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 the first television series in ...

'' 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 co ...

'', ''

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'' 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 first ...

''. He is the artistic director of the

Geffen Playhouse The Geffen Playhouse (or the Geffen) is a not-for-profit theater company founded by Gilbert Cates in 1995. It produces plays in two theaters in Geffen Playhouse, which is owned by University of California Los Angeles. The Playhouse is located ...

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 world' ...

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 des ...

. 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 largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

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 The Thacher School is an elite private co-educational boarding school in Ojai, California. Founded in 1889 as a boys' school, it is now the oldest co-educational boarding school in California. Girls were first admitted in 1977. The first co-ed gra ...

Ojai Ojai ( ; Chumash: ''’Awhaỳ'') is a city in Ventura County, California. Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara. The valley is part of the east–west trending Western Transverse Ranges and is ...

. Shakman went on to attend

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

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 Se ...

'' 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 (film and television), 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 t ...

'', ''

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, r ...

'', ''

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 (portray ...

'', ''

Good Morning, Miss Bliss ''Good Morning, Miss Bliss'' (also retroactively known as ''Saved by the Bell: The Junior High Years'') is an American teen sitcom that aired on the Disney Channel from 1988 to 1989 (and later in syndication as part of the ''Saved by the Bell'' ...

'' and ''

Webster Webster may refer to: People *Webster (surname), including a list of people with the surname *Webster (given name), including a list of people with the given name Places Canada *Webster, Alberta *Webster's Falls, Hamilton, Ontario United State ...

''. 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 Josh ...

'' (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'', ''

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 fict ...

'', '' Six Feet Under'', '' The Boys'', ''

'', ''

House M.D. ''House'' (also called ''House, M.D.'') is an American medical drama television series that originally ran on the Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox network for eight seasons, from November 16, 2004, to May 21, 2012. The series' main character is G ...

'', '' Fargo'', and ''

'' (also executive producer). Shakman directed the episodes " The Spoils of War" and "

Eastwatch "Eastwatch" is the fifth episode of the seventh season of HBO's medieval fantasy television series '' Game of Thrones'', and the 65th overall. The episode was written for television by Dave Hill and directed by Matt Shakman, and first aired on ...

" for the

seventh Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season e ...

season of the

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

series ''

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

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 Juvenile fantasy, children's fantasy adventure novel written by Norton Juster, with illustrations by Jules Feiffer, first published in 1961 in literature, 1961. The story follows a bored young boy named Milo who ...

''. 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 Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and deligh ...

. 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 vari ...

'' 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 Jonathan Watts (born June 28, 1981) is an American filmmaker. His credits include directing the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) superhero films '' Spider-Man: Homecoming'', '' Spider-Man: Far From Home'', and '' Spider-Man: No Way Home''. He was ...

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 ''Bad Jews'' is a dark comedy play by Joshua Harmon. After a beloved grandfather dies in New York, leaving a treasured piece of religious jewelry that he succeeded in hiding even from the Nazis during the Holocaust, cousins fight over not only ...

'' at Geffen Playhouse (2015) *'' Good People'' at Geffen Playhouse *'' Secrets of the Trade'' 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'' tells ...

'' (2007) *''Placement'' (by Blair Singer)

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)