King of comedy Judd Apatow returns to Chapman University
On Oct. 25, the comedic filmmaker joined Chapman professor Jill Condon and an audience of students for a conversation about his career and the advice he has for aspiring filmmakers. The Master Class followed a screening of his 2015 romantic-comedy film “Trainwreck.” Photos courtesy of Gustavo V
Judd Apatow may be one of the most influential comedic filmmakers to fill theaters with roars of laughter, but the acclaimed writer, producer and director might have also trailblazed the modern phenomenon of podcasting, or so he claimed to an audience of Chapman students.
There is some truth to that claim, as he was one of the first individuals to get famous people to sit down and talk with him for an extended period of time. While attending high school in Long Island, New York, Apatow hosted a show called Comedy Club on his school’s radio station. But at the age of 16, his methods for booking guests weren’t always the most ethical.
“I would call their publicists. I would say, ‘I’m from WKWZ Radio, can I interview Jerry (Seinfeld)?’ and I wouldn’t say I was 16,” Apatow said. ”Then I would show up at his door, and he would look at me like, ‘Oh God’… Everyone was very nice, but it was a way for me to basically (ask) people, ‘How do you do it?’”
On Oct. 25, Apatow returned to Chapman University for a Master Class to return the favor and let students know how he did it. The Master Class was moderated by Chapman professor Jill Condon and followed a screening of his 2015 romantic-comedy film “Trainwreck.” Apatow had previously been part of the university’s Master Class program in 2021, which was conducted over Zoom as a result of the pandemic.
After the radio show, Apatow went on to befriend a young Adam Sandler. The two came up together in the world of comedy. It was not without struggle, of course, but they were willing to work hard and have confidence in themselves in a way that “only young people can.”
“I think when you’re young, you think anything is possible,” Apatow told The Panther. “You’re almost genetically built to have the courage to try things. You think you’re gonna make it. … I think it’s important that you’re in that head, but I always tell people the key is to not quit, because almost everyone quits… It’s the lunatics who refuse.”
“I think when you’re young, you think anything is possible. You’re almost genetically built to have the courage to try things. You think you’re gonna make it. … I think it’s important that you’re in that head, but I always tell people the key is to not quit, because almost everyone quits… It’s the lunatics who refuse.”
Apatow gave thanks for his grandfather’s drive and ability to be a “hustler,” which he believes made him more driven in turn. His refusal to give up has certainly led to a fruitful career, despite some setbacks. For instance, he struggled for years to get “Superbad” and “Bridesmaids” made — both of which he produced and helped write. Instead of scrapping the projects, he and his partners simply kept refining the scripts until they were as good as they could be and waited for the right moment.
Apatow’s can-do attitude is likely part of what led to him being one of the few filmmakers to make a project (“The Bubble”) during quarantine, in as safe a manner as possible. The film follows a group of actors trying to make a movie in the midst of COVID-19 — ironic, right? It stars Pedro Pascal, Karen Gillan and Apatow’s wife and daughter, Leslie Mann and Iris Apatow, respectively. The director always gets a kick out of casting his family.
Apatow, a writer, director, producer and comedian, seemed excited to be sharing his wealth of knowledge with students, even staying past the standard end time to make sure as many students got their questions answered as possible. Those in attendance certainly seemed to have gotten a lot out of the experience and enjoyed getting to hear from him. The Panther spoke with William Altermann, a sophomore film and television production major, about the most valuable thing he learned from Apatow.
“His advice on (how) people who do make it are the lunatics because they want it really badly (was the most valuable thing I learned),” Altermann said. “Even if you don’t think you’re gonna make it, keep pushing yourself to make it because you’re a lunatic, and that’s gonna make you the best that you can be and succeed in your career.”
“His advice on (how) people who do make it are the lunatics because they want it really badly (was the most valuable thing I learned). Even if you don’t think you’re gonna make it, keep pushing yourself to make it because you’re a lunatic, and that’s gonna make you the best that you can be and succeed in your career.”
Over the course of his 25-year career, Apatow has secured 19 wins and 45 nominations across various award shows, including the Critics Choice Awards, the BAFTA Awards and the Primetime Emmy Awards. He has been the driving force behind several hit comedies — “This is 40,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Knocked Up” to name a few — but even with all that, he still views his impact on the world of film as a “maybe.”
“For me, in terms of the relationship to the audience … I just like to think you’re putting a little sailboat out on a lake,” Apatow said. “You don’t know who’s seeing it, you don’t know what their relationship is to it … and you realize that this is something that hopefully brings people joy. It sounds corny, but your work is a gift to people. It’s an offering, and you want to be successful. But at the very core, it’s like a loving gesture to the audience — the sharing of your story or your soul. That’ll be your best work.”
Throughout his career, Apatow has always tried to boost young comedic talent. In the spirit of this, he has produced a few projects coming down the pipeline. One, in particular, is comedy group Please Don’t Destroy’s upcoming film “Please Don’t Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain,” out Nov. 17.
“For me, in terms of the relationship to the audience … I just like to think you’re putting a little sailboat out on a lake. You don’t know who’s seeing it, you don’t know what their relationship is to it … and you realize that this is something that hopefully brings people joy. It sounds corny, but your work is a gift to people. It’s an offering, and you want to be successful. But at the very core, it’s like a loving gesture to the audience — the sharing of your story or your soul. That’ll be your best work.”