Because Judd Apatow's next film, This is Forty, is a spin-off from Knocked Up, we should expect some crossover. Recently it was revealed that Jason Segel, who played Ben's friend Jason in Knocked Up, will have a part in the movie, but, frankly, that actually makes a lot of sense. Jason was constantly hitting on the character played by Leslie Mann in the first film, and now she is the female lead in This is Forty. This connection doesn't really exist for the rest of Ben's friends, so today's news, while sad, isn't all that surprising.
The Playlist recently spoke to actor Martin Starr, who played Ben's friend Martin in Knocked Up, and he confirmed that he will not have a role in This is Forty. The thing is, however, there was some consideration to including his character in the spin-off, and he even met with the director about the project. "I met with Judd on it and had some fun, but I think the way they mapped things out, I didn’t fit into it," Starr said. "But it sounds like a lot of fun."
The actor has been an Apatow regular for more than a decade, previously playing uber-dweeb Bill Haverchuck in the Apatow-produced Freaks and Geeks; Jay Baruchel's best friend from high school in the Apatow-created show Undeclared; and small roles in movies like Superbad, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story, and Adventureland. Starr's newest film, A Good Old Fashioned Orgy, is in limited release today and later this fall he will play a professor in an episode of NBC's Community.
While it would have been cool to see Starr show up in the film, it probably would have felt a bit forced (though I will miss all of the beard jokes). But what about the rest of the gang? Do you think we'll see Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, or Jonah Hill in the movie? Do you want to see them? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below.
