While you were bbq’ing this weekend and polluting your body with gallons of Miller lite, the New York Times ran a quadrillion page cover story feature on buddy comedian Judd Apatow and his comedy posse in the Sunday magazine.
Anyone paying even minor attention to this crew knows they are the worst kept secret in Hollywood and are milliseconds away from being household names. Apatow, a producer writer of underappreciated comedy fare (“Freaks & Geeks,” “Undeclared“) has been slowly rising over the years (“Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy“) and it wasn’t until last year’s break-out hit, “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” and it’s equally successful follow-up, “Talladega Nights” that his juice in the movie world started to seriously rise.
This summer he’s poised to reign over the thickheaded blockbusters with “Knocked Up” (a pregnancy quandary comedy) and “Superbad” (a filthy, R-rated coming-of-age teen comedy).
Apatow has a devoted repertoire cast he takes with him wherever he goes (Paul Rudd, James Franco, Steve Carrell, Will Ferrell), but his right-hand man and secret weapon might be the unlikely leading dood, Seth Rogen (who also co-wrote “Superbad”). According to the accompanying video piece, the writer Stephen Rodrick spent a year and a half following Apatow and Rogen around. That’s some serious dedication. We hope you saved all your receipts.
Seth Rogen: If I told you I was going to spend a year and a half to produce 6 pages what would you say?
Judd Apatow: That you were an idiot?
Some various highlights of the piece include (so you don’t have to read the goddamn tome):
– “Knocked Up” features much of Apatow’s familiar troupe: Jason Segel, Martin Star (“Freaks and Geeks”) Jay Baruchel (the lead in “Undeclared”) and Jonah Hill (“Virgin,” “Superbad”)
– “If you’re walking with Judd and say, ‘Hey, look at that hot chick,’ he gives you the death stare,” Adam McKay, the director who had Apatow produce his comedies “Anchorman” and “Talladega Nights,”said. “You can say, ‘Hey, I still love my wife; I was just looking,’ and he still hates it.”
– A boring Vegas night suddenly get interesting when Apatow suggest, “Let’s go around and have each person tell their most embarrassing penis story.”
– Before his success, Apatow was known as the guy who unsuccessfully sued over a writing credit on Jim Carrey’s “The Cable Guy” and attaching an obscenity-laced note to a Time magazine rave of “Undeclared,” and sending to the Fox executive who was about to cancel the show.
– Jake Kasdan‘s latest film, “The TV Set,” a satire of network television, is a not so thinly-veiled version of his experience as a producer and director on “Freaks and Geeks.” David Duchovny plays a thinly-veiled surrogate for Apatow, who is the film’s executive producer.
Rogen: Personally, no one I know reads the [New York Times Sunday magazine]. I thought it was a newspaper. It’s a magazine? What is it?
Apatow: It’s usually articles about Iraq and stuff… about genes or DNA evidence getting a guy out. It takes the whole day to read it.
More highlights and notes:
– Superbland girl next door, Anne Hathaway was originally supposed to be the female lead in “Knocked-Up,” but she eventually dropped out. The lead went to Grey’s Anatomy hottie, Katherine Heigl. “Hathaway dropped out of the film because she didn’t want to allow us to use real footage of a woman giving birth to create the illusion that she is giving birth,” Apatow said.
– Apatow started audiotaping “Saturday Night Live” when he was 11, transcribing the show and then trying to discern and deconstruct what made it funny.
– His post college friends were Jim Carrey, Adam Sandler and Ben Stiller.
– Apatow did a last minute script polish of “Happy Gilmore.”
– After taking in the Circus Du Soleil’s Beatles show the group of friends agreed they would never listen to the Beatles’ “Blackbird” the same way again.
– Many references to Rogen’s chronic pot smoking.
– Many references to Apatow stealing his personal family experiences for his films, hence our headline which is strangely contextually absent in this run-down.
Apatow: I’d like to apologize if there’s anything in [the article] that hurts your career.
Rogen: Thanks.
Oh and we forgot to mention: Apart from his triple threat producer/writer/comedian skills his world domination includes a hot piece of Hollywood tail.
Watch: “Knocked Up” trailer
Watch: “Superbad” trailer