The Cable Guy won by Columbia Pictures at a price of $1 million. The role of the Cable Guy was originally written for Chris Farley, who turned it down due to scheduling difficulties. Jim Carrey joined the production, receiving a then record $20 million to star. Following Carrey's signing, Columbia hired Judd Apatow to produce. The studio rebuffed Apatow's interest in directing, but accepted his suggestion to invite Ben Stiller, star of his eponymous show on which Apatow had worked. The original screenplay by Lou Holtz, Jr. was a lighter comedy, described by Apatow as "a "What About Bob?" annoying friend movie" where
Me and the Big Guy only world he has ever known. "Me and the Big Guy" was included on the free DVD that came with issue 4 of the film magazine "Total Movie", cover-dated April 2001. It included a running commentary with Matt Nix. Me and the Big Guy Me and the Big Guy is a 1999 short film that parodies "Nineteen Eighty-Four" by way of lampooning the fact that Big Brother is watching everyone, even those he'd rather not. Directed and written by Matt Nix, this short film follows the life of unnervingly happy-go-lucky Citizen 43275-B (played by Michael Naughton), who despite the oppressive