Adam Shankman

Born: Los Angeles, USA

A former dancer and choreographer, Shankman hit paydirt with his big screen directorial debut The Wedding Planner.

The romantic comedy, starring Jennifer Lopez and Matthew McConaughey, established Shankman as a name to watch.

He kicked off acting and dancing in New York and regional theatre before he found work dancing in music videos.

Artists he worked with included Paula Abdul and Janet Jackson and he also performed at the 1989 Academy Awards.

At 24, Shankman teamed up with influential video director Julian Temple and began working as a music video choreographer.

One of the first videos he choreographed was Whitney Houston's I'm Your Baby Tonight and he also choreographed videos for The B-52's, Barry White, and Stevie Wonder.

He went on to put his creative stamp on movies including The Addams Family Values, Casper, George of the Jungle, Boogie Nights and The Flintstones.

His directorial debut - the short Cosmo's Tale - was an official entry at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival.

Following The Wedding Planner, he directed A Walk To Remember, starring Shane West and Darryl Hannah.

Recent projects have included Bringing The House Down with Steve Martin and Queen Latifah and the Vin Diesel comedy The Pacifier.