Paula Abdul
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jun 19, 1962 (age 64)
- Place of birth
- San Fernando, California, USA
- Credits
- 118
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
Family Guy
1999TV
Paula Abdul (voice)
Robots
2005Movie
Watch (voice)
Brüno
2009Movie
Self - American Idol Judge
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
2022Movie
3-D Reporter / Paula Abdul
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996TV
Paula Abdul
Can't Buy Me Love
1987Movie
Dancer (uncredited)
Filmography
Raging Midlife
2025Movie
Mary Todd
The Golden Bachelor
2023TV
Self - Guest
The Muppets Mayhem
2023TV
Paula Abdul
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022TV
Self - Guest
Janet Jackson: Japanese Singles Collection - Greatest Hits
2022Movie
(archive footage)
2022 American Rescue Dog Show
2022Movie
Self - Judge
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
2022Movie
3-D Reporter / Paula Abdul
JANET JACKSON.
2022TV
Self
Paris in Love
2021TV
Self
Secret Celebrity Renovation
2021TV
Self
Made for Love
2021TV
Anydoors
This Is Pop
2021TV
Self (archive footage)
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
2021TV
Self - Contestant
The Masked Dancer
2020TV
Self - Panelist
Canada's Drag Race
2020TV
Self - Guest Judge
Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party
2020TV
Self
Celebrity Ghost Stories
2020TV
Self
Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell
2020Movie
Self
Impractical Jokers: The Movie
2020Movie
Paula Abdul
The Movies That Made Us
2019TV
Self
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
2019TV
Self
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019TV
Self
RuPaul
2019TV
Self
A Sister's Secret
2018Movie
Detective Tucker
Howard
2018Movie
Self (archive footage)
American Idol
2018TV
Self - Guest Judge
Steve
2017TV
Self
The Nineties
2017TV
Self (archive footage)
Lip Sync Battle
2015TV
Self
Fresh Off the Boat
2015TV
Holly
The Arsenio Hall Show
2013TV
Self
Singin' in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation
2012Movie
Self
Impractical Jokers
2011TV
Self
The X Factor
2011TV
Self - Judge
Live to Dance
2011TV
The Talk
2010TV
Self
Waking Sleeping Beauty
2010Movie
Self (archive footage)
VH1 Divas 2009
2009Movie
Self - Host
The Jay Leno Show
2009TV
Self
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009TV
Self - Guest
Drop Dead Diva
2009TV
Judge Paula
Brüno
2009Movie
Self - American Idol Judge
2009 Game Show Awards
2009TV
Self (archive footage)
Family Guy Presents: Stewie Kills Lois and Lois Kills Stewie
2009Movie
Paula Abdul (voice)
The Streamy Awards
2009TV
Self - Presenter
RuPaul's Drag Race
2009TV
Self - Guest Judge
Hey Paula
2007TV
Self
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
2007Movie
Self (archive footage)
Let's Dance
2006TV
Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story
2006Movie
Self
Hotel Babylon
2006TV
Herself
American Idol: The Best of Seasons 1-4
2005Movie
Self - Judge (archive footage)
American Idol: The Worst of Seasons 1-4
2005Movie
Self - Judge
The Reichen Show
2005TV
Self - Guest
So You Think You Can Dance
2005TV
Self - Judge
Dancing with the Stars
2005TV
Self - Guest Judge
Romy and Michele: In the Beginning
2005Movie
Paula Abdul
Hell's Kitchen
2005TV
Self - Restaurant Patron
Robots
2005Movie
Watch (voice)
The Friday Night Project
2005TV
Self - Host
The Tony Danza Show
2004TV
Self
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
2004TV
Self
All of Us
2003TV
Self
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003TV
Self
Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music Vol. 5
2003Movie
Self
Celebrities Uncensored
2003TV
Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003TV
Self
That's So Raven
2003TV
The Host
Sesame Street: Zoe's Dance Moves
2003Movie
Self
Less than Perfect
2002TV
Kathleen
Power Girls
2002Movie
Self (archive footage)
The Master of Disguise
2002Movie
Choreographer (uncredited)
American Idol
2002TV
Self - Judge
American Idol: The Search For A Superstar
2002Movie
Judge
The Bernie Mac Show
2001TV
Paula Abdul
Good Day Live
2001TV
Self
The Waiting Game
2001Movie
Amy Fuentes
Paula Abdul Cardio Dance
2000Movie
Self
Mr. Rock n Roll: The Alan Freed Story
1999Movie
Denise Walton
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
1999TV
Self
Family Guy
1999TV
Paula Abdul (voice)
TRL
1998TV
The View
1997TV
Self
Touched By Evil
1997Movie
Ellen Collier
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996TV
Paula Abdul
Spin City
1996TV
Paula Abdul
E! True Hollywood Story
1996TV
Self
The Daily Show
1996TV
Self
Muppets Tonight
1996TV
Self
Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
1995Movie
Self - Performer
The Single Guy
1995TV
Paula Abdul
The Wayans Bros.
1995TV
Sasha
Cybill
1995TV
All That
1994TV
Self
Paula Abdul's Get Up & Dance
1994Movie
Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993TV
Self - Guest
For Our Children
1993Movie
Self
Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You
1992Movie
Self
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992TV
Self
Paula Abdul: Under My Spell Live
1992Movie
Self
L.A. Story
1991Movie
Roller Skater in Front of Tail O' the Pup (uncredited)
Barbie Dance Club
1989Movie
Self
Nase vorn
1988TV
Self
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988TV
Self
Going Live!
1987TV
Self
Sacrée soirée
1987TV
Self
Can't Buy Me Love
1987Movie
Dancer (uncredited)
The Tracey Ullman Show
1987TV
A Smoky Mountain Christmas
1986Movie
Choreographer (uncredited)
MTV Video Music Awards
1984TV
Self
Al TV
1984TV
Self
Private School
1983Movie
Cheerleader (uncredited)
Champs-Elysées
1982TV
Self
Entertainment Tonight
1981TV
Self
Junior High School
1978Movie
Sherry
Saturday Night Live
1975TV
Self (uncredited)
American Music Awards
1974TV
Self - Presenter
Today
1952TV
Self