Apatow 'inspired by rebel comedians'

Judd Apatow has said that his earliest comedy influences were those individuals who were not afraid to poke fun at the system.

However, speaking at the UK press conference for his new movie Funny People, the director admitted that he had not kept up with the stand-up scene, despite his early love for the art form.

Apatow said: "When I was 10 years old I was obsessed with the Marx Brothers and early Bill Cosby and George Carlin albums.

"I must have been mad at somebody. I must have been angry because I liked anybody who would flip the bird at the rules. Anyone who didn't think things were fair, I couldn't have enjoyed them more."

He added: "I hadn't seen stand-up in a long time before I wrote the movie. I started going to the clubs and started doing stand-up again just to remember what it was like and how terrifying it was and how needy it made you feel.

"I actually felt bad being in the clubs, meeting some of the great comedians of our time. I had never seen them before and I had to fake knowing who they were because I'm old and have kids.

"It was fun to do it again, but it was really fun to force Adam [Sandler] to do it again because he was one of my favourite comedians. It was worth making the movie just to force Adam to write a new hour."