J. J. Abrams

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J. J. Abrams

Abrams at the Time 100 Gala in Manhattan, May 4, 2010
Born Jeffrey Jacob Abrams
June 27, 1966 (1966-06-27) (age 45)
New York City, New York, U.S.
Residence Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation Film and television producer,
director, screenwriter, actor
and composer.
Years active 1990–present
Spouse Katie McGrath
Children 3

Jeffrey Jacob "J. J." Abrams (born June 27, 1966) is an American film and television producer, screenwriter, director, actor, and composer.

He is well known for his work in the genres of action, drama, and science fiction. He wrote and produced feature films before co-creating the television series Felicity (1998–2002). He also created Alias (2001–2006) and co-created Lost (2004–2010), Fringe (2008–present), Undercovers (2010) and produced the television series Person of Interest (2011–present) and Alcatraz (2012-present). Abrams directed the films Mission: Impossible III (2006), Star Trek (2009), and Super 8 (2011), and produced the films Cloverfield (2008), Morning Glory (2010) and Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011). Many of his films he directed/produced are by Paramount, while many of his television series were co-produced by Warner Bros.

Contents

[edit] Early life

Abrams was born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles, where he attended Palisades Charter High School. He is the son of television producer Gerald W. Abrams and executive producer Carol Abrams. Abrams is Jewish,[1] and attended Sarah Lawrence College.[2]

[edit] Career

Abrams's first job in the movie business started when he was 16 when he wrote music for Don Dohler's film Nightbeast. During his senior year at college, he teamed with Jill Mazursky to write a feature film treatment. Purchased by Touchstone Pictures, the treatment was the basis for Taking Care of Business, Abrams's first produced film, which starred Charles Grodin and Jim Belushi. He followed that up with Regarding Henry, starring Harrison Ford, and Forever Young, starring Mel Gibson.

Abrams collaborated with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay on the 1998 film, Armageddon. That same year, he made his first foray into television with Felicity, which ran for four seasons on The WB Network, serving as the show's co-creator (with Matt Reeves) and executive producer. He also composed its opening theme music.

Under his production company Bad Robot, which he founded with Bryan Burk in 2001,[3] Abrams created and executive-produced ABC's Alias and is co-creator (along with Damon Lindelof and Jeffrey Lieber) and executive producer of Lost. He later co-wrote the teleplay for Lost's third season premiere "A Tale of Two Cities". As with Felicity, Abrams also composed the opening theme music for Alias and Lost.

In 2001, Abrams co-wrote and produced the thriller Joy Ride, and wrote an unproduced screenplay for a fifth Superman film in 2002.

In 2006, he served as executive producer of What About Brian and Six Degrees, also on ABC. Abrams directed and wrote the two-part pilot for Lost and remained active producer for the first half of the season. That same year he made his feature directorial debut in 2006 with Mission: Impossible III, starring Tom Cruise.

Abrams at the San Diego Comic-Con International in July 2010

Abrams spoke at the TED conference in 2007.[4]

In 2008, Abrams produced the monster movie, Cloverfield.[5] In 2009, he directed the science fiction film Star Trek,[6] which he produced with Lost co-creator Damon Lindelof. While it was speculated that they would be writing and producing an adaptation of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series of novels, they publicly stated in November 2009 that they were no longer looking to take on that project.[7]

In 2008, he co-created, executive produced, and co-wrote (along with Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman) the FOX science-fiction series Fringe, for which he composed the theme music for as well.

Abrams is featured in the 2009 MTV Movie Awards 1980s-style digital short "Cool Guys Don't Look at Explosions", with Andy Samberg and Will Ferrell, in which he plays a keyboard solo.

The NBC network picked up Abrams's Undercovers as its first new drama series for the 2010–11 season.[8] However, it was subsequently cancelled by NBC in November 2010.

He wrote and directed the Paramount supernatural blockbuster Super 8, while co-producing with Steven Spielberg and Bryan Burk; it was released on June 10, 2011.[9]

Abrams is currently directing the untitled sequel to Star Trek. The film is scheduled for release in May 2013.[10]

Under development (due in 2013[11]) is Abrams' film with Paramount Pictures and Bad Robot Productions, "Mystery on Fifth Avenue." It is based on the New York Times article "Mystery on Fifth Avenue" about the renovation of an 8.5 million dollar co-op, a division of property originally owned by E.F. Hutton and Marjorie Merriweather Post. In 2008, it was widely reported Abrams purchased the rights to the Times article for six figures[12], and enlisted comedy writers Maya Forbes and Wally Wolodarsky to write the adaptation. According to the article, a wealthy couple Steven B. Klinsky and Maureen Sherry purchased the apartment in 2003 and live there with their four children. Soon after purchasing the apartment, they hired young architectural designer Eric Clough, who devised an elaborately clever "scavenger hunt" built into the apartment that involved dozens of historical figures, a fictional book and a soundtrack, woven throughout the apartment in puzzles, riddles, secret panels, compartments, and hidden codes, without the couple's knowledge. The family didn't discover the embedded mystery until months after moving into the apartment. [13][14] After Abrams purchased the article, Clough left him an encrypted message in the wall tiles of a Christian Louboutin shoe store he designed in West Hollywood.[15]

[edit] Personal life

Abrams is married to public relations exec Katie McGrath and has three children: sons August and Henry and daughter Gracie.[2][16] He resides in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, California, United States.[17][18]

Abrams has made donations to the Democratic Party. Campaigns he has contributed to include those of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Bill Bradley, John Edwards, Hillary Clinton, Bob Casey, Jr., Mark Udall, Harry Reid, Russ Feingold, Patrick J. Kennedy, and Tim Kaine. However, he has also donated $2,000 to the Republican Robert Vasquez.[19]

[edit] Filmography

[edit] Feature credits

Year Film Credit Notes
1990 Taking Care of Business co-writer
1991 Regarding Henry writer, co-producer
1992 Forever Young writer, executive producer
1996 The Pallbearer producer
1997 Gone Fishin' co-writer
1998 Armageddon co-writer
The Suburbans producer
2001 Joy Ride co-writer, producer
2006 Mission: Impossible III director, co-writer
2008 Cloverfield producer
2009 Star Trek director, producer
2010 Morning Glory producer
2011 Super 8 director, writer, producer
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol producer, co-writer
2013 Untitled Star Trek sequel director, producer In production[20]

[edit] Television credits

Year Film Credit Notes
1998-2002 Felicity creator, writer, executive producer, director, co-composer of theme music
2001-2006 Alias creator, writer, executive producer, director, theme music composer
2004-2010 Lost co-creator, executive producer, writer, theme music composer, director
2005-present The Office guest director
2006-2007 What About Brian executive producer
Six Degrees executive producer
2006 Jimmy Kimmel Live! guest director
2008-present Fringe co-creator, executive producer, theme music composer, writer
2009 Anatomy of Hope executive producer, writer, director pilot
2010 Undercovers co-creator, executive producer, writer, director, theme music composer
2011-present Person of Interest executive producer
2012-present Alcatraz executive producer, theme music composer
2012 Revolution executive producer pilot[21]
Shelter executive producer pilot[22]

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] Wins

  • 2005 Emmy Award Winner, Outstanding Drama Series (Lost)[23]
  • 2005 Emmy Award Winner, Outstanding Directing for A Drama Series (Lost)[23]
  • 2006 Golden Globe Award Winner, Best Television Series —Drama (Lost)

[edit] Nominations

[edit] Pending

  • Saturn Award for Best Direction (Super 8)
  • Saturn Award for Best Writing (Super 8)

[edit] References

  1. ^ Danielle Berrin (2009-05-06). "Now It's J.J. Abrams' Turn to 'Trek'". JewishJournal.com. Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. http://www.jewishjournal.com/community/article/now_its_jj_abrams_turn_to_trek_20090506. Retrieved 2009-10-03. 
  2. ^ a b J.J Abrams Biography Archived 15 February 2011 at WebCite
  3. ^ Warner, Tyrone (May 11, 2010). "J.J. Abrams not worried about writers block on 'Fringe'". CTV. http://shows.ctv.ca/Fringe/article/JJ-Abrams-not-worried-about-writers-block-on-Fringe#c_0. Retrieved June 29, 2011. 
  4. ^ "J.J. Abrams' mystery box". TED. March 24, 2011. Archived from the original on March 24, 2011. http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/j_j_abrams_mystery_box.html. Retrieved March 24, 2011. 
  5. ^ J.J. Abrams Talks Cloverfield Sequel Archived 15 February 2011 at WebCite
  6. ^ J.J. Abrams on 'Cloverfield' Sequel, "We're Working on Something" Archived 15 February 2011 at WebCite
  7. ^ "J. J. Abrams on Star Trek and Cloverfield 2". Comingsoon.net. February 23, 2008. Archived from the original on February 25, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080225132057/http://www.comingsoon.net/news/startreknews.php%3Fid%3D42298. Retrieved 2008-02-23. 
  8. ^ "NBC Picks Up New J.J. Abrams Drama Series". TVGuide.com. Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. http://www.tvguide.com/News/Abrams-Picked-NBC-1018042.aspx. 
  9. ^ Pamela McClintock (May 6, 2010). "Abrams, Spielberg confirmed for 'Super 8'". Variety. Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118018854.html. Retrieved July 27, 2010. 
  10. ^ "J.J. Abrams Will Direct STAR TREK 2". NextNewMovies. http://www.nextnewmovies.com/j-j-abrams-will-direct-star-trek-2. Retrieved 2011-12-06. 
  11. ^ "Mystery on Fifth Avenue". IMDB. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1248293/. 
  12. ^ Seigel, Tatiana. "Paramount, Abrams keep house". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117987620?refCatId=13. Retrieved 17 June 2008. 
  13. ^ Reagan, Gillian. "J.J. Abrams to Produce NYT’s Fifth Avenue Mystery". New York Observer. http://www.observer.com/2008/j-j-abrams-produce-nyts-fifth-avenue-mystery. Retrieved 18 June 2008. 
  14. ^ Green, Penelope. "Mystery on Fifth Avenue". The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/garden/12puzzle.html. 
  15. ^ Schwartz, John. "Monumentally Mystifying: Power of Secrets Inspires Public Art". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/07/science/07secret.html?pagewanted=1. 
  16. ^ "EW Gets the Stories Behind Those Goofy TV Production-Company Logos", Entertainment Weekly, December 07, 2001: "The title came to creator J.J. Abrams during a writers' meeting, and he recorded his children, Henry and Gracie (ages 2 and 3), saying the words into his Powerbook's microphone. 'That day in the office while editing,' says Abrams, 'I put together sound effects on my computer, burned a QuickTime movie on a CD, gave it to postproduction, and three days later it was on national television.'"
  17. ^ Jj Abrams - JJ Abrams, Katie McGrath 4th Annual Pink Party to... - Picture 2072721
  18. ^ Director J.J. Abrams and wife, actress Katie - Media (3 of 46) Movie Premieres: 'Star Trek,' 'Angels, "Director J.J. Abrams and wife, actress Katie McGrath, parade on the red carpet as they arrives at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood for the premiere of the movie 'Star Trek' in Los Angeles on April 30, 2009."
  19. ^ J.J. Abrams's Federal Campaign Contribution Report
  20. ^ Tatiana Siegel (2009-03-30). "'Star Trek' sequel on track". Variety. Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118001885.html. Retrieved 2009-03-31. 
  21. ^ NBC Picks Up Eric Kripke/JJ Abrams Drama Pilot Revolution. Deadline.com. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  22. ^ CW Picks Up 3 More Drama Pilots Including JJ Abrams & Mark Schwahn’s Shelter. Deadline.com. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
  23. ^ a b c d "The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences". Archived from the original on 2011-02-15. http://www.emmys.org/awards/awardsearch.php. Retrieved 2008-02-18. 
  24. ^ "Awards Winners". Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on 2010-01-18. http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1517. Retrieved 2007-10-17. 

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