A screenwriter, producer and occasional actor responsible for several brilliant (though sometimes poorly-rated) TV series and a handful of films, Judd Apatow began his career hosting a radio show while still in high school. Promptly after graduation, he began a career as a stand-up comedian, subsequently appearing as a regular on Fox's "Comic Strip Live" (1988). But after that show's short life, the comic began to concentrate on writing and producing.

Apatow has worked several times with Tom Arnold, writing three "The Naked Truth" specials (HBO, 1991-93) and a Tom and Roseanne Arnold segment of "Class Clowns" (ABC, 1992). He made his producing debut with the HBO special "Roseanne Arnold" later in 1992. Among the other comedy or award specials to which he has contributed are "The Road Warriors" (HBO and ABC, 1992), "Baseball Relief" (Fox, 1993), the 1994 Grammy Awards (CBS), and a 1996 tribute to Clint Eastwood (ABC).

In the mid-90s, Apatow worked on three critically acclaimed TV series. He was co-creator, writer, executive producer and sometime actor on the scathingly funny sketch comedy "The Ben Stiller Show" (Fox, 1992-93), which was swiftly canceled despite great reviews. Apatow was a writer and consulting producer on the equally funny (and equally short-lived) animated comedy "The Critic" (Fox, 1994-95). He hit pay dirt, though, with "The Larry Sanders Show" (HBO, 1992-99). As a writer and consulting producer, Apatow shared a fistful of CableACE Awards for this hard-edged parody of talk shows that starred Garry Shandling as a goofily self-absorbed host and featured a huge number of celebrity cameos.

Apatow's big-screen debut came with the 70s-era buddy film "Crossing the Bridge" (1992), on which he was an associate producer. With Steven Brill, he co-wrote the low-brow fat camp comedy "Heavyweights" (1995), on which he also served as co-executive producer and in which he had a small role. In 1996, Apatow received solo credit on the screenplay for the frenetic sports comedy "Celtic Pride". That same year, he had his biggest-budget film to date, Ben Stiller's "The Cable Guy". Starring Jim Carrey, the film failed to perform as expected and was a box-office disappointment. Apatow later sued the Writers Guild of America for a screenwriting credit, which had been given solely to Lou Holtz Jr., but later withdrew the suit.

Credit: movies.yahoo.com