Matt Shakman is an American film, television, and theatre director, and former child actor. He produced and directed ''

WandaVision ''WandaVision'' is an American television miniseries created by Jac Schaeffer for the streaming service Disney+, based on Marvel Comics featuring the characters Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch and Vision. It is List of Marvel Cinematic Univ ...

'' and has directed episodes of ''

The Great This is a list of people known as the Great, or the equivalent, in their own language. Other languages have their own suffixes, such as Persian ''e Bozorg'' and Urdu ''e Azam''. In Persia, the title "the Great" at first seems to have been a ...

'', ''

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia ''It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia'' is an American sitcom created by Rob McElhenney and developed by McElhenney and Glenn Howerton that premiered on August 4, 2005 on FX and later FXX beginning with the ninth season in 2013. It stars Charlie ...

'', ''

Fargo Fargo usually refers to: * Fargo, North Dakota, United States * ''Fargo'' (1996 film), a crime film by the Coen brothers * ''Fargo'' (TV series), an American black comedy–crime drama anthology television series Fargo may also refer to: Othe ...

'' and ''

Game of Thrones ''Game of Thrones'' is an American fantasy drama television series created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss for HBO. It is an adaptation of ''A Song of Ice and Fire'', a series of fantasy novels by George R. R. Martin, the firs ...

''. He is the artistic director of the Geffen Playhouse in

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wo ...

Early life

Shakman was born and raised in

Ventura, California Ventura, officially named San Buenaventura ( Spanish for " Saint Bonaventure"), is a city on the Southern Coast of California and the county seat of Ventura County. The population was 110,763 at the 2020 census. Ventura is a popular tourist d ...

. His

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

father and

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...

mother maintained a "relatively secular household", their interfaith marriage being a source of conflict with Shakman's Jewish paternal grandmother. After acting as a child, starting with commercials and landing a series regular role on ''

Just the Ten of Us ''Just the Ten of Us'' is an American sitcom starring stand-up comedian Bill Kirchenbauer as Coach Graham Lubbock, a teacher and the head of a large Catholic family with eight children living in Eureka, California. The series is a spin-off of ...

'', he stepped away to attend The Thacher School in Ojai. Shakman went on to attend

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

where he graduated with an art history and theater double major. It was at Yale where Shakman became interested in theatre, going on to direct a number of stage productions. After university, Shakman lived in New York City for several years before permanently moving to Los Angeles. He married Maggie Malone in 2012. In 2016, they had a daughter named Maisie.

Career

As a child actor, Shakman played Graham "J.R." Lubbock, Jr. in the ''

Growing Pains ''Growing Pains'' is an American television sitcom created by Neal Marlens that aired on ABC from September 24, 1985, to April 25, 1992. The show ran for seven seasons, consisting of 166 episodes. The series followed the misadventures of the ...

'' spin-off series ''

'' (1988–1990). His other television acting credits include '' The Facts of Life'', ''

Highway to Heaven ''Highway to Heaven'' is an American fantasy drama television series that ran on NBC from September 19, 1984, to August 4, 1989. The series starred Michael Landon as Jonathan Smith, an angel sent to Earth in order to help people in need. Victor ...

'', ''

Diff'rent Strokes ''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson ...

'', ''

Night Court ''Night Court'' is an American television sitcom that aired on NBC from January 4, 1984 to May 31, 1992. The setting was the night shift of a Manhattan municipal court presided over by a young, unorthodox judge, Harold "Harry" T. Stone (portra ...

'', '' Good Morning, Miss Bliss'' and '' Webster''. He also appeared in the films ''A Night at the Magic Castle'' (1988), and ''

Meet the Hollowheads ''Meet the Hollowheads'', also known as ''Life on the Edge'', is a 1989 science fiction black comedy movie written and directed by special-effects makeup artist Thomas R. Burman. It stars Juliette Lewis, John Glover, Richard Portnow, and Jos ...

'' (1989). Shakman is the founder and

Artistic Director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...

of the Black Dahlia Theatre (BDT) in Los Angeles, 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 Succession is the act or process of following in order or sequence. Governance and politics *Order of succession, in politics, the ascension to power by one ruler, official, or monarch after the death, resignation, or removal from office of ...

'', ''

Mad Men ''Mad Men'' is an American period drama television series created by Matthew Weiner and produced by Lionsgate Television. It ran on the cable network AMC from July 19, 2007, to May 17, 2015, lasting for seven seasons and 92 episodes. Its ...

'', '' Six Feet Under'', ''

The Boys Boys are young male humans. Boys or The Boys may also refer to: Film and television Films * ''The Boys'' (1962 British film), a courtroom drama by Sidney J. Furie * ''The Boys'' (1962 Finnish film), a war drama by Mikko Niskanen * ''Boys'' ( ...

'', ''

'', '' House M.D.'', ''

'', and ''

'' (also executive producer). Shakman directed the episodes " The Spoils of War" and " Eastwatch" for the seventh season of the HBO series ''

'' in 2017. In August of the same year, Shakman was appointed as the new artistic director of the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. In 2017,

TriStar Pictures TriStar Pictures, Inc. (spelled as Tri-Star until 1991) is an American film studio and production company that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, part of the multinational conglomerate Sony. It is a corporate sibling of Sony ...

announced that Shakman would direct its upcoming "live-action/hybrid" film adaptation of ''

The Phantom Tollbooth ''The Phantom Tollbooth'' is a children's fantasy adventure novel written by Norton Juster, with illustrations by Jules Feiffer, first published in 1961. The story follows a bored young boy named Milo who unexpectedly receives a magic tollbo ...

''. In 2021, Shakman directed and executive produced the

Marvel Studios Marvel Studios, LLC (originally known as Marvel Films from 1993 to 1996) is an American film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, a division of the Walt Disney Company. Marvel Studios produces the Mar ...

miniseries ''

'' for

Disney+ The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...

. Later that year, it was revealed that Shakman would direct a film in the ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vario ...

'' franchise. In late August 2022, Shakman was in early talks to direct the Marvel Studios film ''

Fantastic Four The Fantastic Four is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The team debuted in '' The Fantastic Four'' #1 ( cover dated Nov. 1961), helping usher in a new level of realism in the medium. It was the first ...

'', set to release in 2025, replacing Jon Watts who exited the project to take a break from superhero films. On August 26, 2022, Shakman exited the ''Star Trek'' film, citing "scheduling issues".

Directing credits

Films

* '' Cut Bank'' (2014) * ''

'' (2025)

Television

Theatre

*''Wait Until Dark'' at Geffen Playhouse (2013) *'' Bad Jews'' at Geffen Playhouse (2015) *'' Good People'' at Geffen Playhouse *''

Secrets of the Trade Secrecy is the practice of hiding information from certain individuals or groups who do not have the "need to know", perhaps while sharing it with other individuals. That which is kept hidden is known as the secret. Secrecy is often controvers ...

'' at Primary Stages *'' Den of Thieves'' (2002) *''

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot ''The Last Days of Judas Iscariot'' is a play by American playwright Stephen Adly Guirgis first staged Off-Broadway at The Public Theater on March 2, 2005, directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman. Plot summary ''The Last Days of Judas Iscariot'' tel ...

'' (2007) *''Placement'' (by

Blair Singer Blair is an English-language name of Scottish Gaelic origin. The surname is derived from any of the numerous places in Scotland called ''Blair'', derived from the Scottish Gaelic ''blàr'', meaning "plain", "meadow" or "field", frequently a “ba ...

)

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 The Back Stage Garland Awards — also referred to simply as the Garland Awards, and known as the Back Stage West Garland Awards from 1998 to 2008 — were bestowed by the entertainment-industry newspaper ''Backstage'', honoring excellence in Sou ...

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

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Shakman, Matt 20th-century American male actors American male child actors American male film actors American male television actors American television directors American theatre directors Film directors from California American Jews Living people Male actors from California People from Ventura, California The Thacher School alumni Yale University alumni Year of birth missing (living people)