Judd Apatow on The Sound of Young America →
In November 2010, Jesse Thorn interviewed Judd Apatow for The Sound of Young America. I’ve heard Judd Apatow interviewed several times, but this one is special. Jesse Thorn reaches Terry Gross heights of engagement and insight. Hearing Thorn interview comedians/comic writers/comic actors is sublime—he is just in his element and has the context and insight that comes not from pre-interview research but from lifelong engagement with comedy.
Another neat thing about this interview is that Thorn and Apatow share uncommon similarities—both were obsessed with comedy from precocious ages and each possess singularly entrepreneurial spirits when it comes to self-creation and comedy/media empires. In parts, this interview is like listening to two selves from different generations rap about their relationships to comedy.
Not to be missed: Tune in at about 17:35 to Paul Scheer reading “My Friend’s New Girlfriend,” an essay by Simon Rich which appears in I Found This Funny, Apatow’s compilation of his favorite humor writing.
