Matt Shakman

Matt Shakman is an American film, television, and theatre director and former child actor.

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 theatre double major. It was at Yale that Shakman became interested in theatre, going on to direct a number of stage productions.

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 are Succession, Mad Men, Six Feet Under, The Boys, The Great, House M.D., Fargo, and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (also executive producer).

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

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