The films of Judd Apatow changed the face of big-screen comedy in the ‘00s and ‘10s – as director and producer introducing a whole new generation of comic actors, and delivering beloved projects like The 40-Year-Old Virgin and Knocked Up. While Apatow’s films have always completed their yuks with real heart and character, for his first film as director in five years, The King Of Staten Island, the filmmaker wanted to move further towards the drama end of the comedy-drama spectrum.
The film stars SNL cast member Pete Davidson in a story loosely based on the comedian’s own life – playing a guy whose firefighter father died when he was young, coming to realise that he never truly processed his grief. “I tried to value the drama more than the comedy this time. I had to do something I had not done before: show restraint,” Apatow tells Empire in the Heroes Issue.
Which isn’t to say that he didn’t go for his usual directorial style, encouraging his stars to play around in the moment and deliver ‘alts’ that he could choose from in the edit. “I feel like the improvisation works for comedy and drama,” he explains. “I like to hire actors and actresses that have very creative minds. I always say it’s like a half-assed Mike Leigh.” It was a style that suited his latest lead star. “As a person, Pete is very present. He very quickly loses himself in moments and scenes. When we were shooting a scene, Pete seemed to forget we’re making a movie. In the best possible way.”
Read Empire’s full interview with Judd Apatow in the July 2020 issue, arriving on newsstands from 11 June, and available to pre-order with free UK delivery here. The King Of Staten Island is streaming on VOD from 12 June.