Initially aspiring to become a professional comedian, JUDD APATOW eventually stopped performing in favor of writing. After writing on a few award shows, cable specials, The Larry Sanders Show, The Ben Stiller Show (which he co-created), Apatow served as an executive producer on NBC's critically-acclaimed Freaks and Geeks. He then made his feature-film debut as a director with 2005's The 40-Year-Old Virgin. Co-written by Apatow and the film's star, Steve Carell, The 40-Year-Old Virgin opened at No. 1 at the box office. In 2007, he directed, wrote and produced Knocked Up, which grossed more than $200 million internationally. He followed this up by producing the hit comedies Superbad, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Pineapple Express, and writing and directing 2009's Funny People.Additional producing credits include The Cable Guy, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, and Get Him to the Greek.

In 2011, he produced the most successful R-rated female comedy of all time, Bridesmaids, which received Oscar nominations for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Melissa McCarthy), as well as numerous other awards. Apatow is currently in production on the HBO series Girls, and recently produced The Five-Year Engagement, the latest comedy from director Nicholas Stoller.