Shannyn Sossamon Biography

Shannyn Sossamon, born Shannon Marie Kahoolani Sossamon to Sherry Sossamon and Todd Lindberg on October 3, 1979 in Honolulu, Hawaii, is an American musician and film/music video actress. She is of French, Native Hawaiian, Dutch, Irish, Filipino and German descent. Though born in Hawaii, she grew up in Reno, Nevada. After her high school graduation, Sossamon moved to Los Angeles where she pursued a career in dance. While she attended Dance Unlimited, Sossamon appeared in television commercials and had DJ gigs in local clubs. In 1999, Sossamon was discovered by casting director Francine Maisler, while helping a friend DJ at Gwyneth Paltrow's birthday party.

Her first role was the female lead in A Knight's Tale. Reportedly close friends with Heath Ledger, she also appeared alongside him in 2003 in The Order, and appeared in music videos for Mick Jagger and KoЯn. Sossamon continues to DJ weekly at a Los Angeles club, but spends most of her time filming.

She has 3 tattoos, including one, on her back shoulder. It's a 'S' with a flower.

Sossamon was dating Dallas Clayton, a kick-box instructor in 2002/2003 and gave birth to a son on May 29, 2003, named Audio Science Clayton.

It's the classic Hollywood fairy tale. A small town girl moves to the big city, unexpectedly gets discovered by a casting agent and a starlet is born. More than 50 years ago, it happened to Lana Turner, and today, it's happening to Shannyn Sossamon.

But Sossamon, star of A Knight's Tale, insists that she wasn't some unpolished country bumpkin turned into a star overnight.

"Can we put an end to this rumor, please?" she begs in her new hometown of Los Angeles. "The story didn't go that quickly. I've lived [in Los Angeles] for five years, I'm a dancer, I've done lots of commercials, I read all the magazines, I've observed all the people in the business," she says, implying that she's not as naïve as some may make her out to be.

"It's really not that glamorous a story."

Glamorous or not, the story went something like this: "I was helping my friend DJ a party," she starts. "[The casting director] just saw me and she called me the next day, we had a little meeting, it was no big deal."

Six months later, that casual meeting led to a shot at a starring role in a major motion picture, opposite Heath Ledger, one of today's hottest actors.

"They said, 'Well, we'll give her a try', and when I read it, I thought that it was an amazing story and I wanted to do it really badly." Shannyn landed the role of saucy socialite Jocelyn, and the rest will, one day, become history.

Shannyn Sossamon was born in Hawaii and raised in Reno, Nevada. At 17, she packed up and headed to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a dancer. Though dancing was her first calling, Shannyn admits that acting always intrigued her. "I was always interested in doing it, but I was so content with my life that I didn't really go after it."

That contented life included spinning records at local bars and lounges, and acting in commercials, which she enthusiastically describes as "the awesomest job ever -- you work for one day then just sit back and collect the residuals."

After having been spotted by one of Hollywood's most influential casting directors, she embarked on a spree of auditions before coming across A Knight's Tale.

"Most of the auditions I went on, I passed up the projects because I just wasn't interested," she says of the numerous teen comedies and television shows she auditioned for. "When I read A Knight's Tale, that was that. I knew I wanted to do this movie."

Coming up next, Sossamon has another starring role in the romantic film 40 Days and 40 Nights, opposite Josh Hartnett.

But despite her newfound success in the film industry, Shannyn won't be handing over her turntables for a star on the Boulevard anytime soon.

"Someone pays me a hundred bucks every Tuesday to DJ," she says satisfactorily. "I don't think I'll ever give that up."