Actor / Director Profile

Shannyn, who credits her striking looks to an eclectic mix of French, Hawaiian, Dutch, Irish, Filipino and German was born Shannon Marie Kahololani Sossamon in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the age of one, Shannyn and her family moved to a new exotic locale: Reno, Nevada. Her youth was spent at a dance studio. At 17, promptly after high school graduation, she left her small town life for a career in dance in Los Angeles. She got distracted and started deejaying as a hobby with her then boyfriend in the local clubs around town. Paying her bills every month were her appearances in commercials. Acting was not high on the young dancer's priority list, aside from a series of commercials, not for lack of interest but for the fact that she was content with her life in L.A. as it was. It was in 1999, when Shannyn was helping a friend D.J. at a birthday party for Gwyneth Paltrow that a new chapter began in her fairy tale life. Francine Maisler, a casting director known for such films as The Usual Suspects (1995), spotted Shannyn. Shortly thereafter Shannyn found herself with the backing of an influential Hollywood name and one very important audition... A Knight's Tale (2001). She determined she wanted the lead role and after six call backs, beat out the competition. Admittedly, the dancer turned actress knew little of her Australian costar Heath Ledger but the two became friends during filming.