't give autographs at his home). Afterwords, Apatow wrote him a nasty letter with some nicely placed profanity. In response, Martin sent him a copy of his book, "Cruel Shoes." The inscription read: "Sorry, I didn't realize I was speaking to THE Judd Apatow".
His first job was as a dishwasher in a comedy club, which he took so that he could meet stand-up comics.
Discovered Seth Rogen.
While in high school, he started a radio show on the campus station. The show gave him an excuse to seek out and interview comedians such as Jerry Seinfeld, Jay Leno and Garry Shandling. Several years later, Shandling would hire him to write for The Larry Sanders Show (1992).

When R-rated comedies don't work, the studios are really embarrassed by them. But a PG-13 comedy is actually less offensive than an episode of Friends (1994). I think people want something a little more adult.
I think that everything I do tends to root for the underdog. I always felt as a kid that I was under appreciated, invisible or weird, but I've always secretly thought people would one day appreciate what is different about me. I'm always putting that message out there. Eventually, the nerds and the geeks will have their day.
College is the reward for surviving high school. Most people have great fun stories from college and nightmare stories from high school.
It's so difficult to shock America these days.
My way of dealing with the world has always been to make fun of it and observe it but not take part in it. That's how I became a writer. But when you have kids, suddenly you have to be part of things. It leads almost to a breakdown because your whole defense mechanism is now really destructive.

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