Paula Abdul
Acting • Born 1962-06-19
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.
Filmography
112 credits
Robots
Movie • 2005
Watch (voice)
Sesame Street: Zoe's Dance Moves
Movie • 2003
Self
A Smoky Mountain Christmas
Movie • 1986
Choreographer (uncredited)
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Movie • 2022
3-D Reporter / Paula Abdul
Family Guy Presents: Stewie Kills Lois and Lois Kills Stewie
Movie • 2009
Paula Abdul (voice)
Power Girls
Movie • 2002
Self (archive footage)
Mr. Rock n Roll: The Alan Freed Story
Movie • 1999
Denise Walton
The Waiting Game
Movie • 2001
Amy Fuentes
2022 American Rescue Dog Show
Movie • 2022
Self - Judge
Howard
Movie • 2018
Self (archive footage)
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Movie • 2009
Self (archive footage)
Raging Midlife
Movie • 2025
Mary Todd
American Idol: The Search For A Superstar
Movie • 2002
Judge
Paula Abdul: Under My Spell Live
Movie • 1992
Self
Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You
Movie • 1992
Self
Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
Movie • 1995
Self - Performer
L.A. Story
Movie • 1991
Roller Skater in Front of Tail O' the Pup (uncredited)
American Idol: The Best of Seasons 1-4
Movie • 2005
Self - Judge (archive footage)
Barbie Dance Club
Movie • 1989
Self
For Our Children
Movie • 1993
Self
Singin' in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation
Movie • 2012
Self
VH1 Divas 2009
Movie • 2009
Self - Host
Private School
Movie • 1983
Cheerleader (uncredited)
American Idol: The Worst of Seasons 1-4
Movie • 2005
Self - Judge
The Master of Disguise
Movie • 2002
Choreographer (uncredited)
Paula Abdul Cardio Dance
Movie • 2000
Self
A Sister's Secret
Movie • 2018
Detective Tucker
Brüno
Movie • 2009
Self - American Idol Judge
Touched By Evil
Movie • 1997
Ellen Collier
Romy and Michele: In the Beginning
Movie • 2005
Self
Paula Abdul's Get Up & Dance
Movie • 1994
Self
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
Movie • 2007
Self (archive footage)
Junior High School
Movie • 1978
Sherry
Impractical Jokers: The Movie
Movie • 2020
Paula Abdul
Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story
Movie • 2006
Self
Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell
Movie • 2020
Self
Can't Buy Me Love
Movie • 1987
Dancer (uncredited)
Janet Jackson: Japanese Singles Collection - Greatest Hits
Movie • 2022
Less than Perfect
TV • 2002
Kathleen
Entertainment Tonight
TV • 1981
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
TV • 2003
Self
The Tony Danza Show
TV • 2004
Self
Family Guy
TV • 1999
Paula Abdul (voice)
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
TV • 2003
Self
All of Us
TV • 2003
Self
The Daily Show
TV • 1996
Self
The Single Guy
TV • 1995
Paula Abdul
The Tracey Ullman Show
TV • 1987
The Wayans Bros.
TV • 1995
Sasha
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self
The Friday Night Project
TV • 2005
Self - Host
Today
TV • 1952
Self
The View
TV • 1997
Self
Cybill
TV • 1995
E! True Hollywood Story
TV • 1996
Self
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
TV • 1992
Self
All That
TV • 1994
Self
The Jay Leno Show
TV • 2009
Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
TV • 1993
Self - Guest
Muppets Tonight
TV • 1996
Self
Celebrities Uncensored
TV • 2003
Self
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
TV • 2019
Self
Al TV
TV • 1984
Self
Hey Paula
TV • 2007
Self
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
TV • 1999
Self
Good Day Live
TV • 2001
Self
TRL
TV • 1998
This Is Pop
TV • 2021
Self (archive footage)
Live to Dance
TV • 2011
So You Think You Can Dance
TV • 2005
The Muppets Mayhem
TV • 2023
Paula Abdul
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
TV • 1996
Paula Abdul
2009 Game Show Awards
TV • 2009
Self (archive footage)
Lip Sync Battle
TV • 2015
Self
RuPaul's Drag Race
TV • 2009
Self - Guest Judge
Dancing with the Stars
TV • 2005
Self - Guest Judge
Spin City
TV • 1996
Paula Abdul
So You Think You Can Dance
TV • 2005
Self - Judge
Drop Dead Diva
TV • 2009
Judge Paula
MTV Video Music Awards
TV • 1984
Self
Hell's Kitchen
TV • 2005
Self - Restaurant Patron
The Nineties
TV • 2017
Self (archive footage)
Made for Love
TV • 2021
Anydoors
The Jennifer Hudson Show
TV • 2022
Self - Guest
The Bernie Mac Show
TV • 2001
Paula Abdul
The Movies That Made Us
TV • 2019
Self
The Reichen Show
TV • 2005
Self - Guest
Going Live!
TV • 1987
Self
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
American Idol
TV • 2002
Self - Judge
Impractical Jokers
TV • 2011
Self
The Arsenio Hall Show
TV • 2013
Self
RuPaul
TV • 2019
Self
Entertainment Tonight
TV • 1981
Self
The Kelly Clarkson Show
TV • 2019
Self
Saturday Night Live
TV • 1975
Self - Cameo (uncredited)
Champs-Elysées
TV • 1982
Self
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
TV • 2004
Self
Fresh Off the Boat
TV • 2015
Holly
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
TV • 2021
Self - Contestant
The X Factor
TV • 2011
Self - Judge
Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party
TV • 2020
Self
The Masked Dancer
TV • 2020
Self - Panelist
JANET JACKSON.
TV • 2022
Self
Sacrée Soirée
TV • 1987
Self
Let's Dance
TV • 2006
That's So Raven
TV • 2003
The Host
Paris in Love
TV • 2021
Self
The Golden Bachelor
TV • 2023
Self - Guest
Canada's Drag Race
TV • 2020
Self - Guest Judge
The Streamy Awards
TV • 2009
Self - Presenter
Celebrity Ghost Stories
TV • 2020
Self