Adam Shankman - Biography

Adam Michael Shankman (born November 27, 1964) 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 also choreographed one of the Spice Girls' tours. He has directed several feature-length films, including A Walk to Remember, Bringing Down the House, and Hairspray.

Early life

Shankman was born in Los Angeles, California to an upper middle class family. He has said that he had a "traditional Jewish upbringing" in Brentwood. He attended The Juilliard School, but dropped out to dance in musical theater.

Career

Shankman was a dancer in Janet Jackson's “Escapade” video, 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. Shankman began choreographing movies that included actors such as Marlon Brando, Sarah Jessica Parker, Antonio Banderas, and the cast of Boogie Nights. He is Brendan Fraser's exclusive choreographer.

In 1996, Shankman was represented by the newly formed Sauce Entertainment, a production company for music videos and commercial production. In 1998, he was a choreographer for the program Win Ben Stein's Money.

Shankman's first directing gig was for a short film called Cosmo's Tale, which appeared at the Sundance Film Festival. 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. 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.

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." In August 2008, Box office Mojo reported that Hairspray had become the fourth-largest grossing American movie musical within the previous 30 years.

Shankman, in affiliation with ABC, worked on a TV pilot called Harmony about a musical town. 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. Trade reports in 2009 said he would direct a film adaptation of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages for New Line Cinema. With Bill Mechanic, Shankman was one of the two producers of the 82nd Academy Awards, which took place March 7, 2010.

So You Think You Can Dance

Shankman has been a judge and choreographer on the FOX reality show So You Think You Can Dance since Season 3. 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.

On September 16, 2009, it was announced that Adam will be a permanent judge on So You Think You Can Dance.

Personal life

Shankman is openly gay. He officiated the wedding of 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.

Filmography

• The Wind in the Willows - Actor (Washerwoman)
• The Red Shoes (1983) - Actor (Shoeshoppe customers)
• Rockula (1990) - Actor (Driver)
• Midnight Cabaret (1990) - Actor (Waiter)
• Roundhouse (1992) - Choreographer
• The Gun in Betty Lou's Handbag (1992) - Choreographer/Actor (Timid Man)
• Weekend at Bernie's II (1993) - Choreographer
• Heart and Souls (1993) - Choreographer (as Adam Schenkman)
• Addams Family Values (1993) - Choreographer
• The Flintstones (1994) - Choreographer
• Milk Money (1994) - Choreographer
• Don Juan DeMarco (1994) - Choreographer
• Miami Rhapsody (1995) - Choreographer
• Tank Girl (1995) - Choreographer
• Monster Mash: The Movie (1995) - Actor (Wolfie)
• Casper (1995) - Choreographer/Animation department (animated ghost sequences)
• Congo (1995) - Choreographer
• Mrs. Winterbourne (1996) - Choreographer
• The Relic (1997) - Choreographer
• Friends - "The One with All the Jealousy" (1997) - Choreographer
• Traveller (1997) - Choreographer
• George of the Jungle (1997) - Choreographer
• Boogie Nights (1997) - Choreographer
• A Life Less Ordinary (1997) - Choreographer
• Anastasia (1997) - Choreographer (as Adam M. Shankman; dancer - Los Angeles)
• Scream 2 (1997) - Choreographer/Actor (Ghost Dancer)
• Almost Heroes (1998) - Choreographer
• Antz (1998) - Choreographer
• Blast from the Past (1999) - Choreographer
• She's All That (1999) - Choreographer
• Forces of Nature (1999) - Choreographer
• The Out-of-Towners (1999) - Choreographer
• Inspector Gadget (1999) - Choreographer/Physical Comedy Consultant
• Dudley Do-Right (1999) - Choreographer
• Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo (1999) - Choreographer
• Isn't She Great (1999) - Choreographer
• Mission to Mars (2000) - Choreographer (as Adam M. Shankman)
• The Wedding Planner (2001) - Director/Choreographer
• Buffy the Vampire Slayer - "Once More, with Feeling" (2001) - Choreographer
• A Walk to Remember (2002) - Director/Actor (uncredited medical assistant)/Executive soundtrack producer
• Catch Me If You Can (2002) - Choreographer
• Monk - "Mr. Monk and the Earthquake" (2002) - Director
• Bringing Down the House (2003) - Director/Producer
• Splitsville (2003) - Director
• Stuck on You (2003) - Choreographer/Actor (Choreographer/Waiter)
• Mystery Girl (2004; television film) - Director
• The Pacifier (2005) - Director/Executive producer/Actor (uncredited driving instructor)
• Cheaper by the Dozen 2 (2005) - Director/Actor (Clam Bake Chef)
• Step Up (2006) - Producer/Choreographer/Actor (Nightclub Dancer)
• Worst Week of My Life (2006; TV series) - Director
• Hairspray (2007) - Director/Choreographer/Performer ("Tied Up in the Knots of Sin")
• Premonition (2007) - Producer
• Step Up 2 the Streets (2008) - Producer/Choreographer
• Prop 8 - The Musical (2008) - Director/Producer/Choreographer
• Bedtime Stories (2008) - Director/Producer
• Carrie Underwood: An All-Star Holiday Special (2009) - Director/Producer
• Zac Efron's Pool Party (2009) - Director/Producer
• 17 Again (2009) - Producer
• The Last Song (2010) - Producer
• The 82nd Annual Academy Awards (2010) - Director/Choreographer
• Step Up 3D (2010) - Producer
• Going the Distance (2010) - Producer
• Glee - "The Rocky Horror Glee Show" (2010) - Director
• Coming Attraction (2010) - Director
• Modern Family - "Our Children, Ourselves" (2011) - Director
• Bye, Bye Birdie (2011) - Director
• Rock of Ages (2012) - Director/Choreographer

External links

• Interview with The Advocate