Apatow Actors – Movie Cliques Part 4

The 2009 movie Funny People united Adam Sandler with another one of my favorite cliques, the Apatow Actors. What’s interesting is that even though this is the first onscreen pairing of Apatow regulars like Seth Rogen with Adam Sandler, the Judd Apatow & Adam Sandler relationship goings back many years. The two of them were roommates 20 odd years ago when they were both just aspiring comedians. They have collaborated on many projects ever since, such as Big Daddy (which was one of the first times Apatow cast his wife Leslie Mann). I think it's pretty sweet Apatow enjoys working with his wife. She's appeared in 40-Year -Old Virgin, Knocked Up and Funny People.

Apatow is a comedic genius; his movies are a perfect combination of sidesplitting physical jokes and sarcastic humor. Part of his genius is casting the right actors to portray his characters; characters that are so real you feel like he has walked the halls of your own high school or sat in the cubicle next to you at your job.

Most recognizable is Seth Rogen. Apatow casts him as our favorite average Joe in Knocked Up, 40-Year-Old Virgin, Superbad, and Pineapple Express. Jason Segal plays a hilarious wingman to Seth Rogen in Knocked Up, blatantly disregarding the fact that Leslie Mann’s character is married with kids. Segal went on to star in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, in which Paul Rudd makes a cameo appearance as Chuck the clueless surfboarding instructor. Rudd also plays a staring role in 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up. Jonah Hill rounds out the Apatow regulars; Hill stars in Superbad and makes hilarious appearances in 40 Year Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Funny People. It seems actors jump on the chance to collaborate with Apatow whenever they can. Steve Carrell (the star of 40-Year-Old Virgin) makes an uncredited cameo in Knocked Up; just say hi to his pals.

Ferrell's Follies - Movie Cliques Part 3

Since I last talked about Wes Anderson I thought it would be appropriate to talk about another one of my favorite cliques that seems to stem from his films. Will Ferrell has included many of my favorite Wes Anderson regulars in his films. We all know that Ferrell has a more “slap stick” sense of humor compared to Anderson’s eccentric comedies, but comic geniuses such as Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson and Luke Wilson are easily transferable.

I first noticed this clique in Will Ferrell’s film Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Almost the whole clique pops up in one hilarious scene where competing news teams all rumble, West Side Story style. Luke Wilson loses an arm, Ben Stiller leads the “Spanish speaking” channel and Vince Vaughn shows up as Ferrell’s arch nemesis. Tim Robbins even pops in. That’s particularly funny because Jack Black, who kills Ron Burgundy’s dog, later appears with Robbins in High Fidelity.

As Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller parade around as “supermodels” in Zoolander, Ferrell makes an appearance as the evil fashion designer, Mugato (Vaughn makes a cameo appearance as Stiller’s brother) And when Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller take on the classic TV roles of Starsky & Hutch, Vaughn plays the bad guy Reese Feldman (Ferrell makes an appearance as “dragon-loving” Big Earl).

Luke Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Will Ferrell team up for the sidesplitting comedy, Old School. Honestly, who doesn’t love to see a trio of middle-aged men act like frat boys? And lets not forget the hilarious battle between Stiller and Vaughn in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story or Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn as Wedding Crashers.