The Apatow connection

The new kings of comedy

Judd Apatow first attracted attention as a writer and producer on The Larry Sanders Showin the early 1990s, but didn't become properly famous until The 40-Year-Old Virgin, his directorial debut, became a smash in 2005.

That film and the subsequent Knocked Upshowcased an impressive stock company of writers and actors. Evan Goldberg, writer and producer, collaborated with his old pal Seth Rogen on those films and also co-wrote Pineapple Express.

Leslie Mann, Apatow's wife, inadvertently helped fuel accusations of misogyny with her shrill turn in Knocked Upand also appeared in Virgin. Paul Rudd, who had been knocking about Hollywood for two decades, proved to be an excellent sidekick to Seth Rogen in Knocked Upand elsewhere in Apatow-produced laugh fests such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundyand Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

Jonah Hill, Rogen's younger alter-ego, has been very funny in half-a-dozen Apatow extravaganzas.

Danny R McBride had added amusing eccentricity to both Superbadand Pineaple Express. Stretch the net wider and you could include already established stars such as Will Ferrell and John C Reilly (yes, the current Step Brothersis also produced by Apatow). Indeed, if Judd retains his current prolific rate of delivery, every actor in Hollywood may soon be in his gang.