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Matt Shakman

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Matt Shakman
Shakman in 2023
Born
Ventura, California, U.S.
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 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 also directing the upcoming The Fantastic Four: First Steps. He was the artistic director of the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, California from 2017-2023.

Early life

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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 and was a member of Skull and Bones.[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

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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 Succession, Mad Men, Six Feet Under, The Boys, The Great, House M.D., Fargo, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (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 Marvel Studios miniseries WandaVision for Disney+.[9] Later that year, it was revealed that Shakman would direct a film in the Star Trek franchise.[10] In late August 2022, Shakman was in early talks to direct the Marvel Studios film The Fantastic Four: First Steps 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]

Filmography

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Film

Television

Year Title Director Executive
Producer 		Episode(s)
2002 Once and Again Yes No "Experience Is the Teacher"
2003–2004 Oliver Beene Yes No "Lord of the Bees"
"Ward Have Mercy"
"Idol Chatter"
2003–2006 Everwood Yes No "Just Like in the Movies"
"Shoot the Moon"
"Since You've Been Gone"
"Truth"
2004 Judging Amy Yes No "Order and Chaos"
Summerland Yes No "Into My Life"
2005 Inconceivable Yes No "Between an Egg and a Hard Place"
Six Feet Under Yes No "Singing for Our Lives"
Boston Legal Yes No "Death Be Not Proud"
One Tree Hill Yes No "The Heart Brings You Back"
Huff Yes No "Christmas Is Ruined"
2006 Kitchen Confidential Yes No "Christmas Is Ruined"
Everybody Hates Chris Yes No "Everybody Hates Funerals"
"Everybody Hates Thanksgiving"
Men in Trees Yes No "The Buddy System"
Windfall Yes No "The Myth of More"
2006–2007 Brothers & Sisters Yes No "An Act of Will"
"Game Night"
"History Repeating"
2006–2013 Psych Yes No "9 Lives"
"Lights, Camera... Homicidio"
"The Head, the Tail, the Whole Damn Episode"
"Dual Spires"
"100 Clues"
2007 The Nine Yes No "The Inside Man"
The Riches Yes No "Cinderella"
What About Brian Yes No "What About Marjorie..."
2007–2012 House M.D. Yes No "Fetal Position"
"It's a Wonderful Lie"
"Brave Heart"
"The Dig"
"Chase"
2007–2017 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Yes Yes 43 episodes
2008–2009 Ugly Betty Yes No "A Thousand Words Before Friday"
"Burning Questions"
"Dress for Success"
2009 Weeds Yes No "Ducks and Tigers"
Hung Yes No "Doris Is Dead" or "Are We Rich or Are We Poor?"
2010 Childrens Hospital Yes No "I See Her Face Everywhere"
"No One Can Replace Her"
Chuck Yes No "Chuck Versus the Subway"
The Good Guys Yes No "Bait & Switch"
"The Getaway"
2011 Outsourced Yes No "Guess Who's Coming to Delhi"
Breaking In Yes No "Take the Movie and Run"
Happy Endings Yes No "You've Got Male"
2011–2015 Revenge Yes No "Duplicity"
"Collusion"
"Disgrace"
"Madness"
2012 New Girl Yes No "Fancyman, Part 2"
GCB Yes No "Pride Comes Before a Fall"
Mad Men Yes No "Mystery Date"
2013–2016 The Good Wife Yes No "Je Ne Sais What?"
"Parallel Construction, Bitches"
"Oppo Research"
"Message Discipline"
"Restraint"
"Iowa"
2014 Fargo Yes No "A Fox, a Rabbit, and a Cabbage"
"Morton's Fork"
2014–2015 You're the Worst Yes No "Finish Your Milk"
"Constant Horror and Bone-Deep Dissatisfaction"
"Fists and Feet and Stuff"
"A Rapidly Mutating Virus"
"Other Things You Could Be Doing"
"The Heart Is a Dumb Dumb"
2015 Grace and Frankie Yes No "The Invitation"
Heroes Reborn Yes Yes "Brave New World"
2016 American Gothic Yes Yes "Arrangement in Grey and Black"
2017 Game of Thrones Yes No "The Spoils of War"
"Eastwatch"
2018 Billions Yes No "Flaw in the Death Star"
Strange Angel Yes No "Dance of the Earth"
2019 The Boys Yes No "Cherry"
Succession Yes No "Argestes"
2020 The Great Yes Yes "The Great"
2021 WandaVision Yes Yes "Filmed Before a Live Studio Audience"
"Don't Touch That Dial"
"Now in Color"
"We Interrupt This Program"
"On a Very Special Episode..."
"All-New Halloween Spooktacular!"
"Breaking the Fourth Wall"
"Previously On"
"The Series Finale"
2022 Welcome to Chippendales Yes Yes "An Elegant, Exclusive Atmosphere"
"Four Geniuses"
2023 The Consultant Yes Yes "Creator"
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Yes Yes "Aftermath"
"Departure"

Theatre

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Year Title Venue
2013 Wait Until Dark Geffen Playhouse
2015 Bad Jews
Good People
Secrets of the Trade Primary Stages
2002 Den of Thieves
2007 The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
Placement (by Blair Singer)

Awards and nominations

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  • 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

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  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. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 25, 2017. 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.
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