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