Judd Apatow | |
|---|---|
 Apatow in 2024 | |
| Born | (1967-12-06)December 6, 1967 (age 57) New York City, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1985–present |
| Notable work | The 40-Year-Old Virgin Knocked Up Funny People This Is 40 Trainwreck The King of Staten Island The Bubble |
| Spouse | |
| Children | |
| Website | juddapatow |
Judd Apatow (/ˈæpətaʊ/; born December 6, 1967) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and comedian known for his work in comedy films. Apatow is the founder ofApatow Productions, through which he wrote, produced, and directed his filmsThe 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005),Knocked Up (2007),Funny People (2009),This Is 40 (2012),Trainwreck (2015),The King of Staten Island (2020), andThe Bubble (2022).
Through his company, Apatow produced and developed the television seriesFreaks and Geeks (1999–2000),Undeclared (2001–2002),Funny or Die Presents (2010–2011),Girls (2012–2017),Love (2016–2018), andCrashing (2017–2019). He also produced the filmsThe Cable Guy (1996),Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004),Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006),Superbad (2007),Pineapple Express (2008),Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008),Get Him to the Greek (2010),Bridesmaids (2011),Begin Again (2013), andThe Big Sick (2017).
Throughout his career, Apatow has received nominations for elevenPrimetime Emmy Awards (three wins), fiveWriters Guild of America Awards (one win), twoProducers Guild of America Awards, oneGolden Globe Award, and oneGrammy Award.
The middle of three children[1] of Maury Apatow, a real-estate developer,[2] and Tamara Shad,[3] who ran the music label Mainstream Records founded by her father,Bob Shad,[1][4] Judd Apatow was born on December 6, 1967,[5] in theFlushing neighborhood of the New York City borough ofQueens, and raised inSyosset, New York, onLong Island.[6] His family isJewish,[7][8] butnonreligious.[9] Apatow has an older brother, Robert, and a younger sister, Mia.[10][11] Their mother died in 2008.[12] His maternal grandmother, Molly, co-starred in his filmThis Is 40.[citation needed]
When Apatow was 12 years old, his parents divorced. Robert went to live with his maternal grandparents, and Mia went to live with her mother. As a child, Apatow lived mainly with his father, and visited his mother on weekends. Apatow's mother spent a summer working at a comedy club, which is where Judd was first exposed to livestand-up comedy.[13]
Apatow's deep interest in comedy dates back to his childhood; his heroes wereSteve Martin,Bill Cosby and theMarx Brothers.[10] Apatow got his comic start washing dishes at the Long Island East Side Comedy Club, and while attendingSyosset High School, he played jazz[4] and hosted a program calledComedy Club on the school's 125-watt radio stationWKWZ which he created as a way to meet and learn from comedians he admired.[14] Hecold-called comedians during this period, managing to interviewSteve Allen,Howard Stern,Harold Ramis andJohn Candy, along with emerging comedians such asJerry Seinfeld,Steven Wright, andGarry Shandling.[15][16][17][18]
Apatow began performing stand-up comedy at age seventeen, during his senior year of high school.[10] In the September 1985 issue ofLaugh Factory Magazine, he is listed as an associate editor. After graduating from high school in 1985 he moved to Los Angeles and enrolled in the screenwriting program atUniversity of Southern California.[10][19] While at USC, he organized and hosted a number of on-campus "Comedy Night" events, featuring headliners such asSaturday Night Live performerKevin Nealon. Apatow introduced the acts at these events with short standup routines of his own. He also began volunteering at (and later producing) benefit concerts for HBO'sComic Relief and performing and seeing standup atthe Improv in Hollywood.[10] He dropped out of college during his second year and later moved into an apartment with comedianAdam Sandler, whom he met at the Improv.[10] He competed in the Johnnie Walker Comedy Search in 1989 directed bySaturday Night Live short film producerNeal Marshad.[20]
Shortly thereafter, Apatow was introduced by manager Jimmy Miller toGarry Shandling which resulted in Apatow being hired as a writer for the1991 Grammy Awards that year, which Shandling hosted.[21] He went on to co-produce comedy specials byRoseanne Arnold,Tom Arnold, andJim Carrey. In 1992, Apatow appeared onHBO's15th Annual Young Comedians Special[22] and shortly afterwards went on to co-create and executive produceThe Ben Stiller Show forFox. Apatow had met Stiller outside of anElvis Costello concert in 1990, and they became friends. Despite critical acclaim and anEmmy Award for Apatow and the rest of the writing staff, Fox canceled the show in 1993.[23]
Apatow went on to join HBO'sThe Larry Sanders Show in 1993 as a writer and consulting producer, and he later served as a co-executive producer and director of an episode during the show's final season in 1998. He credits Shandling as his mentor for influencing him to write comedy that is more character-driven.[20] Apatow earned sixEmmy nominations for his work on Larry Sanders. During this same time, he worked as a consulting producer and staff writer for the animated showThe Critic, starringJon Lovitz.[24]
In 1995, Apatow co-wrote (with Steve Brill) the feature filmHeavyweights. Around the same time, Apatow was hired to produce and do an uncredited re-write of the script for the movieThe Cable Guy, which was released in 1996 to mixed reviews.[25] It was during the pre-production of the film that Apatow met his future wife, actressLeslie Mann.[26] Apatow did uncredited re-writes on two otherJim Carrey films:Liar Liar andBruce Almighty.[27] His next script was titledMaking Amends, which hadOwen Wilson attached to star as a man inAlcoholics Anonymous who decides to apologize to everyone he has ever hurt. However, the film was never made.[25] Apatow did uncredited rewrites of theAdam Sandler filmsHappy Gilmore andThe Wedding Singer.[25] He was also featured in four tracks on Sandler's 1996 comedy album "What the Hell Happened to Me?"[28]
In 1999, Apatow createdSick in the Head, a multi-camera sitcom pilot starringDavid Krumholtz as a psychiatrist on his first day on the job,Amy Poehler as a suicidal patient, andKevin Corrigan as Krumholtz's slacker roommate.[29] The show was not picked up by Fox, which freed up Apatow to serve as an executive producer of the award-winning seriesFreaks and Geeks, which debuted in 1999. He also wrote and directed several episodes of the series. After its cancellation, Apatow was the executive producer and creator of the seriesUndeclared, which reusedSeth Rogen in the main cast and otherFreaks and Geeks cast members in recurring roles. Although both shows were quickly canceled,USA Today media critic Susan Wloszczyna called the shows "two of the most acclaimed TV series to ever last only one season".[30]
In 2001, Apatow createdNorth Hollywood, a pilot that featuredJason Segel,Kevin Hart,Seth Rogen,Phil Hendrie, andJudge Reinhold (playing himself). The pilot was not picked up by ABC.[31] In 2002, he co-wrote (withBrent Forrester) a Fox pilot titledLife on Parole, starringDavid Herman as a dissatisfiedparole officer whose roommate happens to be one of his parolees; it was not picked up. Apatow has screened and introduced them at "The Other Network", a festival of un-aired TV pilots produced byUn-Cabaret.[29]
In 2004, Apatowproduced the feature film comedyAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, starringWill Ferrell and directed byAdam McKay. The film was a box office success. Apatow co-produced the 2013 sequel,Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues.[32] He made his feature directorial debut in 2005 with the comedyThe 40-Year-Old Virgin, which he also co-wrote with the film's star,Steve Carell, forUniversal Pictures. The film opened at number one at the box office and grossed more than $175 million globally.[25] The comedy garnered numerous awards and nominations, including being named one ofAFI's Top Movies of the Year, as well as taking home Best Comedy Movie at the 11th annual Critics' Choice Awards.[33]The 40-Year-Old Virgin also earned Apatow a nomination for Best Original Screenplay from theWriters Guild of America and received fourMTV Movie Award nominations, including a win for Carell for Best Comedic Performance.[34] In 2005, Apatow co-wrote withNicholas Stoller the feature film comedyFun with Dick and Jane starringJim Carrey andTéa Leoni. The film went on to gross $205 million worldwide.[35]
His second film, the romantic comedyKnocked Up, was released in June 2007 to wide critical acclaim. Apatow wrote the initial draft of the film on the set ofTalladega Nights.[20] The story concerns a slacker and a media personality (Rogen and Heigl, respectively) whoseone-night stand results in an unintended pregnancy. In addition to being a critical success, the film was also a commercial hit, continuing Apatow's newfound mainstream success.[citation needed]
In August 2007, Apatow produced the filmSuperbad, which was written bySeth Rogen and his writing partnerEvan Goldberg. A concept Rogen and Goldberg had created as teens, Apatow convinced Rogen to write the film as a vehicle for himself in 2000. Rogen and Goldberg finished writing the film, but were unable to find a studio interested in producing it. Apatow then enlisted Rogen and Goldberg to writePineapple Express, astoner action movie that he felt would be more commercial. After the success ofAnchorman andThe 40-Year-Old Virgin, Apatow was still unable to sell bothSuperbad andPineapple Express; it was only after he produced the commercial hitTalladega Nights thatSony Pictures Entertainment decided to produce both.[25]
At this point, Rogen was unable to play the lead forSuperbad, as he had grown too old to play the part of Seth. Subsequently, he was cast in a supporting role as a police officer and friendJonah Hill took his role as the high school student. Apatow credits Rogen for influencing him to make his work more "outrageously dirty".[20]
In August 2007,Superbad opened at No. 1 in the box office to critical acclaim, taking in $33 million in its opening weekend.[36] Industry insiders claimed Apatow was now a brand unto himself, creating movies geared toward older audiences, who would watch his movies even when the films delved into the teen genre.[37]
Apatow served as producer and co-writer along with directorJake Kasdan for the biopic spoofWalk Hard starringJohn C. Reilly,Kristen Wiig andJenna Fischer, which was released in December 2007.[38] While the film received positive reviews,[39] it did poorly commercially.[40] In 2008, he served as producer forDrillbit Taylor starring Owen Wilson andLeslie Mann and written bySeth Rogen, which opened in March and earned negative reviews.[41]
For the rest of 2008, Apatow produced the comedy filmsForgetting Sarah Marshall starringJason Segel andKristen Bell;Step Brothers, which reunitesTalladega Nights co-starsWill Ferrell andJohn C. Reilly; andPineapple Express starring Seth Rogen andJames Franco, both of whom originally starred onFreaks and Geeks. In addition, he served as co-writer for theAdam Sandler comedy filmYou Don't Mess with the Zohan, which Sandler andRobert Smigel also co-wrote and went on to gross $204 million at the worldwide box office.[42][43]
He tries to keep a low budget on his projects and usually makes his movies about the work itself rather than using big stars. After his success in film, he hired the entire writing staff fromUndeclared to write movies forApatow Productions.[20] He never fires writers and he keeps them on projects through all stages of productions, known colloquially as "the comedy wheel".[20] Apatow is not committed to any specific studio, but his projects are typically set up atUniversal andSony,[20] and in 2009Variety reported that Universal had signed him to a 3 picture directing deal.[44] Apatow once vowed to include a penis in every one of his movies.[45] He explained his position as, "I like movies that are, you know, uplifting and hopeful...and I like filth!"[46]
In 2009, Apatow served as producer for the biblical comedy filmYear One; the film was not well received.[47] He also released his third directorial feature on July 31 that same year, titledFunny People. Apatow wrote the film, which starredAdam Sandler andSeth Rogen as a pair of standup comedians, one of whom has a terminal illness. Other co-stars included his wifeLeslie Mann andEric Bana, who was a comedic actor in Australia before appearing in American films. The film contained more dramatic elements than Apatow's previous directorial efforts.[48] Although the film was not financially successful (grossing $54 million domestically), the critical reception was primarily positive, with David Denby ofThe New Yorker magazine including the film on his top ten films of 2009,[49] callingFunny People "a serious comedy about a funny man's brush with death" and stating that the film "is Apatow's richest, most complicated movie yet—a summing up of his feelings about comedy and its relation to the rest of existence."[50]New York Times criticA.O. Scott, reflecting on summer films of 2009, opined thatFunny People was "a movie about growing up, feeling sad, facing death—a long, serious film whose subject is the challenge of maturity. Which may be why, in the face of a softish opening weekend, various interpreters of box office data were quick to declareFunny People a flop. The summer is no time for grown-ups."[51]
In 2010, Apatow served as producer on theForgetting Sarah Marshall spin-offGet Him to the Greek withRussell Brand reprising his role andJonah Hill returning from the original film, albeit as a different character. Released by Universal, the film did well at the box office, grossing $92 million.[52] In 2011, Apatow producedBridesmaids which grossed $288.4 million worldwide[53] and receivedOscar nominations for Best Supporting Actress (Melissa McCarthy) and Best Original Screenplay (Annie Mumolo andKristen Wiig), as well as twoGolden Globe Award nominations and twoScreen Actors Guild Award nominations.Bridesmaids also won a Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Comedy Movie, aPeople's Choice Award for Favorite Comedy Movie and was named one of AFI's Movies of the Year.[54] That same year, he producedGirls after seeingLena Dunham's 2010 filmTiny Furniture. The series ran from 2012 to 2017 and generating criticism over its depiction of sexual assault,[55] male ejaculate,[56] and Dunham's frequent on-screen nudity.[57][58] In a January 2013 interview inFast Company, Apatow and Dunham discussed the creative process of working on the show, saying that "this type of show is an auteur's vision. It isn't collaborative in the same way as other shows. We are probably closer toCurb Your Enthusiasm than we are to something likeFriends."[59]
Apatow producedWanderlust (2012), starringJennifer Aniston andPaul Rudd as a married couple who leave New York City and live in a hippie commune.[60] He also producedThe Five-Year Engagement (2012), featuringJason Segel andEmily Blunt as a couple who have a rocky five-year engagement.[61]
Apatow's fourth directorial effort, theKnocked Up spin-offThis Is 40, was released byUniversal Pictures on December 21, 2012, starringPaul Rudd andLeslie Mann as the characters Pete and Debbie (reprising their roles fromKnocked Up) and had original music byGraham Parker andThe Rumour (who play themselves).[62] The film received mostly positive reactions from critics, withThe New Yorker's Richard Brody writing thatThis Is 40 is "the stuff of life, and it flows like life, and, like life, it would be good for it to last longer."[63]
In 2012,Entertainment Weekly reported that 22 years after writing an episode ofThe Simpsons, Apatow's script ("Bart's New Friend")[64] was being developed into an episode that would air in 2015.[65] Apatow co-producedAnchorman 2: The Legend Continues, which was released December 18, 2013, with the plot focusing on "Ron Burgundy's struggle to find his place in the rise of new media and the 24-hour news cycle".[66] Apatow producedBegin Again (2013), starringKeira Knightley who plays a singer-songwriter who is discovered by a struggling record label executive (played byMark Ruffalo) and collaborates with him to produce an album recorded in public locations all over New York City. Writer-directorJohn Carney firstpitched the film in 2010 to Apatow, who produced the film alongsideTobin Armbrust and Anthony Bregman whose production company Exclusive Media financed the film's US$8 million budget.[25]
Apatow's fifth directorial feature was the 2015 romantic comedy entitledTrainwreck.Amy Schumer wrote and starred in the film as "a basket case who tries to rebuild her life"[67] by attempting to commit to a serious relationship with a sports doctor (Bill Hader), after a string of one-night stands with different men.[68]The Atlantic's Christopher Orr opined that "this is a film that belongs not to its director but to its star, who, if there is any justice in the world, is about to ascend from cult icon to mass phenomenon."[69] The film received an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.[70] Produced on a budget of $35 million,Trainwreck grossed $140.8 million worldwide.[71]
In November 2017, Apatow returned to stand-up after a long hiatus to headline a show in New York City'sCarnegie Hall calledJudd Apatow and Friends. He announced overTwitter that the show would benefitEverytown for Gun Safety, a non-profit organization founded byMichael Bloomberg which advocates for gun control and against gun violence.[72]
In 2016, he created the Netflix television comedy seriesLove, on which he also serves as a writer and executive producer.[73] The series followed a young couple navigating the thrills and agonies of modern relationships, and ran on Netflix for three seasons.[74] Later that year,HBO picked upCrashing, a semi-autobiographical television series which followsPete Holmes as he tries to become a stand-up comedian after his wife cheats on him. It's only with the help of other famous comedians (playing fictional versions of themselves) that Pete is able to learn the ropes of the stand-up comedy world. The series was created by and stars comedian Pete Holmes, and executive produced by Apatow.[75] It was first reported in 2010 that Apatow would be producing a newPee-wee Herman film starringPaul Reubens that would be written by Rebuens andPaul Rust.[76] The film,Pee-wee's Big Holiday, was released byNetflix in March 2016.[77]
Apatow made his first documentary piece in 2016,Doc and Darryl, which documents the career and relationship ofNew York Mets playersDwight "Doc" Gooden andDarryl Strawberry. It aired as part ofESPN's series of sports documentaries30 for 30 in July 2016.[78]
In 2017, he produced the romantic comedyThe Big Sick. The film starsKumail Nanjiani as himself, a stand-up comedian who comes from a MuslimPakistani background and falls in love with an American woman, based on Nanjiani's real-life wifeEmily V. Gordon.[79] Produced on a budget of $5 million, it grossed $56.4 million worldwide.[80][81] ANew York Times review described the movie as "a joyous, generous-hearted romantic comedy that, even as it veers into difficult terrain, insists that we just need to keep on laughing" while revitalizing "the often moribund romantic comedy subgenre with a true story of love, death and the everyday comedy of being a 21st-century American".[82] In 2018, the film was nominated for an Academy Award in the category of best Original Screenplay. Additionally it won Best Comedy at the Critics' Choice Awards and received an AFI Movies of the Year Award from the American Film Institute. The film also received two Screen Actors Guild nominations and an NAACP Image Award nomination. Apatow was nominated for the Darryl F. Zanuck Award for Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures award by the Producers Guild of America, alongside producing partner Barry Mendel.[83]
Earlier that year, Apatow produced Chris Gethard's HBO comedy special Career Suicide, an hour and a half long monologue about Gethard's experience with depression, therapy and search for fulfillment. The program was described as being able to "articulate intense and often ineffable emotion" while still remaining "brazenly candid...and packed with great jokes". In a review forThe A.V. Club, Erik Adams wrote "There is a feeling that somewhere, somehow, someone is going to stumble-upon Career Suicide, and it's going to make them feel less alone."[84]
Apatow also starred in his first stand-up special,Judd Apatow: The Return, in December 2017. The special was recorded during theJust for Laughs comedy festival inMontreal, Canada the previous July and released through Netflix.[85] Apatow also had a cameo role inThe Disaster Artist (2017), which chronicles the making of the filmThe Room.[86]The New Yorker criticRichard Brody felt the role was a "reminder" that Apatow should play a lead in one of his own films.[87] Along with documentarian Michael Bonfiglio, Apatow co-directed the documentaryMay It Last: A Portrait Of The Avett Brothers, which chronicles the making of thetitular band's albumTrue Sadness. It aired on HBO in January 2018 and later won the SXSW Audience Award at the SXSW film festival.[88][89]
Later in 2018, he directed another HBO documentary,The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling, exploring the life and legacy of comedianGarry Shandling, one of Apatow's idols and a close friend.[90] After editing together video packages for Garry Shandling's memorial service, Apatow realized that the material was worthy of a full documentary.NPR'sDavid Bianculi called the documentary, "a deeply affecting TV show about the meaning of life – right up there with the final TV interviews by mythologistJoseph Campbell and British TV writerDennis Potter. In his comedy, Garry Shandling always was in pursuit of the truth and contemplating real life. With this two-partHBO special, he and Judd Apatow achieved that very beautifully one last time."[91] In September 2018, Apatow took home the outstanding documentary or nonfiction special award at theCreative Arts Emmy Awards for his work on the documentary.[92]
In June 2020, Apatow's seventh directorial film,The King of Staten Island, co-written with and starringPete Davidson, was to be released in theatres but due to the ongoingCOVID-19 pandemic it was instead released tovideo on demand on the 12th of June to positive reviews from critics.[citation needed]
In 2022, Apatow, Joshua Church, andNicholas Stoller co-producedBros, the first major studio rom-com with an all LGBTQ cast. The film starsBilly Eichner,Luke Macfarlane,Ts Madison,Monica Raymund,Guillermo Díaz,Guy Branum, andAmanda Bearse.[93]
Apatow memorialized the friendship of comicsBob Newhart andDon Rickles inBob & Don: A Love Story—a 2023 short documentary film featuring interviews with and home movies of both families.[94]
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In 2007,New York magazine noted that former Apatow associateMike White was "disenchanted" by Apatow's later films, "objecting to the treatment of women and gay men in Apatow's recent movies", with White quoted as saying ofKnocked Up: "At some point it starts feeling like comedy of the bullies, rather than the bullied."[95] In Apatow's comedies, characters had frequently used demeaning words against theLGBTQ community, words such as "tranny", and "faggot".[96]
ActressKatherine Heigl said in 2007 that though she enjoyed working with Apatow onKnocked Up, she found the film itself "a littlesexist" and felt it "paints the women as shrews, as humorless and uptight, and it paints the men as lovable, goofy, fun-loving guys."[97][98][99] Apatow responded, "I'm just shocked she used the wordshrew. I mean, what is this, the 1600s?"[100] Apatow acknowledged that the characters in the film "are sexist at times... but it's really about immature people who are afraid of women and relationships and learn to grow up."[101]
In 2012, Alyssa Rosenberg ofThinkProgress quoted Apatow as saying, "I got bored of penises. I said, 'enough of that.' No, I just like immaturity, I like to show people struggle and try to figure out who they are. I'm a guy and so it leaned guy for a while. But one of the projects I'm most proud of isFreaks and Geeks, which is about a woman in high school struggling to figure out which group she wants to belong to, so for me, it goes back and forth."[102]
TheAcademy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rejected his first application for membership, even though he was sponsored byAcademy Award-winning screenwritersAkiva Goldsman andStephen Gaghan.Seth Rogen claimed Apatow "just wanted the free DVDs".[103][30] He became a member in 2008.[104]
Apatow met actressLeslie Mann on the set of the 1996 comedy filmThe Cable Guy, where he served as producer and she was cast as the girlfriend ofMatthew Broderick's character.[105] They were married on June 9, 1997, in Los Angeles,[106] and have two daughters,Maude andIris. Mann has appeared inFreaks and Geeks,The 40-Year-Old Virgin,Knocked Up,Drillbit Taylor,Funny People, andThis Is 40.[105] Both daughters appeared inKnocked Up,Funny People, andThis Is 40, as Leslie Mann's character's daughters,[107] and Maude was nominated at the34th Young Artist Awards forBest Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress forThis Is 40.[108]
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Apatow's philanthropic work includes supporting the literacy organization826LA,[109] the Bogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program, and Children's Cancer Research Center at Children's hospital.[110] He edited the bookI Found This Funny published byMcSweeneys to benefit 826LA.[111] Additionally, Apatow's book, "Sick in the Head", in which he interviews comedy icons such as Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno, benefitted the 826LA organization.[112][113]
Apatow has also received several high-profile awards for his advocacy and support of women in Hollywood, as well as victims of sexual assault. In 2015, he was honored by the Rape Treatment Foundation, who later released a statement on Apatow's contributions, describing him as "a powerful voice for the truths about rape and an advocate for respectful treatment of victims".[114] Apatow has positioned himself at the forefront of the#MeToo and#TimesUp online movements, encouraging alleged victims to come forward while also criticizing people accused. Apatow had strong words for people likeBill Cosby and those who gave Cosby a platform to continue to perform and speak.[115][116]
In 2017, Apatow was awarded theACLU Bill of Rights Award, for being "an outspoken and tireless advocate on behalf of women in the arts".[117]
Apatow regularly performs stand-up at theLargo at the Coronet, a comedy venue in Los Angeles, as part of his Judd Apatow and Friends series. Guests have includedAdam Sandler,Zach Galifianakis,Ryan Adams,Beck,David Spade,Garry Shandling andJackson Browne. Each show benefits a charity of Apatow's choosing and past charities have includedSt. Jude Children's Research Hospital,826LA andAlzheimer's Association.[118]
During his work on theLarry Sanders Show, Apatow was nominated for fiveEmmys,[119] as well as aCritics' Choice Television Award. In 2007, he was nominated for aGrammy for co-writing the song "Walk Hard" (nominated for Best Song Written for Motion Picture).[120] Apatow's work was also nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 2012 and 2013Primetime Emmys forGirls and was also nominated at theCritics' Choice Television Awards forGirls.[119] In 2012, Apatow received the Hollywood Comedy Award at the 16th annual Hollywood Film Awards presented by theHollywood Film Festival.[121] Additionally in 2012, Apatow was presented with the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence from the Writers Guild East.[122]
In 2015, Apatow's filmTrainwreck was nominated for 2Golden Globe Awards, including a nomination forBest Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, the first film directed by Apatow to achieve this feat.[123] The film was also nominated for 3Critics' Choice Movie Awards, includingBest Comedy.[124] In 2016, Apatow was awarded the Generation Award at theJust for Laughs comedy festival inMontreal for his contributions to comedy.[125]
| Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director | Writer | Executive Producer | Creator | |||
| 1991 | Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth | No | Yes | Co-producer | No | Stand-up special |
| 1992 | Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth 2 | No | Yes | Co-producer | No | |
| 1992–1993 | The Ben Stiller Show | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 13 episodes |
| 1993 | Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth 3 | No | Yes | Co-producer | No | Stand-up special |
| 1993–1998 | The Larry Sanders Show | Yes | Yes | Consulting Co-executive | No | 76 episodes |
| 1994–1995 | The Critic | No | Yes | Consulting | No | 21 episodes |
| 1999–2000 | Freaks and Geeks | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 18 episodes |
| 2001–2002 | Undeclared | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 17 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | Funny or Die Presents | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 36 episodes |
| 2012–2017 | Girls | No | Yes | Yes | No | 62 episodes |
| 2015 | The Simpsons | No | Yes | No | No | Episode: "Bart's New Friend" |
| 2016 | 30 for 30 | Yes | No | Yes | No | Episode: "Doc & Darryl" |
| 2016–2018 | Love | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | 34 episodes |
| 2017–2019 | Crashing | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | 24 episodes |
| 2018 | The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling | Yes | No | No | No | Documentary Also producer |
| 2022 | George Carlin's American Dream | Yes | No | Yes | No | Documentary |
Executive producer only
| Co-Producer only
|
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | The Ben Stiller Show | Foxy The Fox, Jay Leno | 3 episodes |
| 1994 | The Critic | Jay Leno (voice) | Episode: "L.A. Jay" |
| 1995 | Heavyweights | Homer | |
| NewsRadio | Goofy Ball (voice) | Episode: "Goofy Ball" | |
| 2004 | Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy | News Station Employee | |
| 2006 | Help Me Help You | Judd | 2 episodes |
| 2011 | Zookeeper | Barry The Elephant (voice) | |
| 2014 | The Simpsons | Himself (voice) | Episode: "Steal This Episode" |
| 2016–2017 | Lady Dynamite | Himself | 2 episodes |
| 2017 | Sandy Wexler | Testimonial | |
| The Disaster Artist | Hollywood Producer | Uncredited cameo | |
| Judd Apatow: The Return | Himself | Stand-up special | |
| 2024 | Stupid Pet Tricks | Himself | Episode: "Judd Apatow Gets Fired" |
Apatow has worked with a group of actors on an ongoing basis, includingSteve Carell,Paul Rudd,Seth Rogen,Jonah Hill, andJason Segel, and also tends to work with his close friends and family.[20] He has frequently worked with producersShauna Robertson and Barry Mendel.[25] To date, Seth Rogen has been involved with eight of Apatow's projects, as an actor, writer, and/or producer. Apatow's wife Leslie Mann has starred in five,Will Ferrell has starred in five, Paul Rudd has starred in nine, Jonah Hill has starred in seven, and Jason Segel has starred in four (as well as written two). Apatow has produced four projects written byAdam McKay and Will Ferrell.Saturday Night Live andBridesmaids starKristen Wiig has appeared in five Apatow movies and, alongside Mann, is Apatow's main female collaborator.
Kristen Wiig, in a speech presenting Apatow with the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence in February 2012 said that he was an "incredible collaborator and supporter"[127] In a 2011 interview withElle, television actress and writerLena Dunham, who has collaborated often with Apatow said of his work, "Knocked Up is really about love. [...] His movies are about people trying to get closer to themselves. He's the perfect match for a story about being 25, because that's all 25-year-olds are interested in. The other problems they encounter—money issues, conflicts at work—don't matter."[128]
Actors who have appeared in three or more of Apatow's films, as well asThis Is the End, which is a film which Apatow did not produce but features a lot of actors who worked with him over previous years
Work Actor | 1999-2000 | 2001-2002 | 2005 | 2007 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2012 | 2013 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iris Apatow | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Maude Apatow | No | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Steve Bannos | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Gerry Bednob | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No | No | No |
| James Franco | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Wayne Federman | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Carla Gallo | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Bill Hader | No | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No |
| Jonah Hill | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| David Krumholtz | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Justin Long | No | No | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
| Leslie Mann | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Craig Robinson | No | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Seth Rogen | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No |
| Paul Rudd | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Jason Schwartzman | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Jason Segel | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| Martin Starr | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| Loudon Wainwright III | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | No | No | No | No | No |
Miss Tamara Shad, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Shad of East Hills, and Palm Springs, Calif., was married tonight to Maury Apatow. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Leon Apatow of Brooklyn. Rabbi Alan Steinbach performed the ceremony at the Hewlett‐East Rockaway Jewish Center.
As a Jewish man who has no interest in Judaism whatsoever
In an attempt to rid America of its phallophobia, Judd Apatow once vowed to include a penis in every one of his movies.
Says Apatow: "I like movies that are, you know, up-lifting and hopeful ... and I like filth."
