From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Paula Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, songwriter, 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. Her debut studio album Forever Your Girl (1988) became one of the most successful debut albums at that time, selling 7 million copies in the United States and setting a record for the most number-one singles from a debut album on the Billboard Hot 100 chart: "Straight Up", "Forever Your Girl", "Cold Hearted", and "Opposites Attract". Her six number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 tie her with Diana Ross for seventh among the female solo performers who have topped the chart. 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, and So You Think You Can Dance. She has received five MTV Video Music Award nominations, winning twice, 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 is honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Movie | Raging Midlife | Mary Todd | 2025 |
Series | JANET JACKSON. | Self | 2022-01-28 |
Movie | Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers | 3-D Reporter / Paula Abdul | 2022-05-20 |
Movie | 2022 American Rescue Dog Show | Self - Judge | 2022-05-25 |
Series | Made for Love | Anydoors | 2021-04-01 |
Series | This Is Pop | Self (archive footage) | 2021-03-06 |
Movie | Impractical Jokers: The Movie | Paula Abdul | 2020-02-21 |
Series | The Masked Dancer | Self - Panelist | 2020-12-27 |
Movie | Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell | Self | 2020-04-07 |
Series | Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party | Herself | 2020-05-21 |
Series | RuPaul | Herself | 2019-06-10 |
Series | The Movies That Made Us | Self | 2019-11-29 |
Series | A Little Late with Lilly Singh | Self | 2019-09-16 |
Series | The Kelly Clarkson Show | Herself | 2019-09-09 |
Movie | A Sister's Secret | Detective Tucker | 2018-08-05 |
Movie | Howard | Self (archive footage) | 2018-04-22 |
Series | The Nineties | Self (archive footage) | 2017-07-09 |
Series | Lip Sync Battle | Herself | 2015-04-02 |
Movie | Singin' in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation | Self | 2012-07-17 |
Series | Live to Dance | 2011-01-04 | |
Series | The X Factor | Self - Judge | 2011-09-21 |
Series | The Jay Leno Show | Self | 2009-09-14 |
Series | RuPaul's Drag Race | Guest Judge | 2009-02-02 |
Movie | Brüno | Self - American Idol Judge | 2009-07-08 |
Movie | Waking Sleeping Beauty | Self (archive footage) | 2009-09-05 |
Series | Drop Dead Diva | Judge Paula | 2009-07-12 |
Movie | Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens | Self (archive footage) | 2007-05-19 |
Series | Hey Paula | 2007-06-28 | |
Movie | Family Guy Presents: Stewie Kills Lois and Lois Kills Stewie | Herself (voice) | 2007-11-04 |
Movie | Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story | Self | 2006-08-19 |
Movie | Robots | Watch (voice) | 2005-03-10 |
Series | The Friday Night Project | Unknown | 2005-02-04 |
Movie | Romy and Michele: In the Beginning | Herself | 2005-05-30 |
Movie | American Idol: The Worst of Seasons 1-4 | Herself - Judge | 2005-11-22 |
Series | So You Think You Can Dance | Herself - Judge | 2005-07-20 |
Series | The Reichen Show | Self - Guest | 2005-11-11 |
Movie | American Idol: The Best of Seasons 1-4 | Judge | 2005-11-22 |
Series | The Tony Danza Show | Unknown | 2004-09-13 |
Series | Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Unknown | 2003-01-26 |
Movie | Sesame Street: Zoe's Dance Moves | Herself | 2003-01-01 |
Series | All of Us | Unknown | 2003-09-16 |
Series | Celebrities Uncensored | Self | 2003-06-04 |
Series | The Ellen DeGeneres Show | Self | 2003-09-08 |
Series | American Idol | Self - Judge | 2002-06-11 |
Movie | The Master of Disguise | Choreographer (uncredited) | 2002-08-02 |
Series | Less than Perfect | Unknown | 2002-10-01 |
Movie | The Waiting Game | Amy Fuentes | 2001-01-25 |
Series | The Bernie Mac Show | Unknown | 2001-11-14 |
Series | Good Day Live | Self | 2001-09-17 |
Movie | Paula Abdul Cardio Dance | herself | 2000-10-31 |
Series | Family Guy | Paula Abdul (voice) | 1999-01-31 |
Series | The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn | Self | 1999-03-30 |
Movie | Mr. Rock n Roll: The Alan Freed Story | Denise Walton | 1999-10-31 |
Series | TRL | Unknown | 1998-09-14 |
Movie | Touched By Evil | Ellen Collier | 1997-01-12 |
Series | The View | Self | 1997-08-11 |
Series | Muppets Tonight | Herself | 1996-03-08 |
Series | The Daily Show | Self | 1996-07-22 |
Series | Spin City | Paula Abdul | 1996-09-17 |
Series | E! True Hollywood Story | Unknown | 1996-08-21 |
Series | Sabrina, the Teenage Witch | Paula Abdul | 1996-09-27 |
Series | Cybill | Unknown | 1995-01-02 |
Series | The Wayans Bros. | Sasha | 1995-01-11 |
Series | The Single Guy | Unknown | 1995-09-21 |
Movie | Paula Abdul's Get Up & Dance | Herself | 1994-01-01 |
Series | All That | Self | 1994-04-16 |
Series | Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Self - Guest | 1993-09-13 |
Movie | Paula Abdul: Under My Spell Live | Herself | 1992-02-09 |
Series | The Tonight Show with Jay Leno | Unknown | 1992-05-25 |
Movie | Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You | Self | 1992-09-10 |
Movie | L.A. Story | Roller Skater in Front of Tail O' the Pup (uncredited) | 1991-02-08 |
Movie | Liberian Girl | Unknown | 1989-04-28 |
Movie | Barbie Dance Club | 1989-01-01 | |
Series | LIVE with Kelly and Mark | Unknown | 1988-09-05 |
Series | The Tracey Ullman Show | Unknown | 1987-04-05 |
Movie | Can't Buy Me Love | Dancer (uncredited) | 1987-08-14 |
Movie | A Smoky Mountain Christmas | Choreographer (uncredited) | 1986-12-14 |
Series | Al TV | Self | 1984-04-01 |
Movie | Private School | Cheerleader (uncredited) | 1983-06-29 |
Series | Champs-Elysées | Self | 1982-01-16 |
Series | Entertainment Tonight | Unknown | 1981-09-15 |
Movie | Junior High School | Sherry | 1978-10-01 |
Series | Today | Self | 1952-01-14 |