>>> HE'S THE EMMY-WINNING WRITER, PRODUCER, DIRECTOR AND
COMEDIAN BEHIND SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MOVIES.
>> WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JUDD APATOW.
IN FACT JUDD HAS BEEN CALLED A COMEDY MASTERMIND WHO'S WRITTEN
AND DIRECTED SUCH CLASSICS AS "THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN" WITH
STEVE CARELL, "KNOCKED UP" -- >> THESE ARE ALL CLASSICS.
AND NOW HE'S BOUND TO HAVE ANOTHER HIT ON HIS HANDS "THE
BIG SICK" BASED ON THE REAL LIFE
STORY. >> HEY, HOW ARE YOU?
>> IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE. >> CONGRATULATIONS, THIS IS
GETTING CRAZY REVIEWS, RIGHT? >> THESE ARE THE BEST REVIEWS
I'VE EVER GOTTEN. >> IS THAT RIGHT?
>> IS IT BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T WRITE IT?
>> YOU ARE LIKE LASER FOCUSED INTO THE TRUTH.
>> YOU ARE PRODUCED THIS BABY. GOOD FOR YOU.
>> EXACTLY. WELL, IT'S BASED ON A TRUE STORY
AND SO IT'S AN AMAZING REAL THING THAT HAPPENED TO HIM AND
HIS WIFE, EMILY. >> SO THEY HAVE THIS STORY ABOUT
HOW THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES.
>> AND RELIGIONS. >> AND RNL.
AND HIS GIRLFRIEND AT THE TIME GETS ILL.
>> AND IS IN A COMA. >> IT SOUNDS HYSTERICAL.
>> YEAH, YEAH. >> WHEN THEY WERE WRITING THIS,
WHAT ADVICE DID YOU GIVE THEM ABOUT THE COMEDY?
HOW DID YOU COAX THEM THROUGH IT?
>> IS HE A STAND-UP COMEDIAN? >> HE IS.
HE WAS DATING A YOUNG WOMAN AND HIS PARENTS WANTED HIM TO HAVE
AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE SO HE HAD THIS SECRET RELATIONSHIP WITH AN
AMERICAN WOMAN. THEN SHE HAD TO BE PUT IN A COMA
BECAUSE SHE HAD A MYSTERY DISEASE AND HE WINDS UP HAVING
TO HANG OUT WITH HER PARENTS AT THE HOSPITAL WAITING FOR HER TO
HOPEFULLY GET BETTER. IT'S A LOVE STORY THAT YOU FALL
IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE WHILE THEY ARE IN A COMA.
RAY ROMANO AND HOLLY HUNTER -- >> THEY'RE THE PARENTS.
>> IT'S HYSTERICALLY FUNNY AND SWEET.
IT'S THE KIND YOU WAIT TO SEE IN THE MOVIE THEATER.
>> I LIKE THESE QUIRKY LITTLE MOVIES THAT OFTEN GET OVERLOOKED
FOR THE BIG WHAM BAM SLAM STUFF. >> LIKE TRANSFORMERS.
>> EXACTLY. >> HOW LONG HAVE THESE GUYS BEEN
WORKING ON THIS SCREENPLAY? HOW LONG DID THEY WORK ON
WRITING IT? >> I THINK IT PROBABLY TOOK
ABOUT THREE YEARS TO WRITE IT BECAUSE WE KNEW IT WAS A TRICKY
SUBJECT AND WE WANTED IT TO BE VERY ENTERTAINING AND EMOTIONAL.
I GRINDED THEM FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
THEY WORKED SO HARD TO GET IT RIGHT.
BUT I LIKE WHEN YOU SEE MOVIES WHERE YOU KNOW THAT IT'S SO
IMPORTANT TO THE FILMMAKERS -- >> THEY CARE.
>> THEY'RE NOT IN IT FOR THE CASH, THIS IS THEIR LIFE.
>> YES, IT'S A LABOR OF LOVE. >> DID YOU CHANGE ANYTHING IN
THE MOVIE TO MAKE IT DIFFERENT? >> WELL, THERE'S A SUBPLOT IN IT
WHERE RAY ROMANO -- THERE'S LIKE A HISTORY WHERE HE CHEATED ON
HOLLY HUNTER IN THE PAST. >> IT HAPPENS.
>> AND IN REAL LIFE EMILY'S PARENTS DID NOT HAVE THAT ISSUE
BUT WE FELT LIKE WE NEEDED A LITTLE MORE TENSION.
SO EMILY LIKES US TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT WE MADE THAT UP.
>> YEAH, TOOK A LITTLE DRAMATIC LICENSE.
>> FOR YOU TO GET INTERESTED IN SOMETHING IS A BIG DEAL.
I READ SOMEWHERE THAT WHEN YOU WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IF YOU
GUYS WERE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER, THAT YOU CALLED HIM
AND ASKED HIM TO MEET YOU AT 7:00 A.M. IN CALIFORNIA.
>> YES. >> WHY DID YOU PICK THAT TIME OF
DAY? >> WELL, I USUALLY MEET WITH
PEOPLE EARLY BECAUSE I DROP MY KIDS OFF AT SCHOOL.
>> SO IT'S CONVENIENT FOR YOU. >> YEAH, SO I DON'T CARE ABOUT
THEIR LIVES AND THEIR SLEEP. THEY CAN SAY I'M NOT COMING.
CAN I COME IN AT NOON, I GO WELL, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT THAT
EXCITED TO DO SO. >> SO YOU SEE HOW DEDICATED THEY
ARE. >> THAT'S LIKE LUNCHTIME FOR US,
7:00 A.M. WE'LL TAKE A MEETING ANY TIME
WITH YOU THEN. >> COMEDIANS DO NOT LIKE THE
7:00 A.M. MEETING. >> NO, THEY DON'T.
>> WELL, YOU MUST BE THRILLED WITH THESE REVIEWS, BECAUSE WE
WERE JUST READING SO MANY OF THEM AND THEY JUST KEEP COMING
BACK. >> EVEN RAY IS SURPRISED BY
THAT. >> AND RAY ROMANO IS SO FUNNY
AND SUCH A GREAT ACTOR. >> HE IS REALLY GOOD.
>> AND HOLLY HUNTER, WHO I'VE LOVED FOREVER.
>> IT'S BEEN TOO LONG SINCE WE'VE SEEN HER.
>> SHE'S SO GREAT. I WENT TO VISIT COLLEGES WITH MY
DAUGHTER. WE WERE LOOKING FOR COLLEGES.
AND WE WENT TO CARNEGIE MELON AND THEY SAID DO YOU WANT TO SIT
IN AND WATCH AN ACTING CLASS. AND HOLLY HUNTER IS --
>> IS TEACHING A MASTER CLASS. AFTER EVERY SCENE SHE TELLS THEM
HOW TO MAKE IT BETTER. AND SO FOR THREE HOURS WE WATCH
HOLLY HUNTER. >> HOW COOL.
>> AND THEN WHEN WE WERE THINKING ABOUT THIS MOVIE, I
THOUGHT THE UNIVERSE TOLD ME, IT'S HOLLY HUNTER, THAT'S WHY I
SAW HER. >> BY THE WAY, HAPPY 20th
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TO YOUR BEAUTIFUL LIFE -- WIFE, WHO MADE
YOUR LIFE BASICALLY. DON'T WRITE ANYMORE, IT'S ALL
GOOD. >> MAYBE THAT'S THE SECRET.
BUT I WROTE THIS WHOLE SEGMENT. THIS IS ALL SCRIPT