Ep. 299 | Lessons From Judd Apatow & Being In The Cut! w/ Andrew Jay Cohen

The Screenwriting Life with Meg LeFauve and Lorien McKenna

Meg LeFauve & Lorien McKenna

Tv & Film

4.9 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 21 May 2026

⏱️ 61 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Joe sits down with Writer/Director/Producer Andrew Jay Cohen who is in the thick of post production on his latest directorial offering, Soapbox written by Max Barbakow and David Duchovny. Before diving into the weeds with his directorial and post production process, Andrew gives insight on what he took from his time working alongside Judd Apatow for a number of years on films like Anchorman, 40 Year Old Virgin and more. Andrew is incredibly honest about his perfectionist streak and the freedom that Apatow's approach to the script and production gave him. He also talks about what having a critical & box office bomb taught him and how his first major success, Neighbors was a dream come true. He dives into a bit of the post production process for Soapbox with Joe. Gems Gems Gems! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Attention all passengers.
0:04.0	The Uber ride for Mark and Jamal's romantic weekend will depart in four minutes from Platform 6.
0:10.0	Your ride comes with a rolling countryside sunset view and a table seat ideal for playing footsie beneath.
0:17.0	Thank you for booking your tickets on Uber.
0:23.1	Trains on Uber.
0:26.8	Hey everyone, welcome back to TSL. I'm Joe Forte.
0:32.3	And today we have a great discussion for you, diving into the filmmaking process with Andrew J. Cohen, who is a writer-director and producer from Scowarsdale, New York.
0:37.0	After studying film at Yale and NYU, Andrew started his career working alongside Judd Apatow.
0:44.2	First, as an assistant on Apatow's hit Anchorman.
0:47.3	Later, he became an associate producer on films like 40-year-old Virgin and Talladega Nights.
0:53.1	Andrew is best known for writing one of the most successful comedies at the box office in recent history.
0:58.3	Neighbors starring Seth Rogan and Zach Ephron.
1:01.4	He wrote and served as executive producer for the sequel as well.
1:05.8	In 2014, Cohn took a Craigslist ad that went viral, developed it into a story, attached director
1:12.1	Jonathan Laboon, and sold the pitch that would become the basis for his film, Mike and Dave,
1:16.8	New Wendy.
1:18.2	Andrew co-wrote and made his directorial debut in The Feature of the House, starring Will
1:22.5	Farrell and Amy Kohler in 2017.
1:25.4	Currently, Andrew is in post-production on his latest directorial project. So Fox,
1:30.4	co-written by Max Barbe Cowell and David Docovney. DuCovney stars in the film as well. And since he
1:36.6	just came off of making that film and he's still in the process, we thought it would be
1:42.2	unique to talk to Andrew today.
	...

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