Judd Apatow

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE A.V. CLUB • Includes new interviews! From the writer and director of Knocked Up and the producer of Freaks and Geeks comes a collection of intimate, hilarious conversations with the biggest names in comedy from the past thirty years—including Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Sarah Silverman, Harold Ramis, Seth Rogen, Chris Rock, and Lena Dunham. Before becoming one of the most successful filmmakers in Hollywood, Judd Apatow was the original comedy nerd. At fifteen, he took a job washing dishes in a local comedy club—just so he could watch endless stand-up for free. At sixteen, he was hosting a show for his local high school radio station in Syosset, Long Island—a show that consisted of Q&As with his comedy heroes, from Garry Shandling to Jerry Seinfeld. They talked about their careers, the science of a good joke, and their dreams of future glory (turns out, Shandling was interested in having his own TV show one day and Steve Allen had already invented everything). Thirty years later, Apatow is still that same comedy nerd—and he’s still interviewing funny people about why they do what they do. Sick in the Head gathers Apatow’s most memorable and revealing conversations into one hilarious, wide-ranging, and incredibly candid collection that spans not only his career but his entire adult life. Here are the comedy legends who inspired and shaped him, from Mel Brooks to Steve Martin. Here are the contemporaries he grew up with in Hollywood, from Spike Jonze to Sarah Silverman. And here, finally, are the brightest stars in comedy today, many of whom Apatow has been fortunate to work with, from Seth Rogen to Amy Schumer. And along the way, something kind of magical happens: What started as a lifetime’s worth of conversations about comedy becomes something else entirely. It becomes an exploration of creativity, ambition, neediness, generosity, spirituality, and the joy that comes from making people laugh. Loaded with the kind of back-of-the-club stories that comics tell one another when no one else is watching, this fascinating, personal (and borderline-obsessive) book is Judd Apatow’s gift to comedy nerds everywhere. Praise for Sick in the Head “I can’t stop reading it. . . . I don’t want this book to end.”—Jimmy Fallon “An essential for any comedy geek.”—Entertainment Weekly “Fascinating . . . a collection of interviews with many of the great figures of comedy in the latter half of the twentieth century.”—The Washington Post “Open this book anywhere, and you’re bound to find some interesting nugget from someone who has had you in stitches many, many times.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times “An amazing read, full of insights and connections both creative and interpersonal.”—The New Yorker “Fascinating and revelatory.”—Chicago Tribune “Anyone even remotely interested in comedy or humanity should own this book.”—Will Ferrell

Conversations About Life and Comedy

Sick in the Head

An all-new collection of honest, hilarious, and enlightening conversations with some of the most exciting names in comedy—from New York Times bestselling author and lifelong comedy nerd Judd Apatow. “When I need to read an interview with a comedian while in the bathroom, I always turn to Judd Apatow for deeply personal insights into the comedic mind. Place one on your toilet today.”—Amy Schumer No one knows comedy like Judd Apatow. From interviewing the biggest comics of the day for his high school radio show to performing stand-up in L.A. dive bars with his roommate Adam Sandler, to writing and directing Knocked Up and producing Freaks and Geeks, Apatow has always lived, breathed, and dreamed comedy. In this all-new collection of interviews, the follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Sick in the Head, Apatow sits down with comedy legends such as David Letterman, Whoopi Goldberg, and Will Ferrell, as well as the writers and performers who are pushing comedy to the limits, and defining a new era of laughter: John Mulaney, Hannah Gadsby, Bowen Yang, Amber Ruffin, Pete Davidson, and others. In intimate and hilariously honest conversations, they discuss what got them into comedy, and what—despite personal and national traumas—keeps them going. Together, they talk about staying up too late to watch late-night comedy, what kind of nerds they were high school, and the right amount of delusional self-confidence one needs to “make it” in the industry. Like eavesdropping on lifelong friends, these pages expose the existential questions that plague even the funniest and most talented among us: Why make people laugh while the world is in crisis? What ugly, uncomfortable truths about our society—and ourselves—can comedy reveal? Along the way, these comics reminisce about those who helped them on their journey—from early success through failure and rejection, and back again—even as they look ahead to the future of comedy and Hollywood in a hyper-connected, overstimulated world. With his trademark insight, curiosity, and irrepressible sense of humor, Apatow explores the nature of creativity, professional ambition, and vulnerability in an ever-evolving cultural landscape, and how our favorite comics are able to keep us laughing along the way.

More Conversations About Life and Comedy

Sicker in the Head

This work expands on Apatow's brilliant HBO documentary, The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling, which won the 2018 Emmy Award for Best Documentary.

It's Garry Shandling's Book

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • An all-new collection of honest, hilarious, and enlightening conversations with some of the most exciting names in comedy—from lifelong comedy nerd Judd Apatow. “When I need to read an interview with a comedian while in the bathroom, I always turn to Judd Apatow for deeply personal insights into the comedic mind. Place one on your toilet today.”—Amy Schumer ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: Vulture No one knows comedy like Judd Apatow. From interviewing the biggest comics of the day for his high school radio show to performing stand-up in L.A. dive bars with his roommate Adam Sandler, to writing and directing Knocked Up and producing Freaks and Geeks, Apatow has always lived, breathed, and dreamed comedy. In this all-new collection of interviews, the follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Sick in the Head, Apatow sits down with comedy legends such as David Letterman, Whoopi Goldberg, and Will Ferrell, as well as the writers and performers who are pushing comedy to the limits, and defining a new era of laughter: John Mulaney, Hannah Gadsby, Bowen Yang, Amber Ruffin, Pete Davidson, and others. In intimate and hilariously honest conversations, they discuss what got them into comedy, and what—despite personal and national traumas—keeps them going. Together, they talk about staying up too late to watch late-night comedy, what kind of nerds they were high school, and the right amount of delusional self-confidence one needs to “make it” in the industry. Like eavesdropping on lifelong friends, these pages expose the existential questions that plague even the funniest and most talented among us: Why make people laugh while the world is in crisis? What ugly, uncomfortable truths about our society—and ourselves—can comedy reveal? Along the way, these comics reminisce about those who helped them on their journey—from early success through failure and rejection, and back again—even as they look ahead to the future of comedy and Hollywood in a hyper-connected, overstimulated world. With his trademark insight, curiosity, and irrepressible sense of humor, Apatow explores the nature of creativity, professional ambition, and vulnerability in an ever-evolving cultural landscape, and how our favorite comics are able to keep us laughing along the way.

An anthology of humor writing by the producer of such programs as The Ben Stiller Show is published to benefit the non-profit organization 826 National and features entries by such writers as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Jon Stewart and David Foster Wallace.

My Favorite Pieces of Humor and Some That May Not Be Funny at All

I Found This Funny

Les entretiens entre l'ancien rédacteur en chef des Cahiers du cinéma et le cinéaste reviennent en détail sur le travail et l'itinéraire de J. Apatow depuis ses débuts dans le stand-up au milieu des années 1980 jusqu'à la sortie de son 3e long métrage, Funny people. Casting, tournage, montage et projections tests sont dévoilés aux lecteurs français.

Comédie, mode d'emploi

Jason Schwartzman

In Funny People, writer/director Judd Apatow finds humor in one of the biggest struggles of a person’s lifetime.Through the story of a famous comedian, George Simmons (Adam Sandler), who has a near-death experience, and what he does with a second chance, Apatow addresses a question that hasn’t been touched with such trademark bluntness: If you had the chance to start all over again, would you be the same jerk you always were? The film stars Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, RZA, Aziz Ansari, and Aubrey Plaza.

The Shooting Script

Funny People

Presents an anthology of humorous essays and writings on the topic of humor, including entries by such authors as Steve Martin, Michael Chabon, Philip Roth, David Sedaris, and Conan O'Brien.

Intimate, hilarious conversations with the biggest names in comedy – including Mel Brooks, Jerry Seinfeld, Jon Stewart, Roseanne, Harold Ramis, Louis C.K., Chris Rock, and Lena Dunham. Before becoming one of the most successful filmmakers in Hollywood, Judd Apatow was the original comedy nerd. He took a job washing dishes in a local comedy club so he could watch endless stand-up for free. He hosted a show for his local high school radio station on Long Island – a show that consisted of Q&As with his comedy heroes, from Garry Shandling to Jerry Seinfeld. Thirty years later, Apatow is still that same comedy nerd – and he’s still interviewing funny people about why they do what they do. Sick in the Head gathers Apatow’s most memorable and revealing conversations into one hilarious, wide-ranging, and incredibly candid collection that spans not only his career, but his entire adult life. The comedy legends who inspired and shaped him, from Mel Brooks to Steve Martin, the contemporaries he grew up with, from Spike Jonze to Sarah Silverman. And the brightest stars in comedy today, from Seth Rogen to Amy Schumer. And along the way, something kind of magical happens: what started as a lifetime’s worth of conversations about comedy becomes something else entirely. It becomes an exploration of creativity, ambition, neediness, generosity, spirituality, and the joy that comes from making people laugh. Loaded with the kind of back-of-the-club stories that comics tell one another when no one else is watching, this fascinating, personal, and borderline-obsessive book is Judd Apatow’s gift to comedy nerds everywhere. Royalties will be donated by to 826LA, a nonprofit writing and tutoring center in Los Angeles.

Paul Feig

"The first volume of Freaks and Geeks: The Complete Scripts collects the first nine shooting scripts (episodes 1-9), including deleted scenes and dialogue, of the Emmy Award-winning series, including the pilot episode directed by Jake Kasdan. With an introduction by creator Paul Feig, the book features individual commentary from the writers of each episode, plus a scrapbook of behind-the-scenes materials, photos, memos, and notes."--BOOK JACKET.

The Complete Scripts

Freaks and Geeks

They say that opposites attract. For slacker Ben Stone (Seth Rogen) and career girl Alison Scott (Katherine Heigl), that’s certainly the case—at least for one intoxicated evening. Two months and several pregnancy tests later, Ben and Alison go through a hysterically funny, anxious, and heartwarming journey that leads to huge laughs. This Newmarket Shooting Script® Book includes: Introduction by writer/director Judd Apatow Article and artwork by Charlyne Yi (who plays Jodi) Complete shooting script 30 color photos Script magazine article by Sarah Vance Complete cast and crew credits

Knocked Up

Seth Rogen

Evan Goldberg

David Goldberg

The official book tie-in to the hilarious blockbuster film, including the complete screenplay, movie stills, and outrageous drawings that millions of fans will recognize from the film. From producers Judd Apatow and Shauna Robertson (The 40-Year-Old Virgin), screenwriters Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, and director Greg Mottola comes Superbad, a coming-of-age cautionary tale about two socially inept teenage boys about to graduate high school. Theirs is a ridiculously dependent friendship—but now they've gotten into different colleges and are forced to contemplate life apart. Evan (Michael Cera) is sweet, smart, and generally terrified. Seth (Jonah Hill) is foul-mouthed, volatile, and all-consumed with the topic of human sexuality. They are joined by their nerdy pal Fogell (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), whose fake ID as "McLovin" sets everything into motion. This is the story of their misguided attempts to reverse a lifelong losing streak with the ladies in one panic-driven night . . . that awful, humiliating night you cherish for the rest of your life. Exclusive to this must-have companion book: Introduction by producer Judd Apatow "Mr. Vagtastic's Guide to Buying Porn" Hilarious captioned drawings by David Goldberg The film's complete script Full cast and crew credits Also included is a section of commentaries and reviews from: Rolling Stone (Peter Travers) New York magazine (David Edelstein) Entertainment Weekly (Josh Rottenberg) The New York Times (Michael Cieply)

Judd Apatow

Books

Your next favorite book is out there