Wantagh's Own Alan Zweibel To Talk Comedy Career With Judd Apatow

WANTAGH, NY — Comedy writer Alan Zweibel, who spent his childhood in Wantagh, will team up with fellow Long Island native and comedian Judd Apatow to offer a one-night-only comedy webinar, according to a report.

Zweibel, whose career includes stints with "Saturday Night Live" and "700 Sundays," and comedian, writer, producer and director Apatow, whose accolades include "Knocked Up" and "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," will be featured in a 90-minute webinar Aug. 6 titled, "What's So Funny About America?"

The virtual conference will be moderated by Jessica Shaw of SiriusXM and will focus on the two men's comedy careers in film, stage, TV and print.

Zweibel moved to Wantagh when he was 8. In an interview two years ago with Long Island Pulse, he recalled spending his childhood hanging out and getting ice cream with other kids in his neighborhood of Holiday Park. Zweibel moved to Woodmere at 15 and graduated from Hewlett High School. He worked as a cabana boy in Atlantic Beach over the summer.

Zweibel, 70, recently published a memoir titled "Laugh Lines: My Life Helping Funny People Be Funnier." The memoir traces the history of American comedy while discussing Zweibel's own comedy career, which began with him selling jokes at $7 apiece before becoming one of the first writers at Saturday Night Live. Zweibel went on to write for and co-create "It's Garry Shandling's Show," working closely with the late comic Garry Shandling.

Apatow, who will be featured with Zweibel on the webinar, grew up in Woodbury and just released his latest film, "The King of Staten Island." Apatow also worked closely with Shandling while writing for and producing "The Larry Sanders Show."

The event, which is sponsored by Temple Emanu-El of Manhattan, is free. Registration is required via Temple Emanu-El's upcoming events page.