Biography

Alonna Shaw is a poet, visual artist, and emerging filmmaker. While best known for her roles in Double Impact (1991) and King of New York (1990), she has always viewed acting as one of many creative avenues in her artistic journey.

Inspired by her mother’s passions for Hollywood filmmaking and military proofreading, Shaw developed an early fascination with film, narrative, and art. Modeling and acting created opportunities to explore diverse environments, perceptions, and the human condition. These experiences continue to inform her work as a writer and visual artist.

Shaw’s early career included soap operas (One Life to Live, All My Children), industrial films, music videos, and commercials. She trained at the University of Detroit’s theater program; and then with esteemed instructors of the Actors Studio, Sondra Lee (NY) and Sal Dano (LA); also, Brian Reise (LA), Groundlings (LA) with Kathy Griffin and Lisa Kudrow, and Carter-Thor Studio (LA).

Shaw transitioned away from acting, seeing it as a vehicle for exploring place and behavior rather than a lifelong pursuit. She returned to her foundational creative outlets, writing and visual arts, where she continues to push boundaries. Now expanding into experimental filmmaking, she is integrating hybrid poetics, collaged animation, and voiceover work.

A longtime admirer of classic Hollywood films from the 1930s-1960s, she was part of the early 1990s Los Angeles swing dance revival, a cultural moment later popularized by the film Swingers.

Whether through film, poetry, or visual storytelling, her work remains rooted in curiosity and artistic exploration.
- IMDb mini biography by: Alonna Shaw