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J.J. Abrams
| J.J. Abrams | |
 | |
| Birth name | Jeffrey Jacob Abrams |
| Born | June 27, 1966 in New York, New York, USA |
| Notable Shows | Alias |
| Awards | |
Jeffrey Jacob Abrams, more commonly known as J.J. Abrams, is an American film and television producer, director and writer.
Contents |
Biography
J.J. Abrams was born on June 27, 1966 in New York, New York and raised in Los Angeles, California. Abrams attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York before attending Sorbonne at the University of Paris in France. He is married to Katie McGrath and the two have a daughter, Gracie, and two sons named August and Henry. He and his family divide their time between Los Angeles and Maine.
During his senior year at Sarah Lawrence College, J.J. Abrams co-wrote a feature film treatment. Purchased by Touchstone Pictures, the treatment became the basis for the comedy Taking Care of Business (1990), which starred Charles Grodin and James Belushi, and was Abrams' first produced film. Abrams' next film was Regarding Henry (1991), starring Harrison Ford, which Abrams wrote and co-produced. A much bigger hit for Abrams was Forever Young (1992), starring Mel Gibson, which Abrams wrote and executive produced. Later, Abrams formed Abrams/Katims/Webster Productions with writer Jason Katims and producer Paul Webster. The company produced the romantic comedy The Pallbearer (1996). Abrams went on to write Gone Fishin' (1997), collaborated with producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Michael Bay on Armageddon (1988), and write Joy Ride (2001). In 2006, Abrams wrote and directed Mission: Impossible III, starring Tom Cruise. Abrams is currently slated to both write and direct the next Star Trek feature film. In July 2006, Abrams signed a 5 year contract with Paramount Pictures and a 6 year contract with Warner Bros.
Outside his work in film, Abrams moved to the small screen and worked with his childhood friend Matt Reeves on a new series for The WB, Felicity (1998-2002). He served as the show's executive producer, co-wrote the theme song, and made his directorial debut in Felicity's first season. Abrams moved on and created ABC's Alias in 2001, serving as the series' executive producer and writing several episodes. Alias became a huge hit, winning the People's Choice Award for Favorite New Drama and received 11 Emmy nominations in its first season, including a nod to Abrams for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the pilot of Alias. In addition to writing and directing both the pilot and season finale, Abrams composed the series theme music.
In January 2004, Abrams was approached by the (now former) chairman of ABC, Lloyd Braun, with the idea of a show about a group of people stranded on an island after a plane crash. Abrams took this initial idea and, a week later, co-created Lost with Jeffrey Lieber and Damon Lindelof. He serves as Lost's executive producer, and has written and directed the pilot. The pilot garnered an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series and a win for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series.
Producer
Series Produced
| Series | Year(s) | Credit | Season(s) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Felicity | 1998 –2002 | Executive Producer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Alias | 2001 –2006 | Executive Producer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| Lost | 2004 –2010 | Executive Producer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| What About Brian | 2006 –2007 | Executive Producer | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Six Degrees | 2006 –2007 | Executive Producer | 1 | |||||
| Fringe | 2008 –2013 | Executive Producer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| Undercovers | 2010 | Executive Producer | 1 | |||||
| Person of Interest | 2011 –2016 | Executive Producer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| Alcatraz | 2012 | Executive Producer | 1 | |||||
| Revolution | 2012 –2014 | Executive Producer | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Almost Human | 2013 –2014 | Executive Producer | 1 | |||||
| Believe | 2014 | Executive Producer | 1 | |||||
| 11.22.63 | 2016 | Executive Producer | limited series | |||||
| Roadies | 2016 | Executive Producer | 1 | |||||
| Westworld | 2016 –2022 | Executive Producer | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | ||
| Castle Rock | 2018 –2019 | Executive Producer | 1 | 2 | ||||
| Lovecraft Country | 2020 | Executive Producer | 1 | |||||
| Little Voice | 2020 | Executive Producer | 1 | |||||
Films Produced
| Title | Credit | Airdate | Series/Banner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Trek | Producer | May 7, 2009 |
Writer
Series Created
| Series | Premiere Date | Creation Credit |
|---|---|---|
| Felicity | September 29, 1998 | Co-Creator |
| Alias | September 30, 2001 | Creator |
| Lost | September 22, 2004 | Co-Creator |
| Fringe | September 9, 2008 | Co-Creator |
| Undercovers | September 22, 2010 | Co-Creator |
Episodes Written
| Series | Episode | Airdate | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Felicity | 1x01 - Pilot | September 29, 1998 | |
| Felicity | 1x02 - The Last Stand | October 6, 1998 | |
| Felicity | 1x03 - Hot Objects | October 13, 1998 | |
| Felicity | 1x07 - Drawing the Line (1) | November 10, 1998 | |
| Felicity | 1x08 - Drawing the Line (2) | November 17, 1998 | |
| Felicity | 1x10 - Finally | December 15, 1998 | |
| Felicity | 1x13 - Todd Mulcahy (1) | February 9, 1999 | |
| Felicity | 1x14 - Todd Mulcahy (2) | February 16, 1999 | |
| Felicity | 1x16 - The Fugue | March 2, 1999 | |
| Felicity | 1x19 - Docuventary | May 4, 1999 | |
| Felicity | 1x21 - The Force | May 18, 1999 | |
| Felicity | 1x22 - Felicity Was Here | May 25, 1999 | |
| Felicity | 2x01 - Sophomoric | September 26, 1999 | |
| Felicity | 2x04 - The Depths | October 17, 1999 | |
| Felicity | 2x06 - The Love Bug | November 7, 1999 | |
| Felicity | 2x11 - Help for the Lovelorn | January 23, 2000 | |
| Felicity | 2x12 - The Slump (2) | February 6, 2000 | |
| Felicity | 2x17 - Docuventary II | April 12, 2000 | |
| Felicity | 2x20 - Ben Was Here | May 3, 2000 | |
| Felicity | 2x23 - The Biggest Deal There Is | May 23, 2000 | |
| Felicity | 3x01 - The Christening | October 4, 2000 | |
| Felicity | 3x06 - One Ball, Two Strikes | November 8, 2000 | |
| Alias | 1x01 - Truth Be Told | September 30, 2001 | |
| Alias | 1x02 - So It Begins | October 7, 2001 | |
| Felicity | 4x01 - The Declaration | October 10, 2001 | |
| Felicity | 4x06 - Oops...Noel Did It Again | November 14, 2001 | |
| Felicity | 4x07 - The Storm | November 21, 2001 | |
| Felicity | 4x08 - The Last Thanksgiving | November 28, 2001 | |
| Felicity | 4x09 - Moving On | December 5, 2001 | |
| Felicity | 4x10 - Fire | December 12, 2001 | |
| Alias | 1x10 - Spirit | December 16, 2001 | |
| Felicity | 4x11 - A Perfect Match | December 19, 2001 | |
| Alias | 1x11 - The Confession | January 6, 2002 | |
| Alias | 1x15 - Page 47 | March 3, 2002 | |
| Alias | 1x17 - Q & A | March 17, 2002 | |
| Felicity | 4x12 - Future Shock | March 20, 2002 | |
| Felicity | 4x13 - Kiss and Tell | March 27, 2002 | |
| Felicity | 4x14 - Raising Arizona | April 3, 2002 | |
| Felicity | 4x15 - The Paper Chase | April 10, 2002 | |
| Alias | 1x22 - Almost Thirty Years | May 12, 2002 | |
| Alias | 2x01 - The Enemy Walks In | September 29, 2002 | |
| Alias | 2x13 - Phase One | January 26, 2003 | |
| Alias | 2x22 - The Telling | May 4, 2003 | |
| Alias | 3x01 - The Two | September 28, 2003 | |
| Alias | 3x02 - Succession | October 5, 2003 | |
| Alias | 3x06 - The Nemesis | November 2, 2003 | |
| Lost | 1x01 - Pilot (1) | September 22, 2004 | |
| Lost | 1x02 - Pilot (2) | September 29, 2004 | |
| Alias | 4x01 - Authorized Personnel Only (1) | January 5, 2005 | |
| Lost | 3x01 - A Tale of Two Cities | October 4, 2006 | |
| Fringe | 1x01 - Pilot | September 9, 2008 | |
| Fringe | 1x02 - The Same Old Story | September 16, 2008 | |
| Fringe | 1x04 - The Arrival | September 30, 2008 | |
| Fringe | 1x07 - In Which We Meet Mr. Jones | November 11, 2008 | |
| Fringe | 1x11 - Bound | January 20, 2009 | |
| Fringe | 2x01 - A New Day in the Old Town | September 17, 2009 | |
| Undercovers | 1x01 - Pilot | September 22, 2010 | |
| Undercovers | 1x02 - Instructions | September 29, 2010 | |
| Undercovers | 1x03 - Devices | October 6, 2010 |
Director
Episodes Directed
| Series | Episode | Airdate | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Felicity | 1x12 - Friends | January 26, 1999 | |
| Felicity | 1x13 - Todd Mulcahy (1) | February 9, 1999 | |
| Alias | 1x01 - Truth Be Told | September 30, 2001 | |
| Alias | 1x22 - Almost Thirty Years | May 12, 2002 | |
| Alias | 2x22 - The Telling | May 4, 2003 | |
| Lost | 1x01 - Pilot (1) | September 22, 2004 | |
| Lost | 1x02 - Pilot (2) | September 29, 2004 | |
| The Office | 3x17 - Cocktails | February 22, 2007 | |
| Undercovers | 1x01 - Pilot | September 22, 2010 |
Talk Show Appearances
| Series | Episode | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| Jimmy Kimmel Live | May 25, 2005 | |
| Jimmy Kimmel Live | May 31, 2005 | |
| Dinner for Five | Show 412 | June 17, 2005 |
| HypaSpace | February 17, 2006 | |
| HypaSpace | May 2, 2006 | |
| HypaSpace | May 4, 2006 | |
| Howard Stern on Demand | J.J. Abrams and the Film Festival Winner | May 31, 2006 |
| Howard Stern on Demand | Best of 05/01-05/05, 2006 | May 31, 2006 |
| The Colbert Report | Shashi Tharoor (February 15, 2007) | February 15, 2007 |
| Entertainment Tonight | January 17, 2008 |
Awards and Accolades
ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards
(2 Nominations, 2 Won)
- Nominated: Top TV Series (2005)
- Nominated: Top TV Series (2006)
BAFTA Awards
(1 Nomination)
- Nominated: Best International (2007)
Directors Guild of America Awards
(1 Nomination)
- Nominated: Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Dramatic Series - Night (2007)
Primetime Emmy Awards
(4 Nominations, 2 Won)
- Nominated: Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (2002)
- Won: Outstanding Drama Series (2005)
- Won: Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series (2005)
- Nominated: Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series (2005)
Producers Guild Awards
(3 Nominations, 1 Won)
- Nominated: Television Producer of the Year Award in Episodic - Drama (2004)
- Won: Television Producer of the Year Award in Episodic - Drama (2006)
- Nominated: Television Producer of the Year Award in Episodic - Drama (2007)
Writers Guild of America Awards
(2 Nominations, 1 Won)
- Won: Dramatic Series (2006)
- Nominated: Dramatic Series (2007)
Trivia
- J.J. Abrams is 5' 7" tall.
