Paula Abdul
Acting
Born: June 19, 1962 (age 64) · San Fernando, California, USA
Highest Rated
Biography
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.
Known for
American Beauty
1999
Family Guy
1999
Robots
2005
Coming to America
1988
The Running Man
1987
Brüno
2009
The Karate Kid Part III
1989
The Doors
1991
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
2022
Black Knight
2001
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996
Can't Buy Me Love
1987
Photos (3)
Movies (17)
Robots
Watch (voice)
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
3-D Reporter / Paula Abdul
Can't Buy Me Love
Dancer (uncredited)
The Master of Disguise
Choreographer (uncredited)
Private School
Cheerleader (uncredited)
A Smoky Mountain Christmas
Choreographer (uncredited)
L.A. Story
Roller Skater in Front of Tail O' the Pup (uncredited)
Impractical Jokers: The Movie
Paula Abdul
Family Guy Presents: Stewie Kills Lois and Lois Kills Stewie
Paula Abdul (voice)
The Waiting Game
Amy Fuentes
Romy and Michele: In the Beginning
Paula Abdul
A Sister's Secret
Detective Tucker
Janet Jackson: Japanese Singles Collection - Greatest Hits
2022
Touched By Evil
Ellen Collier
Raging Midlife
Mary Todd
American Idol: The Search For A Superstar
Judge
Mr. Rock n Roll: The Alan Freed Story
Denise Walton
TV Shows (19)
Family Guy
Paula Abdul (voice) · 2 eps
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Paula Abdul · 1 eps
Fresh Off the Boat
Holly · 1 eps
Spin City
Paula Abdul · 1 eps
The Bernie Mac Show
Paula Abdul · 1 eps
Drop Dead Diva
Judge Paula · 5 eps
That's So Raven
The Host · 1 eps
Cybill
1 eps
So You Think You Can Dance
1 eps
The Wayans Bros.
Sasha · 1 eps
Less than Perfect
Kathleen · 1 eps
The Single Guy
Paula Abdul · 1 eps
The Tracey Ullman Show
1 eps
Entertainment Tonight
1981
TRL
1 eps
Made for Love
Anydoors · 4 eps
The Muppets Mayhem
Paula Abdul · 1 eps
Let's Dance
1 eps
Live to Dance
7 eps
Self / Appearances (78)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · 3 eps
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Self · 1 eps
The Daily Show
Self · 1 eps
Saturday Night Live
Self (uncredited) · 2 eps
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Self - Guest · 1 eps
RuPaul's Drag Race
Self - Guest Judge · 1 eps
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Self · 4 eps
Dancing with the Stars
Self - Guest Judge · 3 eps
The View
Self · 5 eps
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self · 1 eps
The Talk
Self · 1 eps
Hell's Kitchen
Self - Restaurant Patron · 1 eps
American Idol
Self - Judge · 315 eps
Impractical Jokers
Self · 1 eps
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Self - Guest · 1 eps
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Self · 4 eps
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Self · 4 eps
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
Self · 1 eps
MTV Video Music Awards
Self · 2 eps
Sacrée soirée
Self · 3 eps
Today
Self · 1 eps
Steve
Self · 1 eps
Champs-Elysées
Self · 2 eps
American Idol
Self - Guest Judge · 1 eps
All That
Self · 1 eps
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
Self - Contestant · 1 eps
Lip Sync Battle
Self · 1 eps
So You Think You Can Dance
Self - Judge · 30 eps
The Jay Leno Show
Self · 1 eps
All of Us
Self · 1 eps
Going Live!
Self · 1 eps
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
Self · 3 eps
American Music Awards
Self - Presenter · 1 eps
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Self · 2 eps
Muppets Tonight
Self · 1 eps
Entertainment Tonight
Self · 3 eps
The Movies That Made Us
Self · 1 eps
The Arsenio Hall Show
Self · 1 eps
The X Factor
Self - Judge · 26 eps
Canada's Drag Race
Self - Guest Judge · 1 eps
JANET JACKSON.
Self · 2 eps
Brüno
Self - American Idol Judge
The Nineties
Self (archive footage) · 1 eps
This Is Pop
Self (archive footage) · 1 eps
Secret Celebrity Renovation
Self · 1 eps
The Streamy Awards
Self - Presenter · 1 eps
Celebrity Ghost Stories
Self · 1 eps
RuPaul
Self · 1 eps
Paris in Love
Self · 3 eps
Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party
Self · 1 eps
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Self (archive footage)
Al TV
Self · 1 eps
E! True Hollywood Story
Self · 1 eps
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
Self (archive footage)
Howard
Self (archive footage)
The Golden Bachelor
Self - Guest · 1 eps
The Masked Dancer
Self - Panelist · 9 eps
2009 Game Show Awards
Self (archive footage) · 1 eps
Hey Paula
Self · 7 eps
Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You
Self
Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
Self - Performer
Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell
Self
Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music Vol. 5
Self
Singin' in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation
Self
VH1 Divas 2009
Self - Host
Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story
Self
Power Girls
Self (archive footage)
For Our Children
Self
Barbie Dance Club
Self
Paula Abdul Cardio Dance
Self
Sesame Street: Zoe's Dance Moves
Self
2022 American Rescue Dog Show
Self - Judge
American Idol: The Best of Seasons 1-4
Self - Judge (archive footage)
American Idol: The Worst of Seasons 1-4
Self - Judge
Paula Abdul: Under My Spell Live
Self
Paula Abdul's Get Up & Dance
Self
The Friday Night Project
Self - Host · 1 eps
Celebrities Uncensored
Self · 1 eps
Producing (2)
Other Crew (16)
So You Think You Can Dance
Music Sound Design and Processing
So You Think You Can Dance
Music Programmer
American Beauty
Choreographer
Coming to America
Choreographer
The Running Man
Choreographer
The Karate Kid Part III
Choreographer
Black Knight
Choreographer
The Doors
Choreographer
Can't Buy Me Love
Choreographer
Action Jackson
Choreographer
The Master of Disguise
Choreographer
A Smoky Mountain Christmas
Choreographer
She's Out of Control
Choreographer
The Jacksons Live in Toronto 1984 - Victory Tour
Choreographer
War Dancing - Dance to Win
Choreographer
1660 Vine
Choreographer