If there's one thing that's certain about Maude Apatow, it's that she's doing her very best to carve out her own path. This is a little harder for the young Euphoria star. After all, her parents happen to be Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann.
Anyone who knows Seth Rogen movies... or anything about the film and television industry... knows that Judd Apatow is one of the most acclaimed writers/directors/producers in Hollywood. There are countless successful films that Judd has been a part of. The man is effortlessly likable too. This is because he's had a very humble yet remarkable journey to success but also because of his public relationship with his wife and kids. After all, he's put them all in so many of his movies.
But what is Judd's eldest daughter's opinion of him and his A-list actor wife, Leslie? Is their relationship as good as it looks?
Maude's Adventure From A Daddy's Girl Into Euphoria
So far in her career, Maude Apatow has done an excellent job separating herself from her family's legacy. The first four credits in her career were in projects that her father either directed or executive produced. Maude's first on-screen role was in Judd's acclaimed film Knocked Up, where she played her actual mother's daughter alongside her real-life sister Iris. She did the same in Funny People, and again in This Is 40, where she reprised her character from Knocked Up.
Maude branched out a little bit when she was cast in a few episodes of HBO's Girls, but the show was also spearheaded by her father.
The entire family is totally aware and open about the nepotism that went on. But Judd wanted to spend time with his family on set and both his daughters were interested in a life in film.
Maude's fifth role was in Chris Kelly's Other People, which was a departure from her father's projects. From there, she's started a life of her own. She's been cast in a major role in Netflix's Hollywood, Assassination Nation, and, of course, as Lexi Howard in Euphoria.
Maude is such a stand-out on Euphoria that many fans have no idea that she is related to the acclaimed filmmaker or her actor mother. This is just one of the behind-the-scenes details of the cast of the show.
In recent years, she has returned to works her father is a part of, such as The King of Staten Island (alongside Pete Davidson), but it feels like she's doing this because she is becoming a known entity regardless of being Hollywood royalty.
During an interview with the Los Angeles Times for The King Of Staten Island, Maude explained why she returned to making a movie with her dad even after starting to carve out a path for herself:
"I’d just done “Euphoria” and I was starting to do other projects showing I was capable of doing work without their help, I was apprehensive about it. But then I thought, “I haven’t worked with my dad since I was 12,” and I really look up to him as a mentor figure in my life. I want to be a director someday, and getting to watch my dad do what he does is very important to me. I don’t know when I’m ever going to do this again and it just felt like, “Why would I not do it?” I’m gonna spend my whole life trying to prove myself as an individual, and that’s a chip on my shoulder. It’s really important to me to show that I work really hard, because I do. I want to be an individual."
The Truth About Her Relationship With Her Parents
Here's the truth about their relationship... they love each other... but they embarrass each other constantly.
Not unlike many parent/child relationships, the one Maude shares with her parents is one that centers around embarrassing stories.
During an interview with Stephen Colbert, Maude was forced to watch a compilation of interviews her parents had done embarrassing both of their daughters but specifically Maude. It included bits about how Maude dropped out of university, how she hates everything her parents love, how she's a slob, and even how spoiled she is.
"Yeah, I was not happy with my mom for saying that," Maude told Stephen Colbert after he asked her about what she thought about what Leslie Mann said. "I'm not going to say anything about them because I'm not petty like that."
Maude went into more detail about her otherwise very positive relationship with her parents while being interviewed by the Los Angeles Times during the pandemic. Around the time the global pandemic hit, Maude was considering finally moving out of her parents' house. But the world changed and so did her plans. Now she's still fairly isolated living in her parents' house. Even though she's taking meetings, auditing, and even doing some work, she's surrounded by her embarrassing parents and 17-year-old sister.
Given how open, honest, and wonderfully embarrassing they are with each other, it doesn't seem like it's that much of big deal to be staying with them a little longer. There's true love, appreciation, and admiration for one another... even if Maude feels as though her parents are extremely embarrassing.