In Hollywood and in his personal life, Judd Apatow has been described in many ways - sometimes even to his face - but it's been a long time since anyone has called the succesful producer, writer, director, husband and father a "comedian." But that's just what he was for almost a decade before hitting big as a television writer for "The Ben Stiller Show" and "The Larry Sanders Show," and then growing into the Hollywood phenom responsible for comedy hits like "Anchorman," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Knocked Up." Even given such a rich outlet to express his humor - to say nothing of his colossal success - the 46-year-old Queens native let drop to Laughspin.com in a recent interview tied to his upcoming film "Trainwreck", that a part of him misses the catharsis and close audience contact that only stand-up comedy can provide.
Apatow got his first taste of the comedy scene as a dishwasher at the East Side Comedy Club in Long Island, where he was awed by the likes of Eddie Murphy, then 21, and a mouthy side-splitter named Rosie O'Donnell. Soon he was immersing himself in all things comedy, desperate to learn the craft and using his high school radio program as an excuse to cold call young comedians like Jerry Seinfeld and John Candy and ask them for interviews.
He started his fledgling career as a stand-up comic at age 17, and he soon found himself performing at venues such as East Side, Governor's and Chuckles.
"I had a blast doing it, but I don't know how good I was," Apatow said. "I did it from the time I was 17 until about 25, 26. And then I just got busy working on 'The Ben Stiller Show' and 'The Larry Sanders Show' and there just didn't seem to be any time to focus on it. I felt like the universe was telling me I was probably a better writer than a stand-up comedian."
"The Ben Stiller Show," which won him a Primetime Emmy in writing, along with "The Larry Sanders Show," put him on the path to write, direct and produce his breakout film, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, in 2005. He's since compiled a massive resume as writer, director and producer with his work in Hollywood hits like "Superbad," "Step Brothers," "Bridesmaids" and "This Is 40."
While on the Long Island set of "Trainwreck," which he's directing and includes a cast that boasts SNL alumnus Bill Hader and fast-rising fellow comedian Amy Schumer, Apatow found time at night to perform 10-minute sets at the Comedy Cellar in Greenwich Village.
"It's fun to do when you don't have to worry about feeding yourself by doing stand-up. That puts a lot of pressure on you to be funny - if you can't get the clubs to like you and book you, you won't be able to pay your rent," he said. "So I find it really freeing and fun. I like doing it because there's no purpose to it other than a way to express myself. I'm not attempting to appear anywhere - on TV or anything - it's just a moment between me and the audience. And it forces me to think about what I'm thinking about."
