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Judd Apatow

Judd Apatow

Producer, writer, director and actor · Born December 6, 1967 (58) · Flushing, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

3 Primetime Emmys · BAFTA Award winner · Golden Globe nominee · 4 other major award bodies

Judd Apatow (/ˈæpətaʊ/; born December 6, 1967) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and comedian known for his work in comedy films. Apatow is the founder of Apatow Productions, through which he wrote, produced, and directed his films The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005), Knocked Up (2007), Funny People (2009), This Is 40 (2012), Trainwreck (2015), The King of Staten Island (2020), and The Bubble (2022). Through his company, Apatow produced and developed the television series Freaks and Geeks (1999–2000), Undeclared (2001–2002), Funny or Die Presents (2010–2011), Girls (2012–2017), Love (2016–2018), and Crashing (2017–2019). He also produced the films The Cable Guy (1996), Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004), Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006), Superbad (2007), Pineapple Express (2008), Forgetting Sarah Marshall(2008), Get Him to the Greek (2010), Bridesmaids (2011), Begin Again (2013), and The Big Sick (2017). Throughout his career, Apatow has received nominations for 11 Primetime Emmy Awards(three wins), five Writers Guild of America Awards (one win), two Producers Guild of America Awards, one Golden Globe Award, and one Grammy Award. Description above from the Wikipedia article Judd Apatow, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
December 6, 1967 (58)
From
Flushing, Queens, New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Producer, writer, director and actor
Titles
74 on MovieCove · 105 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 157 days to Oct 28Up 28% in 30 days

What are Judd Apatow's films like?

Across their 57 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Bonds.

Genres

Comedy40 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 61st percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary10 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 39th percentile
: browse their Action movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
38%
Bonds
33%
Society
12%
Ideas
6%
Survival
5%
Morality
4%
Power
1%
Friendship19 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose14 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity13 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth10 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds7 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity8 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt8 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 54 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 41 · Serious 12 · Dark 1

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 39 · Stylized 7 · Heightened 8

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 26 · Charged 24 · Intense 4

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 33 · Shifting 15 · Whiplash 6

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 3 · Some laughs 8 · Funny 43

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 19 · Even-paced 28 · Relentless 7

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 44 · Engaged 9 · Full focus 1

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 49 · Open-ended 5 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
31
Absurd
25
Warm
19
Hopeful
15
Contemplative
12
Other
48

How their films linger

Feel-good38 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun25 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful22 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking11 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy33
  • Bittersweet17
  • Ambiguous4
  • Cyclical2
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Judd Apatow's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 56 of their 74 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (15).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Judd Apatow's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

105 credits, 74 with a MovieCove page; 59 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Comeback King (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2027)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay

  • Norm: The Tale of Norm Macdonald (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2026)

    Director · Producer

  • You Had to Be There: How the Toronto Godspell Ignited the Comedy Revolution, Spread Love & Overalls, and Created a Community That Changed the World (in a Canadian Kind of Way)(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Outcome(2026)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 5th percentile of all films

  • Silly Silly Fun Boy(2026)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!(2026)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · as Self - Director

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story(2026)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Poetic License (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Producer

  • The New Yorker at 100(2025)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Flipside (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Executive Producer

  • STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    Show 2 episodes · Thanks

  • Ramy Youssef: More Feelings(2024)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • Stormy(2024)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Bob and Don: A Love Story (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director · Executive Producer

  • Please Don't Destroy: The Treasure of Foggy Mountain(2023)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Bros(2022)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • George Carlin's American Dream(2022)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all shows

  • The Bubble(2022)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all films

  • Stranger at the Gate (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Thanks

  • Ricky Velez: Here's Everything(2021)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Mentally Al(2020)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The King of Staten Island(2020)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Gary Gulman: The Great Depresh(2019)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Pete Holmes: Dirty Clean(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Loudon Wainwright III: Surviving Twin(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Juliet, Naked(2018)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2018)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · as Self

  • Judd Apatow: The Return(2017)

    Producer · Screenplay · as Himself

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Jerry Before Seinfeld(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • May it Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers(2017)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Chris Gethard: Career Suicide(2017)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Sandy Wexler(2017)

    as Testimonial

    Midcredits score: 19th percentile of all films

  • The Big Sick(2017)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • The Disaster Artist(2017)

    as Judd Apatow (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Crashing(2017)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all shows

  • The Comedian(2016)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Pete Holmes: Faces and Sounds(2016)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Doc & Darryl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Director

  • Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping(2016)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Drake Sather: The Man Who Created Zoolander (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Actor

  • Pee-wee's Big Holiday(2016)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Sing Street(2016)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Love(2016)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Creator · Writer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • I Had a Dream (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Executive Producer

  • Trainwreck(2015)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • Begin Again(2013)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all films

  • Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues(2013)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Graham Parker & The Rumour: This Is Live (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Director

  • This Is 40(2012)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • The Five-Year Engagement(2012)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Girls(2012)

    Show 62 episodes · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all shows

  • Wanderlust(2012)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • Zookeeper(2011)

    as Barry the Elephant (voice)

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Bridesmaids(2011)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Get Him to the Greek(2010)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Funny or Die Presents...(2010)

    Show Creator

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all shows

  • 30 for 30(2009)

    Show 1 episode · Director

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Funny People(2009)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Friend in video (voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Year One(2009)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • Yo Teach...! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Show 7 episodes · Director · Creator · Writer

  • Pineapple Express(2008)

    Producer · Story

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Step Brothers(2008)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • You Don't Mess with the Zohan(2008)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Forgetting Sarah Marshall(2008)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Drillbit Taylor(2008)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story(2007)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • The Hills with James Franco and Mila Kunis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Director

  • Superbad(2007)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Knocked Up(2007)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • The TV Set(2006)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • Help Me Help You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby(2006)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • American Storage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2006)

    Executive Producer

  • Fun with Dick and Jane(2005)

    Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 46th percentile of all films

  • The 40-Year-Old Virgin(2005)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Kicking & Screaming(2005)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • Wake Up, Ron Burgundy(2004)

    Producer · as News Station Employee

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy(2004)

    Producer · as News Station Employee

    Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films

  • Sick in the Head(2003)

    Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Undeclared (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 16 episodes · Director · Creator · Producer · Story · Writer

  • North Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Director · Executive Producer · Writer

  • Freaks and Geeks(1999)

    Show 18 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Cable Guy(1996)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • Celtic Pride(1996)

    Executive Producer · Story · Writer

    Midcredits score: 17th percentile of all films

  • Mr. Show with Bob and David(1995)

    Show 1 episode · as Infomercial audience member · as Judd Apatow

    Midcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

  • Heavyweights(1995)

    Executive Producer · Writer · as Homer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The TV Wheel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Writer

  • The Critic (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · Story · Writer · as Jay Leno

  • The 15th Annual Young Comedians Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Actor

  • The Ben Stiller Show(1992)

    Show 13 episodes · Creator · Producer · Writer · Actor

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all shows

  • Crossing the Bridge(1992)

    Associate Producer

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • The Larry Sanders Show(1992)

    Show 90 episodes · Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Show 3 episodes · Actor

  • Jim Carrey: Unnatural Act(1991)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Tom Arnold: The Naked Truth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Writer

  • The Simpsons(1989)

    Show 1 episode · Writer · as Judd Apatow (voice)

    Midcredits score: 96th percentile of all shows

  • Saturday Night Live(1975)

    Show 1 episode · Writer · as Self - Cameo (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all shows

  • Business Trip (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Cola Wars (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director

  • House of Joel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Let's Do This (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Pure Imagination (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • The Way I Was Made: The Story of a Man Called E (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Untitled Judd Apatow/Lucas Brothers Project (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Untitled Universal Romantic Comedy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer

Career shape

A full career of 105 titles, 96 of them dated from 1975 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Bridesmaids (2011)

$289M worldwide

Highest rated

May it Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers (2017)

Midcredits 98th

Most popular right now

The 40-Year-Old Virgin (2005)

Film career

MilestoneAward win

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting16 of 105: 9 only acting, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score65thDirecting28 of 105: 6 only directing, 22 with another role · typical Midcredits score83rdWriting29 of 105: 7 only writing, 22 with another role · typical Midcredits score68thProducing70 of 105: 43 only producing, 27 with another role · typical Midcredits score69thOther crew13 of 105: 8 only other crew, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score76th

105 titles, 32 with more than one role — producing and writing overlap on 17 of them.

By decade

1970s1 · crew1980s1 · 1 acting · 1 crew1990s14 · 6 acting · 11 crew2000s25 · 4 acting · 24 crew2010s34 · 4 acting · 30 crew2020s21 · 1 acting · 20 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

3 Primetime Emmys, a BAFTA Award and 2 other major awards from 28 major nominations, 1993–2026.

WinNomination
  1. 2026
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
  2. 2023
    • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Non-Fiction Television
  3. 2022
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
  4. 2018
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
  5. 2017
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
  6. 2013
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • BAFTA Award, won · Best International
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 wins and 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, won · New Series
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy Series
      • Critics Choice Award, won
  7. 2012
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
  8. 2009
    • Grammy Award, nominated · Best Song Written for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
Show 7 earlier years
  1. 2008
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Original Song - Motion Picture
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
  2. 2006
    • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
  3. 1998
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Comedy
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television
  4. 1997
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series
  5. 1996
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
  6. 1994
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
  7. 1993
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Judd Apatow's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 61; across their 54 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 67th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

67thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 54

Approval · how many liked their films

64thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 54

Reach · how many have seen their films

95thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 54

Midcredits score across 74 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up34
  • 50th to 74th19
  • 25th to 49th14
  • Below 25th7

Shape of the crowd

28 of their 74 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved12
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive2
  • Cult Classic3
  • Crowd Pleaser28
  • Broadly Agreed9
  • Mixed19

Most divisive · writer, producer

Sick in the Head (2003)

99th percentile spread · 51% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer, producer

Freaks and Geeks (1999)

Midcredits 98th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 61/100 and the plot and story 44/100 in their films, across 43 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Judd Apatow's work okay for kids?

Across up to 33 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity, profanity and alcohol & drugs run heavier than most films and frightening / intense lighter.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore32 titles9–51 · median 35 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity33 titles29–75 · median 53 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity33 titles44–92 · median 79 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs31 titles33–88 · median 44 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense32 titles8–34 · median 16 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Judd Apatow work with?

People who share at least 2 of Judd Apatow's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Josh Church shares the most, 11.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

  • Josh Church11 titles    See all 11 shared titles with Josh Church
  • Barry Mendel7 titles    See all 7 shared titles with Barry Mendel
  • Clayton Townsend7 titles    See all 7 shared titles with Clayton Townsend
  • Shauna Robertson7 titles    See all 7 shared titles with Shauna Robertson

Mixed roles