Judd Apatow Says His Entire Career 'Is Revenge For The People Who Cancelled 'Freaks And Geeks'

Judd Apatow has had a hand in hit shows such as "Girls" and movies like "Bridesmaids," "Knocked Up," "Superbad," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," among many others.

But his extensive resumé, he says, is all a result of "Freaks and Geeks" - the beloved but yet low-rated drama he executive produced - being cancelled by NBC in 2000 after just one season on the air.

"Even to this day, I think I didn't want to admit that 'Freaks and Geeks' was cancelled," Apatow said during a Q&A with Entertainment Weekly's Dan Snierson this week. "Everything I've done, in a way, is revenge for the people who cancelled 'Freaks and Geeks.' It's really demented, but it's just like 'you were wrong about that person, and that person and that person. And that writer and that director.' And I really should get over that."

Stars of "Freaks and Geeks" included then-unknown actors such as Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, James Franco, Busy Philipps, Linda Cardellini, and many more who have gone on to become bona fide movie stars. The series was co-written and produced by Paul Feig, who went on to direct "Bridesmaids," "The Heat," and many episodes of "The Office" and "Arrested Development."

Looks like Apatow had a point, afterall.

But as for whether Apatow will ever return full-time to TV, the father-of-two says, "TV is so much work, it's crazy. It's so much harder than movies - a thousand times harder than movies. We're about to do our fourth season [of 'Girls'] and I've never been a part of something that's gone that far. And it's wonderful to imagine how they grow up."