Back in 2007,Knocked Up, a rom-com featuring some of the biggest names in the comedy genre, hit theaters. Written anddirected by Judd Apatow, this production follows Alison, an up-and-coming journalist who has just been promoted at work and, as a way of celebrating, goes out clubbing with her sister. At the nightclub they go to, she meets Ben, an immature and lazy man with a totally different life than hers, but with whom she ends up sleeping after drinking way too much. Even though they break off contact the following day, they have to reconnect a couple of weeks later because Alison finds out she is pregnant. After this news, they both attempt to navigate this strange journey together despite the fact that they have very little in common.
Knocked Upstarred Seth Rogen, Katherine Heigl, Paul Rudd, and Leslie Mann, and became a box office hit, grossing $219 million worldwide. Such was its success that, a few years later, Apatow went on to work on a sequel focusing on Rudd and Mann’s characters calledThis is 40. Even though it was successful,Knocked Uphad its share of controversy due to the statements made by its leading actors. In an interview withVanity Fair, Heigl stated that she considered the film to be rather sexist in its portrayal of women, something that did not sit well with Apatow and Rogen. Eventually, however, the stars managed to smooth things over and put their issues behind them. Here is a review of the most recent projects of the cast ofKnocked Up.
Katherine Heigl
InKnocked Up,Katherine Heiglis Alison Scott, the famous reporter that gets pregnant following a one-night stand. This actress is probably best known for her role as Dr. Izzie Stevens in Shonda Rhimes' seriesGrey’s Anatomy, a production in which she starred until 2010. After her appearance in the rom-com alongside Seth Rogen, Heigl went on to star in several films of the genre, such as27 Dresses,The Ugly Truth,andNew Year’s Eve. In recent years, however, she has not been as active in the industry, but after a few years of not starring in any film, she was cast in the psychological thrillerFear of Rainin 2021. Nonetheless, she was involved in some TV projects, such as the seriesSuitsandNetflix’sFirefly Lane, where she also serves as executive producer.
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Seth Rogen
Seth Rogenstarred inKnocked Upas Ben Stone, Allison’s immature love interest who is forced to mature abruptly after being told he’s going to have a baby. But this is not the only Apatow production in which he took part: his television debut was in Apatow’s seriesFreaks and Geeks, and over the years, Rogen has been involved in many of his films, both as an actor and as a producer. In recent years, he has been very busy acting, producin,g and directing different films and shows. As an actor, he appeared in films such asAn American PickleandThe Fabelmans, a Steven Spielberg film that recently earned several Oscar nominations. He also lent his voice to children’s films such asChip ‘n Daleand the 2019 remake ofThe Lion King, in which he played Pumbaa. Serving as a producer, Rogen worked on the showsThe Boys,Black Monday,andPam & Tommy, in which he was also featured as Rand Gauthier.
Leslie Mann
In this Apatow production,Leslie Mannplays Debbie, the main character’s sister, a role for which she earned great acclaim and even a few nominations. Mann has been married toKnocked Up’s director since 1997, and has been involved in several of his productions, both herself and their two daughters. In recent years, Mann has been mostly involved in TV productions, not only acting but also lending her voice to various characters. Among her most notable films areBlockers,Motherless Brooklyn,andCha Cha Real Smooth, as well as the animated productionsMr. Peabody & Sherman,Rio 2,andThe Croods: A New Age.
Paul Ruddplays Pete, who is married to Alison’s sister, and just like Rogen, he has also been involved in a number of Apatow’s productions. Among them, we can mentionAnchorman: The Legend of Ron BurgundyandThe 40-Year-Old Virgin. Throughout his career, Rudd has been widely acclaimed for different roles, although one of his most popular parts is that of Ant-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He is expected to reprise this role in the 2023 filmAnt-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, the third installment starring this character. In 2021, Rudd starred inGhostbusters: Afterlifealongside Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, and Mckenna Grace. In recent years, he has also appeared in a number of TV shows, most notablyThe Shrink Next DoorandOnly Murders in the Building, a show he was added to at the end of the second season and will appear inthe upcoming third.
Jason Segel
Like Rogen, Rudd, and Mann,Jason Segelhas also been involved in a number of Apatow projects over the course of his career that have brought him great acclaim. Among them areFreaks and Geeks,UndeclaredandThis is 40. The actor is mostly known for his role as Marshall Eriksen in the sitcomHow I Met Your Mother, which aired from 2005 to 2014. In recent years, Segel has worked as an actor, screenwriter, and producer for a number of films and shows. Some of his latest film productions so far areOur Friend,The Sky is Everywhere,andWindfall, in which, besides starring alongside Lily Collins and Jesse Plemons, he served as writer and producer. In 2022, Segel was cast in the showWinning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, and also worked on the seriesShrinking, created by him along with Brett Goldstein and Bill Lawrence. In this production, set to premiere on January 27, Segel co-stars opposite Harrison Ford. InKnocked Up, Segel plays one of the main character’s friends.
Jay Baruchel
Jay Baruchelstars inKnocked Upas one of Ben’s friends, and over the years, this Canadian actor and filmmaker has ventured into a wide range of projects. For one, he voiced Hiccup, the main character of the animated franchiseHow to Train Your Dragon, which already boasts three films, several TV series and a few short films. He has also written and directed a number of film productions, such as the moviesGoon: Last of the EnforcersandRandom Acts of Violence, in which he was also a member of the cast. In 2023, he is expected to appear in the docudramaBlackBerry, which will explore the history of the brand’s mobile phones. On top of it all, he also made his debut as an author in 2018 with the bookBorn Into It: A Fan’s Life.
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Jonah Hill
Actor and filmmakerJonah Hillmay have started his career as a comedy actor, but he later proved to be an impeccable actor across every genre. After playing Jonah inKnocked Up, he continued to star in many kinds of projects, including animated franchises such asHow to Train Your DragonandThe Lego Movie. The year 2018 was quite busy for Hill, because he starred in the miniseriesManiacalongside Emma Stone and also made his directorial debut with the filmMid90s. A few years later, he appeared in films such asDon’t Look UpandStutz, a Netflix documentary featuring him alongside his therapist. In addition, he recently releasedYou People, a comedy in which he participated as producer, co-writer and actor.
Martin Starr
Martin Starris yet another actor who has been working with Apatow sinceFreaks & Geeks, and has also been featured in several of Apatow’s productions. In recent years, Starr has been very active in both cinema and television, appearing in many, many projects. From 2017 onwards he joined the cast ofSpider-Manas Roger Harrington, a professor who had already been featured in 2008’sThe Hulk, when his character was still a college student. He was also cast inSamaritan, a superhero movie starring Sylvester Stallone. This is not the only time he has worked with Stallone: the same yearSamaritanwas released, Starr joined the actor in the seriesTulsa King, in which he plays a leading role. Starr has also been featured in the episode “The Outside” ofGuillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities.
Kristen Wiig
Kristen Wiigis one of today’s top comedy actresses, and over the years, she has also worked as a writer and producer on high-profile projects. The actress, who inKnocked Upplays an executive at E! News, starred in films such asGhostbusters: Answer the Call,Masterminds,andBarb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar, where she also served as producer and writer. She is involved in highly acclaimed animated franchises such asDespicable MeandHow to Train Your Dragon, in which she voices Agent Lucy Wilde and Ruffnut Thorston, respectively. In 2021, Wiig was cast in the Peacock showMacGruberand the movieA Boy Called Christmas, and she is also expected to be featured inMrs. American Pie, a show whose premiere date has not yet been revealed.
Maude Apatow
Maude Apatowis the daughter of Leslie Mann and Judd Apatow, and in this film she stars as the daughter of her mother’s character alongside her sister Iris. She also played the daughter of her mother’s character in some other productions, such asFunny People.Knocked Upwas Maude’s film debut, and over the past few years, she was also involved in films such asAssassination NationandThe King of Staten Island. Her career started to take off in 2019 when she was cast in the HBO seriesEuphoria, co-starring alongside Zendaya, Alexa Demie, and Sydney Sweeney, as well as many other actors.
