Shannyn Sossamon, who credits her striking looks to a mix of English, French, Hawaiian, Dutch, Irish, Filipino, and German ancestry, was born Shannon Marie Kahololani Sossamon in Honolulu, Hawaii. At the age of one, Shannyn and her family moved to a new locale: Reno, Nevada. Her youth was spent at a dance studio. In 1995, she left her hometown the day after graduating from Galena High School, for Los Angeles, to pursue dance. She 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 Usual Suspects (1995), spotted Shannyn. Shortly thereafter Shannyn found herself with the backing of an influential Hollywood name and one very important audition... Chevalier (2001). She determined she wanted the lead role and after six call backs, beat out the competition to play "Lady Jocelyn". Admittedly, the dancer turned actress knew little of her Australian costar Heath Ledger but the two became friends during filming.
Since then, she appeared in the independent features Road to Nowhere (2010), directed by Monte Hellman and Man Without a Head for director Johnny Roc, as well as in Petits suicides entre amis (2006), with Patrick Fugit and Tom Waits, 40 jours et 40 nuits (2002) opposite Josh Hartnett, and Les lois de l'attraction (2002) for director Roger Avary. Other credits include Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), Life Is Hot in Cracktown (2009) and The Holiday (2006).
