Adam Shankman
Adam Shankman | |
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![]() Adam Shankman, January 2008 | |
Born |
Adam Michael Shankman November 27, 1964 Los Angeles |
Occupation | Actor, director, dancer, television judge, choreographer |
Years active | 1983–present |
Adam Michael Shankman (born November 27, 1964)[1] is an American film director, producer, dancer, actor, and choreographer. He has been a judge on the television program So You Think You Can Dance since Season 3. He began his professional career in musical theater, and was a dancer in music videos for Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson. Shankman has choreographed numerous films as well as one of the Spice Girls' tours. He has directed several feature-length films, including A Walk to Remember, Bringing Down the House, and the 2007 remake of Hairspray.
Early life
Shankman was born in Los Angeles,[2] to an upper-middle-class family.[3] He has said that he had a "traditional Jewish upbringing" in Brentwood.[4] He attended The Juilliard School, but dropped out to dance in musical theater.[5]
Career
Shankman was a dancer in Janet Jackson's "Amazing" video,[5] as well as in a MC Skat Kat video with Paula Abdul. Shankman broke into professional choreography in a 1989 music video for rapper MC Shan with director Julien Temple. When the hired choreographer fell through, Shankman lied and said that he had done choreography for Janet Jackson and Paula Abdul. He was hired on the spot without his story being verified.[5] Shankman began choreographing movies that included actors such as Marlon Brando, Sarah Jessica Parker, Antonio Banderas, and the cast of Boogie Nights.[5] He is Brendan Fraser's exclusive choreographer.[5]
In 1996, Shankman was represented by the newly formed Sauce Entertainment, a production company for music videos and commercial production.[5][6] In 1998, he was a choreographer for the program Win Ben Stein's Money.[7]
Shankman's first directing gig was for a short film called Cosmo's Tale, which appeared at the Sundance Film Festival.[5] He then helped his sister, Jennifer Gibgot, on a script, which led to a meeting with the studio producing The Wedding Planner. He was hired for the job ten minutes into the meeting.[5] In May 2003, Shankman filed a $5 million lawsuit against Jennifer Lopez, asserting that he came up with the idea for her adaptation of the opera Carmen.[8]
Prior to directing Hairspray, Shankman was known in Hollywood primarily as a script doctor. His trademarks in his films often features a singing/dancing sequence and a character getting sent to do community service. "I've done so many things I'm not super-proud of," he admitted in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. Having finally received a plum directing role in Hairspray, he added, "Now that I'm finally really proud of something, if [critics] say this one isn't good either, it will be kind of...taxing."[9] In August 2008, Box office Mojo reported that Hairspray had become the fourth-largest grossing American movie musical within the previous 30 years.[10]
Shankman, in affiliation with ABC, worked on a TV pilot called Harmony about a musical town.[11] In 2008, in the wake of former small-town mayor Sarah Palin's emergence on the national political stage, Shankman was announced as director for the proposed TV series Cadillac Ranch about the female mayor of a small town.[12] He directed the 2012 film adaptation of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages for New Line Cinema.[13] With Bill Mechanic, Shankman was one of the two producers of the 82nd Academy Awards, which took place March 7, 2010.[14][15]
Shankman has also directed and choreographed multiple episodes of Fox's Glee. In 2013 he appeared as a VIP guest on Hell's Kitchen (Season 11).
So You Think You Can Dance
Shankman has been a judge and choreographer on the Fox Broadcasting reality show So You Think You Can Dance since the third season. He used the term "lyrical hip-hop" to describe the dance style associated with the choreography duo of Tabitha and Napoleon D'umo. The term is popularly credited to him as reported in the May/June 2009 issue of Dance Spirit magazine.[16]
On September 16, 2009, it was announced that Adam will be a permanent judge on So You Think You Can Dance.[17]
Personal life
Shankman is openly gay.[18][19] He officiated the wedding of actors Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Sarah Michelle Gellar, a good friend of his with whom he worked while choreographing Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He got the Buffy job based on Sarah's recommendation to the show's creator, Joss Whedon.[20]
Filmography
Film and television
Year | Film | Credited as | Role/Notes/References | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Director | Producer | Choreographer | Actor | Other | |||
1983 | The Wind in the Willows | Yes | Washerwoman | ||||
The Red Shoes | Yes | Shoe shoppe customer | |||||
1990 | Rockula | Yes | Driver | ||||
Midnight Cabaret | Yes | Waiter | |||||
1992 | The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag | Yes | Yes | Timid man | |||
Roundhouse | Yes | ||||||
1993 | Weekend at Bernie's II | Yes | |||||
Heart and Souls | Yes | credited as Adam Schenkman | |||||
Addams Family Values | Yes | ||||||
1994 | The Flintstones | Yes | |||||
Milk Money | Yes | ||||||
Don Juan DeMarco | Yes | ||||||
1995 | Monster Mash: The Movie | Yes | Wolfie | ||||
Miami Rhapsody | Yes | ||||||
Tank Girl | Yes | ||||||
Casper | Yes | Yes | animation department; animated ghost sequences | ||||
Congo | Yes | ||||||
1996 | Mrs. Winterbourne | Yes | |||||
1997 | The Relic | Yes | |||||
Friends | Yes | "The One with All the Jealousy" | |||||
Traveller | Yes | ||||||
George of the Jungle | Yes | ||||||
Boogie Nights | Yes | ||||||
A Life Less Ordinary | Yes | ||||||
Anastasia | Yes | credited as Adam M. Shankman | |||||
Scream 2 | Yes | Yes | Ghost dancer | ||||
1998 | Almost Heroes | Yes | |||||
Antz | Yes | ||||||
1999 | She's All That | Yes | |||||
Blast from the Past | Yes | ||||||
Forces of Nature | Yes | ||||||
The Out-of-Towners | Yes | ||||||
Inspector Gadget | Yes | Yes | Physical comedy consultant | ||||
Dudley Do-Right | Yes | ||||||
Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo | Yes | ||||||
2000 | Isn't She Great | Yes | |||||
Mission to Mars | Yes | credited as Adam M. Shankman | |||||
2001 | The Wedding Planner | Yes | Yes | ||||
Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Yes | "Once More, with Feeling" | |||||
2002 | A Walk to Remember | Yes | Yes | Yes | Executive soundtrack producer; role: uncredited medical assistant | ||
Monk | Yes | "Mr. Monk and the Earthquake" | |||||
Catch Me If You Can | Yes | ||||||
2003 | Bringing Down the House | Yes | Yes | ||||
Stuck on You | Yes | Yes | Waiter | ||||
Splitsville | Yes | ||||||
2004 | Mystery Girl | Yes | television film | ||||
2005 | The Pacifier | Yes | Yes | Yes | uncredited driving instructor | ||
Cheaper by the Dozen 2 | Yes | Yes | Clam bake chef | ||||
2006 | Step Up | Yes | Yes | Yes | Nightclub dancer | ||
Worst Week of My Life | Yes | television series | |||||
2007 | Premonition | Yes | |||||
Hairspray | Yes | Yes | Yes | William Morris Talent agent; performer "Tied Up in the Knots of Sin" | |||
2008 | Step Up 2: The Streets | Yes | Yes | ||||
Bedtime Stories | Yes | Yes | |||||
2009 | 17 Again | Yes | |||||
Zac Efron's Pool Party | Yes | Yes | |||||
Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special | Yes | Yes | |||||
2010 | The 82nd Annual Academy Awards | Yes | Yes | [21] | |||
The Last Song | Yes | [22][23] | |||||
Step Up 3D | Yes | ||||||
Going the Distance | Yes | ||||||
Coming Attraction | Yes | ||||||
Glee | Yes | "The Rocky Horror Glee Show"[24] | |||||
2011 | Yes | "Pot o' Gold"[25] | |||||
Modern Family | Yes | "Our Children, Ourselves" | |||||
2012 | Rock of Ages | Yes | Yes | Yes | [21] Executive producer | ||
Step Up Revolution | Yes | ||||||
2014 | Step Up: All In | Yes |
Other media
- Prop 8 - The Musical (2008) – Director/producer/choreographer (short video)
References
- ↑ "Adam Shankman: Biography". TVGuide.com. Retrieved December 10, 2013.
- ↑ "Adam Shankman Biography". Film Reference. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
- ↑ "Buzz Interview: Hairspray's Nikki Blonsky and Adam Shankman". Sugar Publishing BuzzSugar. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
- ↑ Michael Fox. "'Hairspray' director, starlet are kindred (Jewish) spirits". j. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 White, Dave (March 4, 2003), "Master of the house". Advocate (884):56–57
- ↑ Atwood, Brett (June 29, 1996), "MTV L.A. offices: Movin' on out; C&D for Pennywise vid". Billboard. 108 (26):91
- ↑ Stein, Benjamin J. (May 1998), "A golden age for thugs". American Spectator. 31 (5):58
- ↑ Schwartz, Missy; Brown, S. Tia; Tucker, Ken (May 30, 2003), "Monitor". Entertainment Weekly. (712):22
- ↑ Ibid.
- ↑ "Box Office Mojo". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 4, 2013.
- ↑ Rice, Lynette (November 2, 2007), "TV Execs: 'Please Don't Stop the Music!'". Entertainment Weekly. (982):16
- ↑ Buckman, Adam. "Palin, the TV Series", New York Post, October 10, 2008
- ↑ Hetrick, Adam. "Shankman Will Direct Rock of Ages on Screen", Playbill, October 20, 2009
- ↑ Finke, Nikki. "TOLDJA! Adam Shankman & Bill Mechanic Will Produce 82nd Academy Awards" Deadline Hollywood, Tuesday October 20, 2009
- ↑ Barnes, Brooks. "Producers Named for Oscars Telecast", The New York Times ArtsBeat (online column), October 20, 2009
- ↑ Levinson, Lauren. (May/June 2009), "Lyrical Hip Hop'". Dance Spirit. 13 (5):48–50 (accessed 2009-04-25)
- ↑ Adam Bryant (September 16, 2009). "Adam Shankman Made Permanent Judge on So You Think You Can Dance". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on October 21, 2009. Retrieved September 16, 2009.
- ↑ "Gay directors bring home the bacon". The Advocate.
- ↑ Sheigh Crabtree. "A wholehearted effort to keep 'Hairspray's' sheen". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 20, 2007.
- ↑ Cunneff, Tom; McCarten, Hugh; Laudadio, Marisa (February 11, 2002), "insider". People. 57 (5):47
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 Simmons, Abbey (October 20, 2009). "Adam Shankman To Produce Oscars, Direct 'Rock of Ages'". BuddyTV.
- ↑ "New Miley Cyrus Disney Feature Film "The Last Song" Auditions and Casting Calls". Movie Industry Today. April 11, 2009. Archived from the original on June 24, 2009. Retrieved June 21, 2009.
- ↑ "The Last Song Goes into Production". Movieweb.com. June 16, 2009. Archived from the original on June 29, 2009. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
- ↑ O'Connell, Mikey (September 17, 2010). "'Glee': Adam Shankman directing 'The Rocky Horror Glee Show'". Zap2it. Tribune Media Services. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
- ↑ GleeOnFox (November 2, 2011). "GLEE – Directing with Adam Shankman: "Pot 'O Gold"". YouTube. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
External links
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