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 · 114
Family Guy
1999 · Paula Abdul (voice)
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009 · Self - Guest
The Daily Show
1996 · Self
The Kelly Clarkson Show
2019 · Self
Saturday Night Live
1975 · Self (uncredited)
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022 · Self - Guest
RuPaul's Drag Race
2009 · Self - Guest Judge
The View
1997 · Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
2003 · Self
Dancing with the Stars
2005 · Self - Guest Judge
Hell's Kitchen
2005 · Self - Restaurant Patr...
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988 · Self
The Talk
2010 · Self
American Idol
2002 · Self - Judge
Steve
2017 · Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
1993 · Self - Guest
Impractical Jokers
2011 · Self
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2003 · Self
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992 · Self
Good Day Live
2001 · Self
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
1996 · Paula Abdul
Spin City
1996 · Paula Abdul
Fresh Off the Boat
2015 · Holly
That's So Raven
2003 · The Host
Sacrée soirée
1987 · Self
Champs-Elysées
1982 · Self
So You Think You Can Dance
2005
MTV Video Music Awards
1984 · Self
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
2019 · Self
The Bernie Mac Show
2001 · Paula Abdul
Drop Dead Diva
2009 · Judge Paula
American Idol
2018 · Self - Guest Judge
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
2021 · Self - Contestant
Lip Sync Battle
2015 · Self
All That
1994 · Self
Going Live!
1987 · Self
Cybill
1995
All of Us
2003 · Self
American Music Awards
1974 · Self - Presenter
Today
1952 · Self
The Jay Leno Show
2009 · Self
The Wayans Bros.
1995 · Sasha
Robots
2005 · Watch (voice)
The Arsenio Hall Show
2013 · Self
TRL
1998
Less than Perfect
2002 · Kathleen
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
2004 · Self
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
1999 · Self
The Tracey Ullman Show
1987
The Single Guy
1995 · Paula Abdul
The Movies That Made Us
2019 · Self
Muppets Tonight
1996 · Self
The Muppets Mayhem
2023 · Paula Abdul
Entertainment Tonight
1981
Canada's Drag Race
2020 · Self - Guest Judge
Made for Love
2021 · Anydoors
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
2022 · 3-D Reporter / Paula A...
Can't Buy Me Love
1987 · Dancer (uncredited)
The X Factor
2011 · Self - Judge
JANET JACKSON.
2022 · Self
Brüno
2009 · Self - American Idol J...
The Nineties
2017 · Self (archive footage)
Private School
1983 · Cheerleader (uncredite...
The Streamy Awards
2009 · Self - Presenter
The Master of Disguise
2002 · Choreographer (uncredi...
This Is Pop
2021 · Self (archive footage)
Paris in Love
2021 · Self
Waking Sleeping Beauty
2009 · Self (archive footage)
Secret Celebrity Renovation
2021 · Self
RuPaul
2019 · Self
Let's Dance
2006
Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party
2020 · Self
L.A. Story
1991 · Roller Skater in Front...
Celebrity Ghost Stories
2020 · Self
The Masked Dancer
2020 · Self - Panelist
Al TV
1984 · Self
E! True Hollywood Story
1996 · Self
The Golden Bachelor
2023 · Self - Guest
Howard
2018 · Self (archive footage)
Impractical Jokers: The Movie
2020 · Paula Abdul
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
2007 · Self (archive footage)
2009 Game Show Awards
2009 · Self (archive footage)
Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You
1992 · Self
Hey Paula
2007 · Self
Family Guy Presents: Stewie Kills Lois and Lois Kills Stewie
2009 · Paula Abdul (voice)
Romy and Michele: In the Beginning
2005 · Paula Abdul
A Sister's Secret
2018 · Detective Tucker
Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
1995 · Self - Performer
The Oprah Winfrey Show
1986 · Self
Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell
2020 · Self
A Smoky Mountain Christmas
1986 · Choreographer (uncredi...
For Our Children
1993 · Self
Saturday Night Live: 25 Years of Music Vol. 5
2003 · Self
Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story
2006 · Self
American Idol: The Search For A Superstar
2002 · Judge
Singin' in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation
2012 · Self
American Idol: The Best of Seasons 1-4
2005 · Self - Judge (archive...
VH1 Divas 2009
2009 · Self - Host
Mr. Rock n Roll: The Alan Freed Story
1999 · Denise Walton
Raging Midlife
2025 · Mary Todd
The Waiting Game
2001 · Amy Fuentes
Live to Dance
2011
Janet Jackson: Japanese Singles Collection - Greatest Hits
2022
American Idol: The Worst of Seasons 1-4
2005 · Self - Judge
Touched By Evil
1997 · Ellen Collier
Power Girls
2002 · Self (archive footage)
Sesame Street: Zoe's Dance Moves
2003 · Self
Paula Abdul: Under My Spell Live
1992 · Self
Paula Abdul Cardio Dance
2000 · Self
Barbie Dance Club
1989 · Self
Paula Abdul's Get Up & Dance
1994 · Self
The Friday Night Project
2005 · Self - Host
2022 American Rescue Dog Show
2022 · Self - Judge
Celebrities Uncensored
2003 · Self