Judd Apatow

HILE JUDD APATOW IS BEST KNOWN FOR DIRECTING COMEDIES LIKE and , his range of talent as a director encompasses drama as well, which is more than evident in his new film , available now’s Pete Davidson, it features Scott, a directionless, troubled young man trying to finally deal with the loss of his father at a young age (Davidson’s real-life firefighter father died on 9/11). “We really tried to honor the story. For the first time I wasn’t trying to compress the comedy and make every single line funny.” Although the film is fictional, Apatow says it’s some of his most honest work. “In a weird way it couldn’t be more honest.” That’s due in part to Davidson’s performance and the script (which he co-wrote with Apatow and Dave Sirus). Apatow says there were “a lot of deep conversations.” The result: a surprisingly poignant—and yes, funny—performance. “He was brave for allowing himself to be that vulnerable.”