Few producers become household names, but Abrams isn't just any old producer. He not only created the series
Felicity,
Alias and
Lost, he also wrote, directed and even composed music for them. The son of veteran TV producer Gerald W. Abrams, J.J. sold his first screenplay before graduating from college. But after a string of film flops (with one notable hit —
Armageddon), Abrams turned to the tube in the late '90s. A proud geek and tireless multitasker, this Emmy winner manages to find time to spend with his wife and children, even while being handpicked by Tom Cruise to helm
Mission Impossible III, his feature film directing debut.
J.J. Abrams Fast Facts:
- His father, producer Gerald W. Abrams, played a judge in a 2000 episode of Felicity.
- Got his first taste of show business when, at age 8, he toured Universal Studios with his grandfather. That same year he received a super 8mm camera and began making amateur films.
- Met Matt Reeves, his collaborator on Felicity, at a student film festival when he was 13.
- While a senior at Sarah Lawrence College, wrote his first feature-length screenplay, Taking Care of Business (1990) with Jill Mazursky, the daughter of producer-director Paul Mazursky (who produced the film).
- As Jeffrey Abrams, had small acting roles in the films Diabolique (1996), Six Degrees of Separation (1993) and Regarding Henry (1991), which he also scripted.
- Created the slightly-out-of-focus title card for Lost as an homage to The Twilight Zone.
- J.J. Abrams Relationships:
- Gerald W. Abrams - Father
- Gracie Abrams - Daughter
- Henry Abrams - Son
- Katie McGrath - Wife
- J.J. Abrams Awards:
- 2002 Emmy: Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series - Nominee
- 2005 Emmy: Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series - Nominee
- 2005 Emmy: Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series - Winner
- 2005 Emmy: Outstanding Drama Series - Winner
- College:
- Attended University of Paris, Paris, France; Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, NY (BA)
