Biography

Shannyn Sossamon

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Shannyn Sossamon is an American actress and director. She is of Irish, French, Dutch, Hawaiian-Filipino, German and English ancestry. Growing up in Reno, Nevada, Sossamon spent most of her youth at a local dance studio. After graduating high school at age 17, she moved to Los Angeles, California, to pursue a life in the creative arts. Sossamon began acting in films at age 21 after being approached by casting director Francine Maisler, who was casting the starring role in Brian Helgeland's A KNIGHTS TALE opposite Heath Ledger. Additionally, she can be seen with Matt Dillon and Carla Gugino in the event series WAYWARD PINES, from M. Night Shyamalan, opposite Nicole Beharie and Tom Mison in Fox's SLEEPY HOLLOW, and as the lead of Blumhouse feature SINISTER 2, opposite James Ransone. Other credits include THE END OF LOVE starring Michael Cera and Mark Webber; OUR FAMILY WEDDING starring Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, WRISTCUTTERS: A LOVE STORY starring opposite Patrick Fugit; THE RULES OF ATTRACTION starring opposite James Van Der Beek; 40 DAYS AND 40 NIGHTS starring opposite Josh Hartnett, and as the lead in Monte Hellman's ROAD TO NOWHERE. Recent credits include the feature films THERE ARE NO SAINTS and BACKSPOT, opposite Devery Jacobs. Sossamon spends her free time creating short videos for her project, THE MAUDE ROOM: A VARIETY SHOW, a short-form video project made especially for phone viewing.
- IMDb mini biography by: Jeff Raymond

She played drums for the first album of the band Warpaint and directed the video "Undertow".
Born in Hawaii but grew up in Nevada.
Gave birth to her second son, Mortimer Kaufman, in December 2011.
Sister of Jenny Lee Lindberg who plays bass guitar in the band Warpaint.
Is of French, Dutch, English, Irish, Hawaiian, Filipino and German descent. Her maternal grandmother is of Hawaiian and Filipino descent, and her maternal grandfather is of English and German ancestry.

I don't think I could live with myself if I stopped trying.
I really want to keep at it until I find out what I'm capable of.
Most of the auditions I went on, I passed up the projects because I just wasn't interested. When I read A Knight's Tale, that was that. I knew I wanted to do this movie.
Someone pays me a hundred bucks every Tuesday to DJ. I don't think I'll ever give that up.
But I'm trying not to be cynical - I don't want to be one of those people who has a cool opportunity and blows it. It's really amazing what's happening to me.

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