Maude Apatow

She has that famous last name but it isn’t because of it that Maude Apatow is gaining traction as one of the up-and-coming young actors. She has talent and has no problem delivering on it. Granted, her father may have given her the early boost, but make no mistake about it, Maude Apatow has gotten to where she is at by hard work and the desire to be more than just an actress.

MAUDE APATOW AND SYDNEY SWEENEY ARE FRIENDS OFF-SCREEN

Speaking of Euphoria. To say that Maude Apatow and Sydney Sweeney are BFFs might be an understatement. The young actresses first met on the set of the hit series, but as they remember, it was a very nervous first meeting. The actresses sat down and spoke with PEOPLE’s The Beautiful List to explain.

“I remember meeting Sydney, we were like eating lunch in a church,” recalled Apatow.

“Yes, oh my god!” answered Sweeney. “We were just, like, it was so awkward.”

“And you asked to sit with me and I was like, she’s so nice,” laughed Apatow. Both ladies agreed they were completely nervous not only to meet but to be in the series. You can see just how close the two are in the interview below.

MAUDE APATOW IS 24 YEARS OLD AND THE DAUGHTER OF JUDD APATOW AND LESLIE MANN

If you don’t know the last name, then shame on you. Maude Apatow is the daughter of director, producer, and screenwriter Judd Apatow. She is also the daughter of actress Leslie Mann, something that you can easily recognize when the two are standing next to each other.

Maude Apatow was born on December 15, 1997, but the 24-year-old didn’t start acting until she was seven years old. This came in her father’s classic comedy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, which starred Steve Carrell and included a hilarious bit with Mann as one of Carrell’s characters’ “hookups.” Now, if you don’t recall seeing a precocious 7-year-old in the film, don’t worry. Maude’s scenes never made the final cut.

MAUDE APATOW WAS IN KNOCKED UP AND THIS IS 40

Two years later, Maude did make the final cut in her father’s comedy Knocked Up. In fact, not only did Maude make the film, but so did her sister Iris. Both played the daughters of Mann’s character. Maude followed that up, again two years later, by playing the daughter (yes, again) of Mann’s character in another of her father’s films (again), Funny People. It doesn’t hurt to be the daughter of a famous screenwriter/director/producer and actress.

This is 40 came out in 2012 and once again, the film came from the mind of Judd Apatow and it was a spin-off sequel to Knocked Up. The film featured Mann and Paul Rudd’s character from Knocked Up and also brought back Maude Apatow as Sadie. Her sister was also brought back for the spin-off.

While Maude’s early career was clearly benefitting from an assist from her mom and dad, her appearance in the 2012 comedy brought her some attention as she was nominated for two awards. The first was for the 2012 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Young Actress and the second for the 2013 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film – Supporting Young Actress.

“I was so little when my dad cast me in movies. I didn’t even realize what was going on, but I knew that I liked it. It was really nice to be able to do that with them first to get practice. Now, I feel very prepared to go off on my own,” she explained to W.

Over the next few years, Maude Apatow did not appear in any films. What she did do, though, was join the social media craze by jumping on Twitter. Her online following got to be so big that it helped her become a contributor on Zooey Deschanel’s Hello Giggles website as both an interviewer and a writer.

Although she wasn’t in front of the camera in feature films, Maude Apatow was gaining recognition on her Twitter feed as well as with Hello Giggles. Because of this, she grabbed a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30 list and then followed that up by being named by Time magazine as having one of the “Best Twitter Feeds of 2013.”

MAUDE APATOW RIPPED OUT A TOOTH FOR AN ACTING ROLE

It was pretty evident early on in Maude Apatow’s career that she was very serious about her craft. She showed that at the age of nine when she was involved in the Gold Rush day at her elementary school. As she explained during an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers, her dedication was painful.

“I started when I was really young. I remember I always really went for it, too,” Maude shared. “I did a Gold Rush day [at school] and I wanted to look like a miner. So, I like ripped out my tooth… It was not a loose tooth at all! It was not ready to go, and I just ripped it out.” Meyers followed up by wondering just how her parents reacted to her painfully removing a tooth to which Apatow answered, “I think my dad was like, ‘What is wrong with her? Oh no, we’ve raised a monster.’”

SHE MADE HER DIRECTORIAL DEBUT WITH DON’T MIND ALICE

Maude Apatow finally got back in front of the camera in 2015 when she took on the role of Cleo in the TV series Girls. 2016 was a big year for her as she starred in Other People. This was her first large role that did not involve her father. She shined in it and it led her to The House of Tomorrow.

Then, Maude Apatow got to do something she always wanted to do, and if she has her way, it is the direction she would love to take her career. She made her directorial debut with the short film, Don’t Mind Alice. She also starred in the film and that is the trifecta Apatow is looking to hit.

“I love writing and I love directing. That’s my ultimate goal. And acting. If I could do all of them at the same time that would be cool,” Apatow said to W. “I’ve been writing screenplays. I want to write movies. I did a short film last summer that I wrote and directed and acted in. So, that was the greatest thing ever, and hopefully, I can do more of that.”

MAUDE APATOW STARS ON EUPHORIA

Maude Apatow was given the role of Lexi Howard in the teen drama series Euphoria after working with director Sam Levinson on his film Assassination Nation in 2018. He loved her work so much on the film that he specifically wrote the part of Lexi for Apatow.

As many of you are aware, there is a teeny bit of nudity and sex in the hit series, and it isn’t only centered around the women on the show. There is full frontal on both sides of the ledger, one of the more shocking being Eric Dane, the veteran actor who played Dr. Mark Sloan on Grey’s Anatomy.

But most of the actors have been part of the nudity heavily featured in the series, and Apatow is no exception. While she hasn’t been featured in some of the heavy sex scenes, she has flashed some skin a time or two.

MAUDE APATOW IS ON INSTAGRAM AND TWITTER

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A post shared by Maude Apatow (@maudeapatow)

Seeing as that it was social media that pointed Maude Apatow in the right direction, there is no reason for her to stop. She maintains a large presence on Twitter with nearly 357K followers and also finds time to post on her Instagram account as well which has 4.7 million followers.

She loves to post pictures of her daily routines as well as whatever makeup or fashion she is wearing.

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this is life pic.twitter.com/JFMRogypTT

— euphoria (@euphoriaHBO) January 25, 2022

Along with Euphoria, which appears to be getting stronger and stronger, Maude Apatow can be seen in the upcoming series, Pantheon. After that, who knows what the future holds for the rising star? If she has her way though, it will involve writing, directing, and starring. She is ready and able to take over Hollywood.