Matt Shakman

Matt Shakman is an American film, television, and theatre 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 the artistic director of the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, California.

Early life
Shakman was born and raised in Ventura, California. 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. 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.

Shakman went on to attend Yale University 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 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, 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.

In 2017, TriStar Pictures announced that Shakman would direct its upcoming "live-action/hybrid" film adaptation of The Phantom Tollbooth.

In 2021, Shakman directed and executive produced the Marvel Studios miniseries WandaVision for Disney+. Later that year, it was revealed that Shakman would direct a film in the Star Trek franchise. In late August 2022, Shakman was in early talks to direct the Marvel Studios film The Fantastic Four 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", before being confirmed as the Fantastic Four director just weeks later. 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."

Theatre

 * Wait Until Dark at Geffen Playhouse (2013)
 * Bad Jews 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 (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 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