Adam Shankman

Adam Shankman
Adam Shankman, 2007
Born	Adam Michael Shankman (1964-11-27) November 27, 1964 (age 52) Los Angeles, California
Occupation	Director, Producer, Choreographer, Author, Television Judge, Actor
Years active	1983–present

Adam Michael Shankman (born November 27, 1964) is an American film director, producer, dancer, author, actor, and choreographer. He was a judge on the television program So You Think You Can Dance on seasons 3-10. He began his professional career in musical theater, and was a dancer in music videos for Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson. Shankman has choreographed dozens of films and has also directed several feature-length box office hits, including A Walk to Remember, Bringing Down the House, The Pacifier and the 2007 remake of Hairspray.

His company, Offspring Entertainment, (which he co-owns with his sister) produces film and television for various studios and networks. Shankman is also currently co-writing Young Adult novels for Simon & Schuster imprint, Atheneum Books for Young Readers. The books, co-written with author Laura Lee Sullivan, follow the story of rags to riches Lucille O' Malley, as she becomes Hollywood's "it girl" navigating a murder mystery and meeting her match Frederick van der Waals.

Shankman was born in Los Angeles, to an upper-middle-class family. He is the son of Phyllis (née Perper), a licensed practitioner in Gestalt therapy, and Ned Shankman, an entertainment lawyer and manager for such acts as Barry White, the American band X, and Sister Sledge. His sister Jennifer, was born when Shankman was four years-old. He attended Palisades High School before attending Juilliard School.

After graduating from Palisades High School Shankman was a performing intern and junior company member of the prestigious Children's Theatre Company in Minneapolis. Having been accepted for both dancing and acting at Juilliard, he chose dance as his major without having any previous formal training. He dropped out of college to dance in musical theater and at nineteen he was cast in his first professional show, West Side Story, at the esteemed Michigan Opera Theater.