---
name: "Judd Apatow"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/judd-apatow"
fi1m_id: "judd-apatow"
imdb_id: "nm0031976"
tmdb_id: 41039
wikidata_id: "Q325396"
roles: ["Writer","Producer","Director"]
born: "6 December 1967"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 16
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-22T02:44:41.567023+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Judd Apatow

## Identity

Judd Apatow

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/judd-apatow
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** judd-apatow
- **IMDb ID:** nm0031976
- **TMDB ID:** 41039
- **Wikidata ID:** Q325396
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judd_Apatow, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325396, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0031976/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/41039

Writer and producer. Born 6 December 1967 in Flushing, Queens, New York City, New York, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer, Producer, Director
- **Born:** 6 December 1967, Flushing, Queens, New York City, New York, USA
- **Active:** 1989–present
- **Also known as:** 주드 아패토우
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 16: 1 acting, 4 directing, 3 writing, 7 producing, 1 other
- **Frequently works with:** [Adam McKay](https://film.one/person/adam-mckay.md), [Jim Carrey](https://film.one/person/jim-carrey.md), [Paul Rudd](https://film.one/person/paul-rudd.md), [Seth Rogen](https://film.one/person/seth-rogen.md), [Steve Carell](https://film.one/person/steve-carell.md), [Will Ferrell](https://film.one/person/will-ferrell.md), [Catherine Keener](https://film.one/person/catherine-keener.md), [Christina Applegate](https://film.one/person/christina-applegate.md)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 73, as writer, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 88 (1), 1990s 82 (3), 2000s 72 (4), 2010s 73 (6), 2020s 76 (2)
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 0 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Genres:** Comedy 3, Animation 1, Crime 1, Drama 1
- **Screen time:** 2 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $202m across 1 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judd_Apatow, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q325396, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0031976/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/41039

## Coming up

- *The Comeback King* (2027-02-03), Director

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Superbad*](https://film.one/film/superbad.md) (82), [*The Cable Guy*](https://film.one/film/the-cable-guy.md) (66), [*Fun with Dick and Jane*](https://film.one/film/fun-with-dick-and-jane.md) (50)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Larry Sanders Show*](https://film.one/tv/the-larry-sanders-show.md) (91), [*Girls*](https://film.one/tv/girls.md) (82)
- **Disney+:** [*The Simpsons*](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md) (88), [*Bridesmaids*](https://film.one/film/bridesmaids.md) (82)
- **Apple TV:** [*Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy*](https://film.one/film/anchorman-the-legend-of-ron-burgundy.md) (78), [*Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues*](https://film.one/film/anchorman-2-the-legend-continues.md) (58)
- **Paramount+:** [*Freaks and Geeks*](https://film.one/tv/freaks-and-geeks.md) (88)
- **AMC+:** [*The 40 Year-Old Virgin*](https://film.one/film/the-40-year-old-virgin.md) (79)
- **Peacock:** [*Begin Again*](https://film.one/film/begin-again.md) (73)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Judd Apatow

> Judd Apatow writes comedy about men who have not grown up and gives them more consideration than the genre usually allows. The films run long and some of the jokes are lazy, but the sympathy is real, and it is the part that lasts.

Steve Carell lies on a table in *The 40 Year-Old Virgin* (2005) and has his chest waxed, and the distress is so convincing that enjoying it feels slightly unkind. We laughed harder than we felt we ought to. What made it possible is that Andy Stitzer is still a person we care about while the joke is happening, uncertain and likeable rather than a fool. That is Judd Apatow's habit in one scene: find the most embarrassing thing that can happen to a man, let it happen at length, and keep the man.

He came to it as a performer, doing stand-up at 17 in New York before going west to write for other people. His name is on the staff of *The Larry Sanders Show* (1992), where the writers' grievances give the comedy somewhere to go beyond the host's vanity, and on *The Simpsons* (1989). With Paul Feig he made *Freaks and Geeks* (1999), a patient, funny, often uncomfortable account of school life. Then came the features he directed as well as wrote: *The 40 Year-Old Virgin*, *Knocked Up* (2007), *Funny People* (2009), *This Is 40* (2012), *Trainwreck* (2015) and *The King of Staten Island* (2020). Through his production company he also turned up on the writing staff of Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner's *Girls* (2012).

The method is improvisation. Scenes are worked up in rehearsal and on set, with regulars such as Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann and Jason Segel, and then sorted out in the edit. "The jokes can't work if the story doesn't work," he has said. "The whole thing will crumble." When it works, as it does for most of *The 40 Year-Old Virgin*, a crude comedy comes out warmer than its title, because the people in it have been allowed to behave like people.

When it does not, the same method produces the faults. The films are long, and *The 40 Year-Old Virgin* takes far more time than a simple story needs. The jokes about race and sexuality that Apatow and Carell's screenplay reaches for when another laugh is wanted ask nothing of the writers, and the affection elsewhere does not make them clever. The complaint that his early films are about one kind of man and give the women around him less to do is a fair one, and so is the observation that the messes tend to be tidied with a romance.

The best of him, we think, is in the television, where he is one voice among several. On *Girls* the writing is at its plainest and most painful in the standalone two-handers, Hannah shut in a room with one other person, and that is the same instinct without the set pieces. Start with *Freaks and Geeks* and *The Larry Sanders Show*. Then the films, which are long, so pick an evening with nothing after.

## Biography

Judd Apatow is an American director, producer, screenwriter and comedian. He was born on 6 December 1967 in Flushing, Queens, New York City.

Apatow wrote for *The Simpsons* and served as writer, story and director on the series *Freaks and Geeks* (1999). He founded Apatow Productions and directed, wrote or produced the films *The 40-Year-Old Virgin* (2005), *Knocked Up* (2007), *Funny People* (2009), *This Is 40* (2012), *Trainwreck* (2015) and *The King of Staten Island* (2020). He has also produced series including *Undeclared* (2001–2002), *Girls* (2012–2017), *Love* (2016–2018) and *Crashing* (2017–2019).

Apatow has received nominations for 11 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning three, as well as Writers Guild of America, Producers Guild of America, Golden Globe and Grammy Award nominations.

*Sources: themoviedb.org, imdb.com, simpsonswiki.com, britannica.com.*

## On Fi1m (16)

### Performed in (1)

- *Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy* (2004), Fi1m 78, as News Station Employee — [page](https://film.one/film/anchorman-the-legend-of-ron-burgundy.md)

### Directed (4)

- *Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story* (2026), Fi1m 75, Director, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/paralyzed-by-hope-the-maria-bamford-story.md)
- *The 40 Year-Old Virgin* (2005), Fi1m 79, Producer, Director, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-40-year-old-virgin.md)
- *Freaks and Geeks* (1999), Fi1m 88, Director, Writer, Executive Producer, Story — [page](https://film.one/tv/freaks-and-geeks.md)
- *The Larry Sanders Show* (1992), Fi1m 91, Director, Writer, Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-larry-sanders-show.md)

### Wrote (3) — the average rests on these

- *Girls* (2012), Fi1m 82, Writer, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/girls.md)
- *Fun with Dick and Jane* (2005), Fi1m 50, Story, Screenplay — [page](https://film.one/film/fun-with-dick-and-jane.md)
- *The Simpsons* (1989), Fi1m 88, Writer — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)

### Produced (7)

- *You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution...* (2026), Fi1m 77, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/you-had-to-be-there-how-the-toronto-godspell-ignited-the-comedy-revolution.md)
- *Juliet, Naked* (2018), Fi1m 70, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/juliet-naked.md)
- *Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues* (2013), Fi1m 58, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/anchorman-2-the-legend-continues.md)
- *Begin Again* (2013), Fi1m 73, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/begin-again.md)
- *Bridesmaids* (2011), Fi1m 82, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/bridesmaids.md)
- *Superbad* (2007), Fi1m 82, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/superbad.md)
- *The Cable Guy* (1996), Fi1m 66, Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/the-cable-guy.md)

### Also credited (1) — thanks, archive footage, uncredited

- *The Disaster Artist* (2017), Fi1m 74, as Judd Apatow (uncredited) — [page](https://film.one/film/the-disaster-artist.md)

## Complete filmography (103)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Comeback King* (2027), Director, Producer, Screenplay
- *Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald* (2026), Producer, Director — coming soon, [page](https://film.one/film/norm-the-tale-of-norm-macdonald.md)
- *You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution...* (2026), Executive Producer — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/you-had-to-be-there-how-the-toronto-godspell-ignited-the-comedy-revolution.md)
- *Outcome* (2026), Thanks
- *Pete Holmes: Silly Silly Fun Boy* (2026), Thanks
- *Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!* (2026), series, Executive Producer, Director, Creator
- *Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story* (2026), Director, Producer — Fi1m 75, [page](https://film.one/film/paralyzed-by-hope-the-maria-bamford-story.md)
- *Poetic License* (2025), Producer
- *The New Yorker at 100* (2025), Executive Producer
- *Flipside* (2024), Executive Producer
- *STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces* (2024), series, Thanks
- *Ramy Youssef: More Feelings* (2024), Thanks
- *Stormy* (2024), Executive Producer
- *Bob and Don: A Love Story* (2023), Director, Executive Producer
- *Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain* (2023), Producer
- *Bros* (2022), Producer
- *George Carlin's American Dream* (2022), series, Executive Producer, Director
- *The Bubble* (2022), Producer, Writer, Director
- *Stranger at the Gate* (2022), Thanks
- *Ricky Velez: Here's Everything* (2021), Executive Producer
- *Mentally Al* (2020), Actor
- *The King of Staten Island* (2020), Director, Producer, Writer
- *Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh* (2019), Executive Producer
- *Pete Holmes: Dirty Clean* (2018), Executive Producer
- *Loudon Wainwright III: Surviving Twin* (2018), Executive Producer
- *Juliet, Naked* (2018), Producer — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/film/juliet-naked.md)
- *The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling* (2018), series, Director, Executive Producer
- *Judd Apatow: The Return* (2017), Screenplay
- *Jerry Before Seinfeld* (2017), Executive Producer
- *May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers* (2017), Director
- *Chris Gethard: Career Suicide* (2017), Executive Producer
- *Sandy Wexler* (2017), as Testimonial
- *The Big Sick* (2017), Producer
- *The Disaster Artist* (2017), as Judd Apatow (uncredited) — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/the-disaster-artist.md)
- *Crashing* (2017), series, Writer, Director
- *The Comedian* (2016), Thanks
- *Pete Holmes: Faces and Sounds* (2016), Producer
- *Doc & Darryl* (2016), Director
- *Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping* (2016), Producer
- *Drake Sather: The Man Who Created Zoolander* (2016), Actor
- *Pee-wee's Big Holiday* (2016), Producer
- *Sing Street* (2016), Thanks
- *Love* (2016), series, Director, Writer, Creator
- *I Had a Dream* (2016), Executive Producer
- *Trainwreck* (2015), Director, Producer
- *Begin Again* (2014), Producer — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/begin-again.md)
- *Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues* (2013), Producer — Fi1m 58, [page](https://film.one/film/anchorman-2-the-legend-continues.md)
- *Graham Parker & The Rumour: This Is Live* (2013), Director
- *This Is 40* (2012), Producer, Director, Writer
- *The Five-Year Engagement* (2012), Producer
- *Girls* (2012), series, Writer, Executive Producer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/girls.md)
- *Wanderlust* (2012), Producer
- *Zookeeper* (2011), as Barry the Elephant (voice)
- *Bridesmaids* (2011), Producer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/bridesmaids.md)
- *Get Him to the Greek* (2010), Producer
- *Funny or Die Presents* (2010), series, Creator
- *30 for 30* (2009), series, Director
- *Funny People* (2009), as Friend in video (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited) · Writer, Director, Producer
- *Year One* (2009), Producer
- *Yo Teach...!* (2009), series, Writer, Director, Creator
- *Pineapple Express* (2008), Producer, Story
- *Step Brothers* (2008), Producer
- *You Don't Mess with the Zohan* (2008), Screenplay
- *Forgetting Sarah Marshall* (2008), Producer
- *Drillbit Taylor* (2008), Producer
- *Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story* (2007), Screenplay, Producer
- *The Hills with James Franco and Mila Kunis* (2007), Director
- *Superbad* (2007), Producer — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/superbad.md)
- *Knocked Up* (2007), Director, Producer, Writer
- *The TV Set* (2007), Executive Producer
- *Help Me Help You* (2006), series, Actor
- *Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby* (2006), Producer
- *American Storage* (2006), Executive Producer
- *Fun with Dick and Jane* (2005), Screenplay, Story — Fi1m 50, [page](https://film.one/film/fun-with-dick-and-jane.md)
- *The 40 Year-Old Virgin* (2005), Director, Producer, Writer — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/the-40-year-old-virgin.md)
- *Kicking & Screaming* (2005), Executive Producer
- *Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie* (2004), as News Station Employee · Producer
- *Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy* (2004), as News Station Employee · Producer — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/anchorman-the-legend-of-ron-burgundy.md)
- *Sick in the Head* (2003), Writer
- *Undeclared* (2001), series, Director, Writer, Producer, Creator, Story
- *North Hollywood* (2001), Director, Executive Producer, Writer
- *Freaks and Geeks* (1999), series, Writer, Director, Executive Producer, Story — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/freaks-and-geeks.md)
- *The Cable Guy* (1996), Producer — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/film/the-cable-guy.md)
- *Celtic Pride* (1996), Writer, Story, Executive Producer
- *Mr. Show with Bob and David* (1995), series, as Infomercial audience member, Judd Apatow
- *Heavyweights* (1995), as Homer · Writer, Executive Producer
- *The TV Wheel* (1995), Writer
- *The Critic* (1994), series, as Jay Leno · Writer, Story
- *The 15th Annual Young Comedians Show* (1992), Actor
- *The Ben Stiller Show* (1992), series, Producer, Writer, Creator
- *Crossing the Bridge* (1992), Associate Producer
- *The Larry Sanders Show* (1992), series, Writer, Director, Producer — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-larry-sanders-show.md)
- *Jim Carrey: Unnatural Act* (1991), Producer
- *Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth* (1991), Writer
- *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as Judd Apatow (voice) · Writer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)
- *The Way I Was Made: The Story of a Man Called E*, Producer
- *Let's Do This*, Producer
- *Pure Imagination*, Producer
- *Cola Wars*, Director
- *House of Joel*, Producer
- *Untitled Universal Romantic Comedy*, Producer, Director
- *Untitled Judd Apatow/Lucas Brothers Project*, Producer
- *Business Trip*, Producer

## Gallery

- ![Judd Apatow](https://film.one/media/person/61892/gallery-f11ee3e6f88d.jpg) Judd Apatow — Jay Dixit, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9d/2024-03-08_SXSW-2024_comedy-directors_2.jpg/1280px-2024-03-08_SXSW-2024_comedy-directors_2.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Judd Apatow at South by Southwest 2024](https://film.one/media/person/61892/gallery-2ce943cf1d64.jpg) Judd Apatow at South by Southwest 2024 — Jay Dixit, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d3/2024-03-08_SXSW-2024_comedy-directors_19.jpg/1280px-2024-03-08_SXSW-2024_comedy-directors_19.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Judd Apatow at South by Southwest 2024](https://film.one/media/person/61892/gallery-55cfbd23b84d.jpg) Judd Apatow at South by Southwest 2024 — Jay Dixit, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/2024-03-08_SXSW-2024_comedy-directors_15.jpg/1280px-2024-03-08_SXSW-2024_comedy-directors_15.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Judd Apatow at South by Southwest 2024](https://film.one/media/person/61892/gallery-8c4e2d65e280.jpg) Judd Apatow at South by Southwest 2024 — Jay Dixit, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/2024-03-08_SXSW-2024_comedy-directors_10.jpg/1280px-2024-03-08_SXSW-2024_comedy-directors_10.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Judd Apatow](https://film.one/media/person/61892/gallery-7b8e99dd278d.jpg) Judd Apatow — Image via TMDB
- ![Judd Apatow](https://film.one/media/person/61892/gallery-c40bd74cc4c9.jpg) Judd Apatow — Image via TMDB
- ![Judd Apatow at South by Southwest 2024](https://film.one/media/person/61892/gallery-99363ce1e33b.jpg) Judd Apatow at South by Southwest 2024 — Jay Dixit, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/58/2024-03-08_SXSW-2024_comedy-directors_18.jpg/1280px-2024-03-08_SXSW-2024_comedy-directors_18.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Judd Apatow at South by Southwest 2024](https://film.one/media/person/61892/gallery-23d4e5c5d84c.jpg) Judd Apatow at South by Southwest 2024 — Jay Dixit, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a4/2024-03-08_SXSW-2024_comedy-directors_11.jpg/1280px-2024-03-08_SXSW-2024_comedy-directors_11.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/judd-apatow