Judd Apatow Says He 'Can' Watch Daughter Maude on 'Euphoria' : 'I'm Not Traumatized'

"I love it," Apatow told PEOPLE, of watching his daughter in the hit HBO series

Maude Apatow and Judd Apatow attend the 2022 HBO Emmy's Party at San Vicente Bungalows
Maude Apatow and Judd Apatow attend the 2022 HBO Emmy's Party at San Vicente Bungalows. Photo: David Livingston/Getty Images

Judd Apatow is a big fan of daughter Maude's show Euphoria.

Hosting the Directors Guild of America Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. on Saturday, Apatow shared with PEOPLE that he enjoys watching the series, despite its risqué content.

"I can watch it. I love it. I'm not traumatized because I've read the scripts," Apatow, 55, said of watching Maude, 25, play Lexie Howard in the hit HBO series.

The biggest piece of advice he gave his and Leslie Mann's children (including younger daughter Iris, 20) was "Just do things that you're passionate about. Don't do anything just to work. Do things that you really care about."

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live last October, the filmmaker talked about his daughter's success on the show and his hopes of one day having grandkids.

"Maude is on Euphoria right now, which I'm happy about," he shared, before joking, "You want your kids to surpass you, but not that fast."

Judd Apatow and Maude Apatow pose at the after party as Maude Apatow joins the cast of "Little Shop of Horrors"
Judd Apatow and Maude Apatow. Bruce Glikas/Getty Images

"She's like, 'Dad, I can't have kids, I play a 16-year-old on a high school show,' " he explained. "And I was, like, 'Yeah, but I've seen that show, I don't think it would be that weird.'"

In a March 2022 interview with Entertainment Tonight, the director and producer said that he was "really emotional" after watching Maude in Euphoria. "I'm just in a puddle," he recalled. "I'm just bawling and crying."

Apatow continued, "You're always happy when your kids are doing well and have a job."

Leslie Mann, Maude Apatow, and Judd Apatow attend HBO Max "Euphoria" FYC on April 20, 2022 in Los Angeles, California
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

Both Maude and Iris have previously worked with their dad on his productions over the years including comedy films Knocked Up and This Is 40.

"A lot of the time, I don't think she knew there was a camera rolling," Judd previously told PEOPLE of working with Maude when she was a child. "I would sit her next to her sister, and I would just say some key phrase, and then they would just start fighting."

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

"I remember once, Maude had a little doll in the car and she tossed it and hit Iris on her nose. And then Iris started crying and I was like, 'Great, we'll use that in the movie! That's a real moment of hostility,' " he joked.

"Years later, Iris saw it and she was like, 'I can't believe you used me really crying!' So one might say, bad parenting."

Related Articles