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Overview (2) |
Mini Bio (1) |
Spouse (1) |
Trade Mark (3) |
Trivia (24) |
Personal Quotes (12)
Overview (2)
| Date of Birth | 6 December 1967 , Syosset, New York, USA |
| Height | 5' 8½" (1.74 m) |
Mini Bio (1)
Judd Apatow was born on December 6, 1967 in Syosset, New York, USA. He is a producer and writer, known for This Is 40 (2012), Knocked Up (2007) and The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005). He has been married to Leslie Mann since June 9, 1997. They have two children.
Spouse (1)
| Leslie Mann | (9 June 1997 - present) (2 children) |
Trade Mark (3)
Frequently casts: Jason Segel, Seth Rogen, Martin Starr, Paul Rudd, 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.
Trivia (24)
Was once a roommate of Adam Sandler.
When he won an award for The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005) at the 10th Broadcast Film Critic Awards he stated Garry Shandling taught him how to write.
Discovered Jay Baruchel.
His first job was as a dishwasher in a comedy club, which he took so that he could meet stand-up comics.
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).
Came to Hollywood at 17.
The daughter of a record executive, his mother drove a red corvette in high school.
Judd's grandparents on his father, Maury's side owned a pharmacy.
Judd's mother, Tami, attended the same high school and was good friends with Marilyn Berliner who is the aunt of Shane Stanley.
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 favorite comedy film is Young Frankenstein (1974).
His number-one idol is Steve Martin.
2007 - Ranked #1 on EW's The 50 Smartest People in Hollywood.
Claimed on his Myspace that his influences are Hal Ashby, Garry Shandling, Cameron Crowe, James L. Brooks, David Chase and John Cassavetes.
Discovered Seth Rogen.
One of 105 people invited to join AMPAS in 2008.
Judd's grandfather was Bob Shad, a famous music producer and record label owner in the 1940s - 1960s.
Brokeback Mountain (2005) is amongst his favorite films.
Stated on Late Show with David Letterman (1993) that he and actor Adam Sandler were roommates during Sandler's stint on Saturday Night Live (1975).
Some of his favorite movies are The Last Detail (1973), Harold and Maude (1971), Being There (1979), Terms of Endearment (1983), Broadcast News (1987), Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995), Tootsie (1982), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and Punch-Drunk Love (2002).
Discovered Jerome Elston Scott.
He is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent (from Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus).
His maternal grandmother, Molly Shad, appeared in This Is 40 (2012), playing the grandmother of Paul Rudd's character.
Personal Quotes (12)
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.
Extras (2005). I really have no interest in directing anything I haven't written, but if Ricky Gervais called tomorrow, well, I could be seduced. I always watch that show and think it's not going to get me. And then I find myself laughing hard out loud. I'm a burnt-out bitter comic. I don't laugh out loud. I don't make noise. I don't know how he does it but Extras gets me every time. - on the only other comedy creation that makes him laugh every time
America fears the penis, and that's something I'm going to help them get over.
Television is much more difficult because at every moment the network can force you to change things based on their belief about what would make it popular. You're in a constant debate with a gun at your head, and the gun is cancellation. So it's hard to win the arguments.
My wife tends to challenge me when I'm working on the female roles. She beats up on me about making sure they have the proper amount of depth and not just be there to serve the men. Obviously my wife makes me laugh a lot but she doesn't see herself as a funny person. In fact, she gets mad at me if I say "How do we make this funny?" She just wants to make it real.
I've had movies bomb with terrible reviews, I've had movies make a lot of money with terrible reviews, I've had movies get good reviews and make money. And I like it best when the movies do well and the reviewers like them. I love magazines and film critics, so I eat it up. I'm not one of those people who says "I never read anything". I generally read all of it.
To write for someone who thinks rich people should not be regulated and are deeply concerned about the poor is delusional. As someone who makes a comfortable living, I can clearly state that wealthy people cannot be trusted.
As much as I love Woody Allen. I wish he would tell me that things are going to be O.K. at some point. But I don't think he's going to.