Judd Apatow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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
Occupation	Director producer writer comedian
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(s)	Leslie Mann ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	Maude Iris

Judd Apatow (born December 6, 1967) is an American director, producer, writer, and comedian. He is famous for making many popular comedy films and TV shows.

Judd Apatow started his own company, Apatow Productions. Through this company, he has written, produced, and directed movies like The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Knocked Up (2007), and Trainwreck (2015).

He also produced and helped create TV shows such as Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000) and Girls (2012–2017). Some of the movies he produced include Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), Superbad (2007), and Bridesmaids (2011).

Judd Apatow has won several awards for his work, including three Primetime Emmy Awards. He has also been nominated for many other awards, like the Golden Globe Award and Grammy Award.

Early Life and Comedy Start

Judd Apatow was born in Queens, New York City, and grew up on Long Island. His father was a real-estate developer, and his mother worked in the music business. When he was 12, his parents divorced.

Judd became very interested in comedy when he was young. His favorite comedians were Steve Martin and the Marx Brothers. He even washed dishes at a comedy club, which was his first experience with live stand-up comedy.

While attending Syosset High School, Judd hosted a radio show called Comedy Club. He used this show to interview famous comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and Garry Shandling. He wanted to learn from them.

Building a Comedy Career

Starting in Stand-Up and TV

Judd Apatow began performing stand-up comedy when he was 17, during his last year of high school. After graduating in 1985, he moved to Los Angeles. He studied screenwriting at the University of Southern California. He also organized comedy events on campus.

He later dropped out of college and became roommates with comedian Adam Sandler. Judd then started working as a writer for the 1991 Grammy Awards. He also helped produce comedy specials for stars like Jim Carrey.

In 1992, Apatow helped create and produce The Ben Stiller Show for Fox. The show won an Emmy Award for its writing, but it was canceled in 1993.

After that, Judd joined HBO's The Larry Sanders Show in 1993 as a writer and producer. He learned a lot from Garry Shandling, who taught him to focus on characters in his comedy. Judd received six Emmy nominations for his work on this show. He also worked on the animated show The Critic.

Judd Apatow also helped write several movies without getting full credit. These included The Cable Guy (1996), where he met his future wife, actress Leslie Mann. He also helped write Liar Liar and Bruce Almighty, both starring Jim Carrey.

Creating Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared

In 1999, Apatow became an executive producer for the TV series Freaks and Geeks. He also wrote and directed some episodes. This show was highly praised, even though it only lasted one season.

After Freaks and Geeks, Judd created another show called Undeclared in 2001. This show also featured actors like Seth Rogen who had been in Freaks and Geeks. Both shows were canceled quickly, but they are still remembered as great TV series.

Big Success in Movies

Producing Hit Films

In 2004, Judd Apatow produced the comedy film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, starring Will Ferrell. It was a big hit at the box office. He also produced its sequel, Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, in 2013.

Judd made his directing debut in 2005 with The 40-Year-Old Virgin. His second film as a director was the romantic comedy Knocked Up in 2007. Both movies were very successful and well-liked by critics.

In 2007, Apatow produced Superbad, which was written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. This movie was a huge success, earning $33 million in its first weekend. People in the film industry started to see Judd Apatow as a "brand" because his movies were so popular.

He continued to produce many other successful comedies, including:

• Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008)
• Step Brothers (2008)
• Pineapple Express (2008)

Judd Apatow likes to keep the costs low for his projects. He often makes movies about the work itself rather than relying only on big stars. He also likes to work with the same group of writers and actors, which is sometimes called "the comedy wheel."

Apatow in 2007

Directing More Films

In 2009, Apatow directed Funny People, starring Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen. This movie had more serious parts than his earlier films. Even though it didn't make a lot of money, critics praised it.

In 2010, he produced Get Him to the Greek, a spin-off from Forgetting Sarah Marshall. In 2011, he produced Bridesmaids, which was a massive worldwide hit, earning $288.4 million. Bridesmaids also received Oscar nominations.

Judd Apatow's fourth movie as a director was This Is 40, released in 2012. It was a spin-off from Knocked Up and starred Paul Rudd and his wife Leslie Mann.

In 2015, he directed the romantic comedy Trainwreck, written by and starring Amy Schumer. The film was very popular and earned over $140 million worldwide.

Recent Work and Documentaries

Expanding His Projects

In 2016, Judd Apatow created the Netflix comedy series Love, where he also wrote and produced. He also executive produced Crashing for HBO, a show about a comedian trying to make it in stand-up.

Apatow also started making documentaries. In 2016, he directed Doc and Darryl, which was about two famous baseball players, Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry. It was part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series.

In 2017, he produced the romantic comedy The Big Sick. This film was based on the real-life story of comedian Kumail Nanjiani and his wife. It was a critical and commercial success, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Judd Apatow also performed his first stand-up comedy special, Judd Apatow: The Return, for Netflix in 2017. He also had a small acting role in the movie The Disaster Artist.

In 2018, he directed another HBO documentary, The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling. This film explored the life of his mentor and friend, comedian Garry Shandling. The documentary won an Emmy Award.

In 2020, Apatow directed The King of Staten Island, a film he co-wrote with and starring Pete Davidson. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was released online instead of in theaters.

In 2022, Apatow helped produce Bros, which was a big step for Hollywood as it was the first major studio romantic comedy with an all-LGBTQ cast. In 2023, he directed a short documentary called Bob & Don: A Love Story, about the friendship between comedians Bob Newhart and Don Rickles.

Personal Life

Apatow with his wife, actress Leslie Mann

Judd Apatow met actress Leslie Mann while working on the film The Cable Guy in 1996. They got married on June 9, 1997. They have two daughters, Maude and Iris.

Leslie Mann has appeared in many of Judd's films and TV shows, including Freaks and Geeks, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Funny People, and This Is 40. Their daughters, Maude and Iris, also appeared in Knocked Up, Funny People, and This Is 40, playing Leslie Mann's character's children.

Apatow and his family

Helping Others

Judd Apatow supports several charities. He helps organizations like 826LA, which promotes literacy, and programs that research pediatric cancer. He even edited a book called I Found This Funny to benefit 826LA.

He has also received awards for supporting women in Hollywood. In 2017, the ACLU gave him the Bill of Rights Award for being a strong supporter of women in the arts.

Judd often performs stand-up comedy at a venue in Los Angeles called Largo at the Coronet. These shows are called "Judd Apatow and Friends" and feature other famous comedians. Each show raises money for a different charity, such as St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Alzheimer's Association.

Awards and Recognitions

Judd Apatow has been nominated for and won many awards throughout his career.

• He received five Emmy nominations for his work on The Larry Sanders Show.
• In 2007, he was nominated for a Grammy Award for co-writing the song "Walk Hard."
• His show Girls was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series at the Primetime Emmys in 2012 and 2013.
• In 2012, he received the Hollywood Comedy Award and the Herb Sargent Award for Comedy Excellence.
• In 2015, his film Trainwreck was nominated for two Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
• In 2016, he received the Generation Award at the Just for Laughs comedy festival for his contributions to comedy.

Movies and TV Shows

Film Work

Television Work

Acting Roles

Frequent Collaborators

Judd Apatow often works with the same actors and friends on his projects. This group includes Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Seth Rogen, Jonah Hill, and Jason Segel. His wife, Leslie Mann, has also starred in many of his films.

• Seth Rogen has worked on eight of Apatow's projects as an actor, writer, or producer.
• Leslie Mann has starred in five films.
• Will Ferrell has starred in five films.
• Paul Rudd has starred in nine films.
• Jonah Hill has starred in seven films.
• Jason Segel has starred in four films and written two.
• Kristen Wiig has appeared in five of Apatow's movies.

Actress and writer Lena Dunham, who worked with Apatow on the TV series Girls, has said that his movies are about people trying to understand themselves better.

Actors who have appeared in three or more of Apatow's films, as well as This Is the End, a film featuring many actors who worked with him.

See also

In Spanish: Judd Apatow para niños