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Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Birthday
June 19, 1962
Place of Birth
San Fernando, California, USA
Also Known As
- Paula Julie Abdul
Paula Abdul
0.7 Popularity
Biography
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.
Known For
0.0
Mary Todd
Raging Midlife
2025
3.0
Self - Guest
The Golden Bachelor
2023
6.1
Paula Abdul
The Muppets Mayhem
2023
5.6
Self - Guest
The Jennifer Hudson Show
2022
8.0
Self - Judge
2022 American Rescue Dog Show
2022
7.0
3-D Reporter / Paula Abdul
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
2022
7.8
Self
JANET JACKSON.
2022
7.3
Self
Paris in Love
2021
6.7
Anydoors
Made for Love
2021
5.9
Self (archive footage)
This Is Pop
2021
Credits
Raging Midlife
as Mary Todd
2025
0.0
The Golden Bachelor
as Self - Guest
2023
3.0
The Muppets Mayhem
as Paula Abdul
2023
6.1
The Jennifer Hudson Show
as Self - Guest
2022
5.6
2022 American Rescue Dog Show
as Self - Judge
2022
8.0
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
as 3-D Reporter / Paula Abdul
2022
7.0
JANET JACKSON.
as Self
2022
7.8
Paris in Love
as Self
2021
7.3
Made for Love
as Anydoors
2021
6.7
This Is Pop
as Self (archive footage)
2021
5.9
Celebrity Wheel of Fortune
as Self - Contestant
2021
7.0
The Masked Dancer
as Self - Panelist
2020
7.4
Canada's Drag Race
as Self - Guest Judge
2020
6.7
Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party
as Self
2020
7.5
Best Wishes, Warmest Regards: A Schitt's Creek Farewell
as Self
2020
8.7
Impractical Jokers: The Movie
as Paula Abdul
2020
6.6
The Movies That Made Us
as Self
2019
7.2
A Little Late with Lilly Singh
as Self
2019
3.6
The Kelly Clarkson Show
as Self
2019
6.3
RuPaul
as Self
2019
4.8
A Sister's Secret
as Detective Tucker
2018
7.2
Howard
as Self (archive footage)
2018
6.8
The Nineties
as Self (archive footage)
2017
6.9
Lip Sync Battle
as Self
2015
6.4
Fresh Off the Boat
as Holly
2015
7.2
The Arsenio Hall Show
as Self
2013
5.7
Singin' in the Rain: Raining on a New Generation
as Self
2012
7.0
Impractical Jokers
as Self
2011
7.9
The X Factor
as Self - Judge
2011
4.8
🎬
Live to Dance
2011
0.0
VH1 Divas 2009
as Self - Host
2009
0.0
The Jay Leno Show
as Self
2009
3.5
Waking Sleeping Beauty
as Self (archive footage)
2009
7.2
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
as Self - Guest
2009
5.1
Drop Dead Diva
as Judge Paula
2009
7.7
Brüno
as Self - American Idol Judge
2009
5.6
2009 Game Show Awards
as Self (archive footage)
2009
0.0
Family Guy Presents: Stewie Kills Lois and Lois Kills Stewie
as Paula Abdul (voice)
2009
8.1
The Streamy Awards
as Self - Presenter
2009
0.0
RuPaul's Drag Race
as Self - Guest Judge
2009
7.5
Hey Paula
as Self
2007
4.0
Annie Leibovitz: Life Through a Lens
as Self (archive footage)
2007
7.7
Let's Dance
2006
0.0
Life Is Not a Fairytale: The Fantasia Barrino Story
as Self
2006
6.2
American Idol: The Best of Seasons 1-4
as Self - Judge (archive footage)
2005
0.0
American Idol: The Worst of Seasons 1-4
as Self - Judge
2005
0.0
The Reichen Show
as Self - Guest
2005
4.8
So You Think You Can Dance
2005
6.8
So You Think You Can Dance
as Self - Judge
2005
6.8
Dancing with the Stars
as Self - Guest Judge
2005
6.1
Hell's Kitchen
as Self - Restaurant Patron
2005
6.8
Romy and Michele: In the Beginning
as Self
2005
5.2
Robots
as Watch (voice)
2005
6.5
The Friday Night Project
as Self - Host
2005
5.8
🎬
The Tony Danza Show
as Self
2004
6.1
On Air with Ryan Seacrest
as Self
2004
9.5
All of Us
as Self
2003
7.3
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
as Self
2003
5.6
Celebrities Uncensored
as Self
2003
4.0
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
as Self
2003
5.5
That's So Raven
as The Host
2003
7.2
Sesame Street: Zoe's Dance Moves
as Self
2003
0.0
Less than Perfect
as Kathleen
2002
6.8
Power Girls
as Self (archive footage)
2002
0.0
The Master of Disguise
as Choreographer (uncredited)
2002
4.0
American Idol
as Self - Judge
2002
5.1
American Idol: The Search For A Superstar
as Judge
2002
8.0
The Bernie Mac Show
as Paula Abdul
2001
6.5
🎬
Good Day Live
as Self
2001
3.0
The Waiting Game
as Amy Fuentes
2001
4.0
Paula Abdul Cardio Dance
as Self
2000
0.0
Mr. Rock n Roll: The Alan Freed Story
as Denise Walton
1999
5.4
The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn
as Self
1999
4.6
Family Guy
as Paula Abdul (voice)
1999
7.4
TRL
1998
5.1
The View
as Self
1997
4.3
Touched By Evil
as Ellen Collier
1997
4.0
Sabrina, the Teenage Witch
as Paula Abdul
1996
7.8
Spin City
as Paula Abdul
1996
7.0
E! True Hollywood Story
as Self
1996
8.1
The Daily Show
as Self
1996
6.4
Muppets Tonight
as Self
1996
7.4
Sinatra: 80 Years My Way
as Self - Performer
1995
0.0
The Single Guy
as Paula Abdul
1995
5.0
The Wayans Bros.
as Sasha
1995
7.2
Cybill
1995
5.8
All That
as Self
1994
7.7
Paula Abdul's Get Up & Dance
as Self
1994
0.0
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
as Self - Guest
1993
7.2
For Our Children
as Self
1993
7.0
Time Out: The Truth About HIV, AIDS and You
as Self
1992
3.9
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
as Self
1992
5.4
Paula Abdul: Under My Spell Live
as Self
1992
0.0
L.A. Story
as Roller Skater in Front of Tail O' the Pup (uncredited)
1991
6.5
Barbie Dance Club
as Self
1989
7.5
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
as Self
1988
5.4
Going Live!
as Self
1987
6.0
Sacrée Soirée
as Self
1987
5.1
Can't Buy Me Love
as Dancer (uncredited)
1987
6.9
The Tracey Ullman Show
1987
7.0
A Smoky Mountain Christmas
as Choreographer (uncredited)
1986
5.7
MTV Video Music Awards
as Self
1984
7.7
Al TV
as Self
1984
6.3
Private School
as Cheerleader (uncredited)
1983
5.7
Champs-Elysées
as Self
1982
6.3
Entertainment Tonight
1981
4.1
Entertainment Tonight
as Self
1981
4.1
🎬
Junior High School
as Sherry
1978
2.8
Saturday Night Live
as Self - Cameo (uncredited)
1975
7.0
Today
as Self
1952
5.6