Honor Among Geeks

It seems that in the age of competition, the word "loyalty" would rarely come to mind in the context of the entertainment industry, but more and more I notice how Judd Apatow is, in many respects, the man who breaks the mold. Apatow made famous the novel idea in today's superficial society of casting people who look like, well, people. In his earlier endeavors on television, the cult hits Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared were adept at depicting reasonable physical and social expectations for the environments of high school and college, and cast actors who were, *gasp,* actually of high school and college age. Though it says something that neither of these shows survived past their first season (it seems as if audiences forget the characters that look like we do, and remember the characters we can pin-up above our beds), Judd Apatow never forgot the actors that helped him make the leap from television to film.

Whether it's in the role of producer, creator, or director, Apatow seems to enjoy creating star vehicles for the people Hollywood might have easily forgotten. The Ben Stiller Show (1992-3) was one of Apatow's first endeavors in Hollywood, then Apatow worked with Stiller again on the film Heavyweights (1995) and produced Stiller's directorial effort of The Cable Guy in 1996. Apatow also worked with Jim Carrey early in his career and linked up with him again on The Cable Guy and Fun with Dick and Jane.

The cast of Freaks and Geeks has appeared numerous times in Apatow's later productions. Jason Segel, Natasha Melnick, Samm Levine, Martin Starr, David Krumholtz, and Busy Philipps all moved with Apatow to Undeclared in some capacity. Seth Rogen is also included in that group and has gone on to appear in seven films connected to Apatow. Loudon Wainwright III went from Undeclared to roles in The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, and James Franco of Freaks had a cameo in Knocked Up and starred in the Apatow-penned Pineapple Express. Jonah Hill has appeared in five Apatow films, and Superbad director Greg Mottola got his start working with Apatow on the set of Undeclared. Jay Baruchel went from Undeclared obscurity to film fame with roles in Knocked Up and Tropic Thunder (written, directed, and starring Ben Stiller). Carla Gallo of Undeclared has since worked on three Apatow projects, as the characters Toe-Sucking Girl, Period Blood Girl, and Gag Me Girl. While that may not be considered a favor to her career, I'd like to think these particular casting choices come from a place of love. Freaks and Geeks and Undeclared even used the same extra – if only I knew his name! He can be seen walking the hallways of both schools with a horrible mushroom cut, and he's also in the Disney Channel Original Movie Brink sitting behind Brink's family during the Vert ramp competition wearing an orange bucket hat. Don't ask me how I remember these things. And of course Apatow has involved his family: wife Leslie Mann, whom he met on the set of The Cable Guy, and daughters Maude and Iris, who appear in both Knocked Up and the upcoming Funny People.

The point I'm trying to make is that Judd Apatow seems not only to enjoy the people he works with, but to actively take an interest in furthering their careers. Who would have thought that Seth Rogen would ever be cast as a superhero? Fast forward eleven years from Freaks and Geeks and he's the Green Hornet. While I can't see Martin Starr donning a cape in the near future (though McLovin will in the upcoming film Kick-Ass), the point is still valid: in a business swimming with sharks, it seems that this unlikely band of comedic actors who look like you and me looked out for one another.

(This post is also available on The Paley Center Blogs)