Judd Apatow's funniest people

Take a closer look at the hot filmmaker’s favorite actors

By S. James Snyder, Special to Metromix

Looks like the geeks are running the joint.

After only a dozen episodes, the 1999 TV show “Freaks and Geeks” was pulled off the air, surely a major blow to executive producer Judd Apatow. But in the decade since that show’s launch (and demise), Apatow’s comedic vision has taken Hollywood by storm.

In 2005 Apatow’s directorial debut, “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” became the surprise hit of the summer. He followed that with 2007’s smash romantic comedy “Knocked Up.” And while his career as a TV producer was littered with heartbreaking premature cancellations for “The Ben Stiller Show,” “Freaks and Geeks” and “Undeclared,” his status as a film producer couldn’t be hotter. He’s even helped launch some of his small screen collaborators into Hollywood’s upper stratosphere.

With his third feature film, “Funny People,” due in theaters July 31, we take a look at Apatow’s new generation of funnymen (and women).