Acting
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographer for the Laker Girls, where she was discovered by the Jacksons. After choreographing music videos for Janet Jackson, Abdul became a choreographer at the height of the music video era and soon thereafter she was signed to Virgin Records. Abdul's debut studio album, Forever Your Girl (1988), became one of the most successful debut albums at that time, selling seven million copies in the United States and setting a record for the most U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles from a debut album: "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted", and "Opposites Attract". Her second album, Spellbound (1991), scored the number-one singles "Rush Rush" and "The Promise of a New Day". With six number-one singles on Hot 100, Abdul tied Diana Ross for the third-most chart-toppers among female solo artists at the time. As of 2025, Abdul places seventh along with Diana Ross and Lady Gaga for the most number-one singles by female artists in the U.S. to date. Abdul was one of the original judges on the television series American Idol from 2002 to 2009, and has since appeared as a judge on The X Factor, Live to Dance, So You Think You Can Dance, and The Masked Dancer. She received choreography credits in numerous films, including Can't Buy Me Love (1987), The Running Man (1987), Coming to America (1988), Action Jackson (1988), The Doors (1991), Jerry Maguire (1996), and American Beauty (1999). She received 17 MTV Video Music Award nominations, winning five, as well as receiving the Grammy Award for Best Music Video for "Opposites Attract" in 1991. She received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography twice for her work on The Tracey Ullman Show, and her own performance at the American Music Awards in 1990. Abdul was honored with her own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and is the first entertainer to be honored with the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards' Hall of Fame Award. Abdul was born in San Fernando, California. She is Jewish: her father, Harry Abdul, is of Syrian Jewish heritage and was born in Aleppo, Syria, raised in Brazil and emigrated to the United States. Her mother, Lorraine (Rykiss), was a concert pianist of Jewish heritage, from Minnedosa, Manitoba, Canada. Abdul has an older sister named Wendy. As an avid dancer, Abdul was inspired towards a show business career by Gene Kelly in the film Singin' in the Rain. ... Source: Article "Paula Abdul" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Filmography
Raging Midlife
Film · 2025
The Muppets Mayhem
Series · 2023
The Golden Bachelor
Series · 2023
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Film · 2022
2022 American Rescue Dog Show
Film · 2022
Janet Jackson: Japanese Singles Collection - Greatest Hits
Film · 2022
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Series · 2022
JANET JACKSON.
Series · 2022
This Is Pop
Series · 2021
Made for Love
Series · 2021
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
Series · 2021
Paris in Love
Series · 2021
Secret Celebrity Renovation
Series · 2021
Impractical Jokers: The Movie
Film · 2020
Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell
Film · 2020
Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party
Series · 2020
The Masked Dancer
Series · 2020
Canada's Drag Race
Series · 2020
Celebrity Ghost Stories
Series · 2020
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
Series · 2019
The Movies That Made Us
Series · 2019
RuPaul
Series · 2019
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Series · 2019
Howard
Film · 2018
A Sister's Secret
Film · 2018
American Idol
Series · 2018
The Nineties
Series · 2017
Steve
Series · 2017
Lip Sync Battle
Series · 2015
Fresh Off the Boat
Series · 2015
The Arsenio Hall Show
Series · 2013
Singin' in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation
Film · 2012
Live to Dance
Series · 2011
Impractical Jokers
Series · 2011
The X Factor
Series · 2011
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Film · 2010
The Talk
Series · 2010
Family Guy Presents: Stewie Kills Lois and Lois Kills Stewie
Film · 2009
VH1 Divas 2009
Film · 2009
Brüno
Film · 2009
The Jay Leno Show
Series · 2009
2009 Game Show Awards
Series · 2009
RuPaul's Drag Race
Series · 2009
Drop Dead Diva
Series · 2009
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Series · 2009
The Streamy Awards
Series · 2009
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
Film · 2007
Hey Paula
Series · 2007
Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story
Film · 2006
Let's Dance
Series · 2006
Hotel Babylon
Series · 2006
Robots
Film · 2005
American Idol: The Best of Seasons 1-4
Film · 2005
American Idol: The Worst of Seasons 1-4
Film · 2005
Romy and Michele: In the Beginning
Film · 2005
The Friday Night Project
Series · 2005
So You Think You Can Dance
Series · 2005
Dancing with the Stars
Series · 2005
So You Think You Can Dance
Series · 2005
Hell's Kitchen
Series · 2005
The Reichen Show
Series · 2005
The Tony Danza Show
Series · 2004
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
Series · 2004
Sesame Street: Zoe's Dance Moves
Film · 2003
Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music Vol. 5
Film · 2003
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Series · 2003
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Series · 2003
All of Us
Series · 2003
Celebrities Uncensored
Series · 2003
That's So Raven
Series · 2003
Power Girls
Film · 2002
American Idol: The Search For A Superstar
Film · 2002
The Master of Disguise
Film · 2002
Less than Perfect
Series · 2002
American Idol
Series · 2002
The Waiting Game
Film · 2001
Good Day Live
Series · 2001
The Bernie Mac Show
Series · 2001
Paula Abdul Cardio Dance
Film · 2000
Mr. Rock n Roll: The Alan Freed Story
Film · 1999
Family Guy
Series · 1999
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Series · 1999
TRL
Series · 1998
Touched By Evil
Film · 1997
The View
Series · 1997
The Daily Show
Series · 1996
E! True Hollywood Story
Series · 1996
Muppets Tonight
Series · 1996
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Series · 1996
Spin City
Series · 1996
Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
Film · 1995
The Single Guy
Series · 1995
The Wayans Bros.
Series · 1995
Cybill
Series · 1995
Paula Abdul's Get Up & Dance
Film · 1994
All That
Series · 1994
For Our Children
Film · 1993
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Series · 1993
Paula Abdul: Under My Spell Live
Film · 1992
Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You
Film · 1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Series · 1992
L.A. Story
Film · 1991
Barbie Dance Club
Film · 1989
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Series · 1988
Nase vorn
Series · 1988
Can't Buy Me Love
Film · 1987
The Tracey Ullman Show
Series · 1987
Going Live!
Series · 1987
Sacrée soirée
Series · 1987
A Smoky Mountain Christmas
Film · 1986
Al TV
Series · 1984
MTV Video Music Awards
Series · 1984
Private School
Film · 1983
Champs-Elysées
Series · 1982
Entertainment Tonight
Series · 1981
Entertainment Tonight
Series · 1981
Junior High School
Film · 1978
Saturday Night Live
Series · 1975
American Music Awards
Series · 1974
Today
Series · 1952