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Judd Apatow has influenced the movie industry with his style of comedy with films like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up, but even he had to get his start somewhere.
During an appearance on the October 15 episode of the On Purpose with Jay Shetty podcast, the director recalled interviewing legendary comedians and comics like Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno as a teenager for his high school radio station and how it later shaped his own experience working in comedy.
"One day my friend was like, 'You should try to interview comics,' because he knew I was into it," he said. "And then one day I got an interview with Steve Allen and then I got an interview with Howard Stern, Sandra Bernhard, and that became how I educated myself about comedies."
Some of his "most memorable" interviews were with Martin Short, who he described as "just so funny," as well as the "hilarious" Seinfeld, who talked to him about how to write jokes and would even share what he was working on.
Apatow explained how he not only learned a lot from the discussions but that they also "made me feel safe trying to get in the business" because of their kindness.
"It was also a lesson in how to treat people because I was just a young person and I would go in and talk to someone and for someone like Jerry Seinfeld just to say, 'I'm going to sit with you for 45 minutes and really take all your questions seriously and thoughtfully,' that was a big deal."
On Purpose with Jay Shetty has a focus on mental health and aims to help listeners feel understood in the challenges and hurdles they face in life. The podcast has new episodes each week and often features special guests to "uncover a side of them we've never seen before." Follow along with On Purpose or catch up on past episodes at iHeart.com.