Matt Shakman

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Matt Shakman
Born
EducationYale University (BA)
Occupation(s)Actor, film director, television director, theatre director
Years active1984–present
Spouse
Maggie Malone
(m. 2012)
Children1

Matt Shakman is an American film, television, and theatre director, and former child actor. He produced and directed WandaVision and has directed episodes of The Great, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Fargo and Game of Thrones. He is the artistic director of the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, California.

Early life

Shakman was born and raised in Ventura, California.[1] His Jewish father and Catholic mother maintained a "relatively secular household", their interfaith marriage being a source of conflict with Shakman's Jewish paternal grandmother.[2] After acting as a child, starting with commercials and landing a series regular role on Just the Ten of Us, he stepped away to attend The Thacher School in Ojai.[3]

Shakman went on to attend Yale University where he graduated with an art history and theater double major.[3] It was at Yale where Shakman became interested in theatre, going on to direct a number of stage productions.[4]

After university, Shakman lived in New York City for several years before permanently moving to Los Angeles.[3] He married Maggie Malone in 2012. In 2016, they had a daughter named Maisie.[5]

Career

As a child actor, Shakman played Graham "J.R." Lubbock, Jr. in the Growing Pains spin-off series Just the Ten of Us (1988–1990). His other television acting credits include The Facts of Life, Highway to Heaven, Diff'rent Strokes, Night Court, Good Morning, Miss Bliss and Webster. He also appeared in the films A Night at the Magic Castle (1988), and Meet the Hollowheads (1989).

Shakman is the founder and

Artistic Director of the Black Dahlia Theatre (BDT) in Los Angeles,[6]
which was named one of "a dozen young American companies you need to know" by American Theatre Magazine.

Since 2002, Shakman has mostly been directing for television. Among his credits include

(also executive producer).

Shakman directed the episodes "The Spoils of War" and "Eastwatch" for the seventh season of the HBO series Game of Thrones in 2017. In August of the same year, Shakman was appointed as the new artistic director of the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles.[7]

In 2017, TriStar Pictures announced that Shakman would direct its upcoming "live-action/hybrid" film adaptation of The Phantom Tollbooth.[8]

In 2021, Shakman directed and executive produced the

The Fantastic Four set to release in 2025, replacing Jon Watts who exited the project to take a break from superhero films.[11] On August 26, 2022, Shakman exited the Star Trek film, citing "scheduling issues",[12] before being confirmed as the Fantastic Four director just weeks later.[13] When asked why he chose to do Fantastic Four over Star Trek, Shakman said: "[M]ovies have different journeys and momentums and schedules are a little bit mercurial, and so when the Fantastic Four opportunity came up, it was just too hard to pass up, and to go back home to Marvel, a place that I worked on WandaVision at, with those people who are wonderful collaborators."[14]

Directing credits

Films

  • Cut Bank (2014)
  • The Fantastic Four
    (2025)

Television

Year Title Notes
2002 Once and Again 1 episode
2003–2004 Oliver Beene 3 episodes
2003–2006 Everwood 4 episodes
2004 Judging Amy 1 episode
Summerland 1 episode
2005 Inconceivable 1 episode
Six Feet Under 1 episode
Boston Legal 1 episode
One Tree Hill 1 episode
Huff 1 episode
2006 Kitchen Confidential 1 episode
Everybody Hates Chris 2 episodes
Men in Trees 1 episode
Windfall 1 episode
2006–2007 Brothers & Sisters 3 episodes
2006–2013 Psych 5 episodes ("Dual Spires")
2007 The Nine 1 episode
The Riches 1 episode
What About Brian 1 episode
2007–2012 House M.D. 5 episodes ("
Fetal Position
")
2007–2017 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia 43 episodes
2008–2009 Ugly Betty 3 episodes
2009 Weeds 1 episode
Hung 1 episode
2010 Childrens Hospital 2 episodes
Chuck 1 episode
The Good Guys 2 episodes
2011 Outsourced 1 episode
Breaking In 1 episode
Happy Endings 1 episode
2011–2015 Revenge 4 episodes
2012 New Girl 1 episode
GCB 1 episode
Mad Men 1 episode ("Mystery Date")
2013–2016 The Good Wife 6 episodes
2014 Fargo 2 episodes ("Morton's Fork", "A Fox, a Rabbit, and a Cabbage")
2014–2015 You're the Worst 5 episodes
2015 Grace and Frankie 1 episode
Heroes Reborn 1 episode
2016 American Gothic 1 episode
2017 Game of Thrones 2 episodes ("The Spoils of War", "Eastwatch")
2018 Billions 1 episode
Strange Angel 1 episode
2019 The Boys 1 episode ("Cherry")
Succession 1 episode ("Argestes")
2020 The Great 1 episode
2021 WandaVision 9 episodes
2022 Welcome to Chippendales 2 episodes
2023 The Consultant 1 episode
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters 2 episodes

Theatre

Awards and nominations

  • 2021: Emmy Award (nomination)—Limited Series Direction, WandaVision
  • 2021: Emmy Award (nomination)—Limited Series, WandaVision
  • 2021: Directors Guild of America (nomination)—TV Film/Limited Series, WandaVision
  • 2020: Emmy Award (nomination)—Comedy Series Direction, The Great, "The Great (Pilot)"
  • 2018: Directors Guild of America (nomination)—Dramatic Series, Game of Thrones, "The Spoils of War"
  • 2012: L.A. Drama Critics Circle Milton Katselas Award for Career or Special Achievement in Direction
  • 2012: LA Weekly Award (nomination) - Direction of a Musical
  • 2011: L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award (nomination)-Direction
  • 2009: Garland Award, Direction
  • 2008: Ovation Award, Direction
  • 2008: GLAAD Award, LA Production
  • 2005: L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award for Direction
  • 2004: Ovation Award (nomination)-Direction
  • 2002:
    Garland Award
    for Direction
  • 2002: L.A. Weekly Award (nomination) - Direction
  • 1989: Young Artist Awards – Best Young Actor/Actress Ensemble in a Television Comedy, Drama Series or Special

References

  1. ^ "Matt of All Trades". March 20, 2008. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013.
  2. ^ Pfefferman, Naomi (June 1, 2015). "Good Jews? 'Bad Jews'? It's all relative". Jewish Journal. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c "BA #069: Matt Shakman". the Box Angeles podcast. March 23, 2015.
  4. ^ "Meeting Matt". Duke in New York State of Mind. October 22, 2008.
  5. ^ Fung, Lisa (September 14, 2018). "From 'Game of Thrones' to Geffen Playhouse: Why top TV director Matt Shakman has returned to theater". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  6. ^ "The Black Dahlia Theatre". Firefly Theater & Films. January 23, 2012.
  7. ^ "Director Matt Shakman Named Geffen Playhouse New Artistic Director" (PDF). The Beverly Hills Courier. August 25, 2017. p. 13. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  8. ^ Lee, Ashley. "Matt Shakman to Helm TriStar's 'Phantom Tollbooth' Adaptation". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  9. ^ "WandaVision brings in Game of Thrones Helmer Matt Shakman". Slash Film. Retrieved August 23, 2019.
  10. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (July 13, 2021). "Next Star Trek Film To Be Directed By WandaVision'sMatt Shakman". Deadline. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  11. ^ Couch, Aaron; Kit, Borys (August 26, 2022). "Fantastic Four: WandaVision Director Matt Shakman in Talks to Helm". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 26, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  12. ^ Couch, Aaron; Kit, Borys (August 26, 2022). "'Star Trek' Movie Loses Director Matt Shakman (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 26, 2022.
  13. ^ White, James (September 10, 2022). "Fantastic Four: Kevin Feige Confirms Matt Shakman As Director". Empire.
  14. ^ Oganesyan, Natalie (February 7, 2023). "Marvel's Fantastic Four Reboot Starts Filming in Early 2024". TheWrap.

External links