Judd Apatow, a stand-up guy
Filmmaker returns to his comic roots on Netflix.
Why did you leave stand-up at 24?
I kept getting writing work. I was able to work with a lot of my heroes, like Garry Shandling, Roseanne and Jim Carrey. I had the sense the universe was directing me (to go) behind the camera.
How did you get back into it?
When I worked on Funny People (2009), I started performing, just to write jokes for Adam Sandler and Seth Rogen’s (comedian) characters. That reminded me how much I liked it. … When we shot Trainwreck (2015), I was alone in New York, and after the shoot I would go to the Comedy Cellar and do a set. I fell in love with it again. (Star Amy Schumer) encouraged me to do it, I think because she thought I would bomb and it would be funny to watch.
How is your act different now, as the husband of actress Leslie Mann and father of two daughters, than when you were in your 20s?
When you’re a kid, you don’t have anything to say.
You don’t have any experiences. I didn’t have any strong opinions. … Now, a lot of my act is about not knowing how to parent in the modern world: Kids seem to be doing OK, but parents are freaking out.
You’ve been vocal in opposition to President Trump, but has he been good for comedians?
A lot of great satire has been written because Trump exists, but I preferred the Obama era. He was such a good man that it was difficult to be funny about him personally. I’d rather have terrible comedy as a result of an honest man than amazing comedy about a corrupt president.
Many of your projects — Funny People, HBO’s Crashing, Netflix’s Jerry Before Seinfeld and an upcoming HBO documentary on Garry Shandling — connect to stand-up.
I just love being a part of it. I interviewed Jerry Seinfeld when I was 16, so when he asked me to be a part of his special, I felt like it was something coming full circle. … When we started working on Crashing, which is about a young comedian struggling to make it in New York, I was having the same experience.
Except you don’t have to ask other comedians to put you up for the night.
I just lucked out that the thing I’m interested in is something you can get paid to do. … I could have been someone who was obsessed with playing the spoons.