 In the early 1980s, Judd Apatow was a funny kid with a love for comedy. He'd grown up studying the greats, even interviewing a few as a high school kid in Long Island. Young Apatow was witty enough to write some killer jokes for professional comics. But when he got up on stage himself, it was… crickets. But they could save the crowd because I'm gonna get the laugh, so they're gonna come on man, laugh, you little bozo. His love for comedy did not make him a great stand-up comedian. I'm sure it was a brutal realization for him as a young man. He had dreamed, done all the work, met the masters, and yet, it still wasn't gonna happen. But instead of giving up, Apatow reinvented himself. After years of hustling through television writers' rooms, he got the chance to create his own television show, Freaks and Geeks. It was an immediate cult classic, boasting a murderer's row of young talent, like James Franco, Jason Siegel, and Seth Rogen. But the show was canceled after one season, then he made another one, undeclared, that was canceled after two. Again, Apatow didn't get dejected. He adapted to yet another form and tried something new. Movies. That's where he found his flow, with a string of hugely successful films he either directed or produced. The 40-year-old virgin, knocked up, super bad, and bridesmaids. Now among the most influential people in all of Hollywood, Apatow has helmed some of the era's biggest comedies, has discovered a new class of stars, and almost single-handedly popularized the bromance. By changing his own story, he has altered the course of comedy. Had Apatow begun his career by planning on making groundbreaking comedy films that changed the course of movies, it's unlikely he would have succeeded. He had to get there organically by following his passion, studying the greats, doing the work, and learning from his failures. It happened for Apatow because of his talent, of course, but also because he was open to the power of reinvention.