A squeaky-voiced, diminutive attractive blonde player, Leslie Mann landed the role of Nurse Mary on the short-lived medical drama “Birdland” (ABC, 1994). She made her screen debut in the 1996 independent feature “Things I Never Told You” before landing the high profile female lead in Ben Stiller’s comic thriller “The Cable Guy” (also 1996), opposite Jim Carrey and Matthew Broderick, and she would later go on to marry the film’s screenwriter, Judd Apatow. Mann also played a lesbian in Edward Burns’ “She’s the One” and appeared as a prostitute opposite Bruce Willis in “Last Man Standing” (both 1996).
In 1997, she starred as the damsel-in-distress Ursula in the genial family comedy “George of the Jungle”. After taking time out for motherhood, the actress resumed her career with a sexy turn as a well-endowed waitress in the Adam Sandler comedy “Big Daddy” (1999). She would go on to turns in writer-director Mike Figgis’ experimental film “Timecode” (2000), director Jake Kasdan’s comedy “Orange County” (2002) and as Jason Lee’s fiance who inexplicably weeps during sex in the comedy “Stealing Harvard” (2002). The actress then gave the best demonstration of her considerable comedic skills yet in a scene-stealing appearance as Nicky, the drunken bar pick-up who takes Steve Carell’s sexually inexperienced character on a white-knuckled ride home in the hit comedy “The 40 Year-Old Virgin” (2005), written and directed by her husband, Apatow.
- Born:
on 11/11/1972 in San Francisco, California
- Job Titles:
Actor
Family
- Daughter: Maude Apatow. born c. December 1997
Significant Others
- Husband: Judd Apatow. met during filming of “The Cable Guy” (1996); married on June 9, 1997
Milestones
- 1994 TV debut as series regular on the short-lived ABC medical drama “Birdland”
- 1996 Feature film debut, “Things I Never Told You”
- 1996 First starring role opposite Jim Carrey in the comedy “The Cable Guy”; produced by her future husband Judd Apatow, whom she met while filming
- 1997 Starred as Ursula opposite Brendan Fraser’s “George of the Jungle”
- 1999 Portrayed a straight-laced, well-endowed waitress in the Adam Sandler comedy “Big Daddy”; Mann had to wear prostethic breasts for the role
- 2001 Appeared in the ensemble of “Perfume”
- 2002 Starred opposite Jason Lee in “Stealing Harvard”
- 2005 Cast in husband Judd Apatow’s directorial debut “The 40 Year-Old Virgin”
