Born: 10-03-1957
Birthplace: St. John's (Newfoundland)
Country: Canada
Nickname: Turtle
Occupation: Actress
Height: 5' 10" (1,78 m)
Bust: 36"C
Waist: 25"
Hips: 36"

Canadian actress Shannon was raised at a mink ranch in Markland (Canada) and has three brothers and three sisters. She moved with her family to her mother's home in Saskatoon, after her father fell into coma due a car crash.

She had a relationship with CFL linebacker Ron Foxx, who plays for the Ottawa Rough Riders. She had a relation with Hugh Hefner for 14 months and lived at the Playboy Mansion. Hugh ended their relationship, after discovering her cocaine abuse. She met Gene Simmons (the co-lead singer of the band Kiss) for the first time at the Mansion in 1983. The couple falls in love and marries 28 years later on 01-10-2011 at an outdoor evening ceremony in the Beverly Hills Hotel. Their son Nicholas Adam was born on 22-01-1989 and daughter Sophie Alexandra was born on 07-07-1992. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband Gene and their two children.

Her romance with Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner helped her with photoshoots and articles in Playboy. Her appearance in Playboy was arranged by the Canadian television series ''Thrill of a Lifetime'' (1981), which showed real-life fantasies of ordinary Canadians. Her stardom is rising when she became Playboy's Miss November 1981. She was Playmate of the Year 1982 and also appeared nude with her sister Tracy in Playboy magazine.

She became involved in beauty pageants after an breast enhancement surgery when she was twenty years old. She was fourth at the Miss Canada Pageant contest and was the third runner-up at the Miss Ottawa event in 1978. She won also the Miss Canada talent competition for her singing.

There are several covershoots and articles about her in magazines as Celebrity Skin, Inside Sports, Playboy, Empire, Celebrity Sleuth, Femme Fatales and many more.

The life of Shannon's family is portrayed in the reality television show ''Gene Simmons Family Jewels'' (2006 - 2012). She began her movie career in 1982 and made her debut in the soap opera movie Falcon Crest'' (1981).

Action Movie Career

She made her action movie debut next to Martin Kove who plays the lead role as alcoholic Vietnam veteran John Steele who has trouble with his life, since the end of war in ''Steele Justice'' (1987). He served in Vietnam with his best friend Det. Lee Van Minh (played by Robert Kim). John starts an investigation, when his best friend is killed by drug criminals. John tries to save the abducted daughter of his killed friend.

She plays CIA helicopter pilot Samantha in this story where an group of terrorists led by the corrupt American intelligence agent named Tabak (played by Harry Applegate), have kidnapped the wife and daughter of the president of an unnamed African state in ''Code Name Vengeance'' (1987). The American ambassador tries to liberate them and reactivates therefore American ex-CIA agent Robert Ginty (played by Monroe Bieler), who is captive in a Morrocan prison. He gets help of Chuck (played by Kevin Brophy) and CIA helicopter pilot Samantha in order to rescue the wife and daughter of the president.

She plays the beautiful American assassin Sandra Spencer in this story about American command Mark Hardin (played by Reb Brown), who fights against communist rebels in a dictatorial ruled Latin American country in ''The Firing Line'' (1988). The problems start when he is captured by the rebels, after he is betrayed by his companions. He manages to escape and takes revenge against his former accomplices.

She plays the lead role as Dr. Margo Hunt who is hired by the government in ''Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death'' (1989). Her mission is to find the Piranha Women in the uncharted Avocado Jungle (westernmost outpost is San Bernardino), in order to convince them to move to a reservation condo in Malibu. She hires a chauvinist male guide at the edge of the jungle in order to make contact.

She plays the promising young army cadet Tory MacAllistair who is raped by her commanding officer in ''Lethal Woman'' 1989. She lures the acquitted officer and his men to a remote island in order to take revenge.

She plays Hinkle next to Erik Estrada who plays the lead role as Commander Gage in ''Twisted Justice'' (1990). Police officers are forbidden to carry weapons and must use stun guns (called "stingers") instead, in Los Angeles of the future.

She plays Susan who's the wife of real estate agent Lombardi (played by Bobby Di Cicco) in ''The Last Hour'' (1991). Lombardi gets troubles when he has money debts at the mob and the gangsters kidnap his wife Susan untill he pays the money back. He teams up with former agent Jeff (played by Michael Paré) in order to rescue her.

She plays next to action heroines Traci Lind in this story about super heroine Lady X (played by Famke Janssen) who works as model at daytime and fights against crime at night in ''Model by Day'' (1993). Lady X wears a suit with the letter "X" on the back and has all the necessary fight qualities as martial arts expert.

She plays Carol McKay in this story about writter Howard Hansen (played by Ted Prior) who busy is with a story about mutant embryosm, which exercises control over the lives of those who touching them in  "Possessed by the Night" (1994). He takes an embryo back home with result that Howard and his wife's life a dramatic turn takes.

She plays Moira Davis who's married to an abusive husband in "Illicit Dreams" (1994). She has a secret affair with the secretary of her husband, which leads to problems. Her influential and powerful husband stands in their way, after he discovered the affair.

She plays Sharon Bell who's the host of the ''Miss Galaxy Beauty Contest'' in the female Die-Hard cloon "No Contest" (1995). Terrorists sneak into the building and kidnap the girls during the contest. They lock the building and no one can go in or out. Sharon manages to escape but the terrorists don't know that she is an expert in kickboxing and reigning world champion. The terrorists try to find her in the building, but she kills all hijackers one by one.

She plays assassin Electra in this story about billionaire Marcus Roach (played by Sten Eirik) who seeks for the secret serum which can change a ordinary human into a super being in ''Electra'' (1996). The serum can be transmitted through sexual intercourse and works on the basis of Marcus his evil scheme. He hires female assassins Mary Anne Parker (played by Katie Griffin) and Karen (played by Lara Daans) to bring the serum, which is hidden in the body of young Billy Duncan (played by Joe Tabb).

She plays kickboxing champion Sharon Bell again in the second female Die-Hard cloon ''No Contest II'' (1997). Sharon visits her sister Bobbi Bell (played by Jayne Heitmeyer) who works at the Holman Museum. Erich Dengler (played by Lance Henriksen) is the son of Manferd Dengler (a prominent Nazi during the rule of Adolf Hitler in Germany), who has the plan to occupy the museum with his men. They go inside the museum and keep the people hostage during Sharon's visit. They come for a unique vase which is filled with bulbs of the deadly Xaphanine crystals, a never discovered nerve gas from the Nazis. The plan is to launch a lethal nerve gas bomb and they sell the rest of the nerve gas to the highest bidder. Luckily for all hostages is our kickboxing champion the only one woman who can defeat the terrorists. She fights alone against the terrorists again and kills them one by one.

She plays Hunter Wiley who is member of an elite Navy SEALS team led by Mike McBride (played by Hulk Hogan) in ''Shadow Warriors: Assault on Devil's Island'' (1997). The team is chosen for an audacious mission to rescue a group of sexy gymnasts, who are held captive by drug lord soldiers on an island. The criminals demand that their leader will be released from prison or else they will kill all gymnasts. Mike and his Shadow Warriors team go on journey in order to rescue them.

She plays FBI agent Cara Landry who gets the change to build a new career, after a suspension in ''Naked Lies'' (1998). She is sent on an undercover assignment to gather evidence against Damian Medina (played by Fernando Allende), a Mexican casino owner who runs a counterfeit operation for the Cali drug cartel. She must infiltrate into the casino with help of agent Mitch Kendall (played by Jay Baker) who also her ex-lover is.

She plays Hunter Wiley again who is member of an elite Navy SEALS team led by Mike McBride (played by Hulk Hogan) in ''Shadow Warriors II: Hunt for the Death Merchant'' (1999). Mike recognizes biochemical terrorist Dr. Sarkisian (played by Gerard Plunkett) from the past who is specialized in chemical warfare. They uncover his plan to attack Seattle with chemical weapons. The Shadow Warriors fight against Dr. Sarkisian and his men in order to stop their chemical warfare plans.

Action Movie Filmography

• Shadow Warriors II: Hunt for the Death Merchant (1999)
• Naked Lies (1998)
• Shadow Warriors: Assault on Devil's Island (1997)
• No Contest II (1997)
• Electra (1996)
• No Contest (1995)
• Illicit Dreams (1994)
• Possessed by the Night (1994)
• Model by Day (1993)
• The Last Hour (1991)
• Tagteam (1991)
• Twisted Justice (1990)
• Lethal Woman (1989)
• Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989)
• The Firing Line (1988)
• Code Name Vengeance (1987)
• Steele Justice (1987)