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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0000716
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q185465
Facebook: https://facebook.com/PaulaAbdul
Instagram: https://instagram.com/paulaabdul
Filmography (Movies)
Raging Midlife
Character:Mary Todd
Release Date:14/03/2025
2022 American Rescue Dog Show
Character:Self - Judge
Release Date:25/05/2022
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
Character:3-D Reporter / Paula Abdul
Release Date:20/05/2022
Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell
Character:Self
Release Date:07/04/2020
Impractical Jokers: The Movie
Character:Paula Abdul
Release Date:21/02/2020
A Sister's Secret
Character:Detective Tucker
Release Date:05/08/2018
Howard
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:22/04/2018
Singin' in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation
Character:Self
Release Date:17/07/2012
VH1 Divas 2009
Character:Self - Host
Release Date:17/09/2009
Waking Sleeping Beauty
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:05/09/2009
Brüno
Character:Self - American Idol Judge
Release Date:08/07/2009
Family Guy Presents: Stewie Kills Lois and Lois Kills Stewie
Character:Paula Abdul (voice)
Release Date:19/05/2009
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:19/05/2007
Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story
Character:Self
Release Date:19/08/2006
American Idol: The Best of Seasons 1-4
Character:Self - Judge (archive footage)
Release Date:22/11/2005
American Idol: The Worst of Seasons 1-4
Character:Self - Judge
Release Date:22/11/2005
Romy and Michele: In the Beginning
Character:Self
Release Date:30/05/2005
Robots
Character:Watch (voice)
Release Date:10/03/2005
Sesame Street: Zoe's Dance Moves
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/2003
Power Girls
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:12/08/2002
The Master of Disguise
Character:Choreographer (uncredited)
Release Date:02/08/2002
American Idol: The Search For A Superstar
Character:Judge
Release Date:01/01/2002
The Waiting Game
Character:Amy Fuentes
Release Date:25/01/2001
Paula Abdul Cardio Dance
Character:Self
Release Date:31/10/2000
Mr. Rock n Roll: The Alan Freed Story
Character:Denise Walton
Release Date:31/10/1999
Touched By Evil
Character:Ellen Collier
Release Date:12/01/1997
Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
Character:Self - Performer
Release Date:14/12/1995
Paula Abdul's Get Up & Dance
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1994
For Our Children
Character:Self
Release Date:16/02/1993
Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You
Character:Self
Release Date:10/09/1992
Paula Abdul: Under My Spell Live
Character:Self
Release Date:09/02/1992
L.A. Story
Character:Roller Skater in Front of Tail O' the Pup (uncredited)
Release Date:08/02/1991
Barbie Dance Club
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1989
Can't Buy Me Love
Character:Dancer (uncredited)
Release Date:14/08/1987
A Smoky Mountain Christmas
Character:Choreographer (uncredited)
Release Date:14/12/1986
Private School
Character:Cheerleader (uncredited)
Release Date:29/06/1983
Junior High School
Character:Sherry
Release Date:01/10/1978
Television Appearances
The Golden Bachelor
Character:Self - Guest
The Muppets Mayhem
Character:Paula Abdul
The Jennifer Hudson Show
Character:Self - Guest
JANET JACKSON.
Character:Self
Paris in Love
Character:Self
Made for Love
Character:Anydoors
This Is Pop
Character:Self (archive footage)
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
Character:Self - Contestant
The Masked Dancer
Character:Self - Panelist
Canada's Drag Race
Character:Self - Guest Judge
Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party
Character:Self
The Movies That Made Us
Character:Self
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
Character:Self
The Kelly Clarkson Show
Character:Self
RuPaul
Character:Self
The Nineties
Character:Self (archive footage)
Lip Sync Battle
Character:Self
Fresh Off the Boat
Character:Holly
The Arsenio Hall Show
Character:Self
Impractical Jokers
Character:Self
The X Factor
Character:Self - Judge
Live to Dance
Character:
The Jay Leno Show
Character:Self
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Character:Self - Guest
Drop Dead Diva
Character:Judge Paula
2009 Game Show Awards
Character:Self (archive footage)
The Streamy Awards
Character:Self - Presenter
RuPaul's Drag Race
Character:Self - Guest Judge
Hey Paula
Character:Self
Let's Dance
Character:
The Reichen Show
Character:Self - Guest
So You Think You Can Dance
Character:
So You Think You Can Dance
Character:Self - Judge
Dancing with the Stars
Character:Self - Guest Judge
Hell's Kitchen
Character:Self - Restaurant Patron
The Friday Night Project
Character:Self - Host
The Tony Danza Show
Character:Self
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
Character:Self
All of Us
Character:Self
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Character:Self
Celebrities Uncensored
Character:Self
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
Character:Self
That's So Raven
Character:The Host
Less than Perfect
Character:Kathleen
American Idol
Character:Self - Judge
The Bernie Mac Show
Character:Paula Abdul
Good Day Live
Character:Self
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
Character:Self
Family Guy
Character:Paula Abdul (voice)
TRL
Character:
The View
Character:Self
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
Character:Paula Abdul
Spin City
Character:Paula Abdul
E! True Hollywood Story
Character:Self
The Daily Show
Character:Self
Muppets Tonight
Character:Self
The Single Guy
Character:Paula Abdul
The Wayans Bros.
Character:Sasha
Cybill
Character:
All That
Character:Self
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
Character:Self - Guest
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Character:Self
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Character:Self
Going Live!
Character:Self
Sacrée Soirée
Character:Self
The Tracey Ullman Show
Character:
MTV Video Music Awards
Character:Self
Al TV
Character:Self
Champs-Elysées
Character:Self
Entertainment Tonight
Character:
Entertainment Tonight
Character:Self
Saturday Night Live
Character:Self - Cameo (uncredited)
Today
Character:Self
Images
