Shane West, born as Shannon Bruce Snaith, is a talented actor and punk musician who gained fame for his role as Landon Carter in the emotional teen drama, ‘A Walk to Remember’. With a passion for music and performing arts instilled in him by his musician parents, West grew up listening to iconic bands like Elvis Costello, The Clash, The Jam, and Blondie, fueling his desire to become a musician himself. However, his interest in acting emerged during his teenage years, leading him to pursue a career in Los Angeles. Despite facing initial hardships, West persevered and eventually found success in theatre and television, notably starring as Eli Sammler in ‘Once and Again’. This breakthrough role not only made him a heartthrob among teenagers but also showcased his acting prowess. Subsequently, West ventured into movies and quickly established himself as a prominent figure in the industry.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Shannon Bruce Snaith
- Age: 45 Years, 45 Year Old Males
- Family: father: Don Snaith, mother: Leah Catherine, siblings: Marli Ann Snaith, Simone Snaith
- Actors
- American Men
- Height: 6’0″ (183 cm), 6’0″ Males
- Ancestry: Portuguese American, Jamaican American, French American
- City: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- U.S. State: Louisiana
Childhood & Early Life
Shane West was born to Leah Catherine and Don Snaith. His father owned a drug store while his mother is a lawyer. Both his parents were deeply interested in music and had their own punk band. He has two younger sisters. His parents divorced in 1982 and he went to live with his mother in California. He loved music and acting from an early age and his favourite musicians were Elvis Costello, The Jam, Blondie, and The Kinks. As a teenager, he relocated to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting.
Career
Initially, he struggled to find work as do many aspiring actors. He appeared in an episode of the CBS drama ‘Picket Fences’ titled ‘Heart of Saturday Night’ in 1995. The same year he also voiced the character Doug in the television series, ‘California Dreams’. He made his stage debut in 1998 in the six-hour production of John Irving’s ‘The Cider House Rules’ as Mark Tapper. He guest-starred in the television series ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’. He got his career breakthrough in 1999 when he was chosen to play Eli Sammler in the ABC family drama ‘Once and Again’. This role earned him the tag of a teen heartthrob and also won him accolades for portraying a wide range of emotions through his character. He made his feature film debut in the comedy drama, ‘Liberty Heights’ in 1999. The plot revolves around a Jewish family and is a semi-autobiographical account of the life of the director, Barry Levinson. He played Ryan Woodman in the teen comedy ‘Whatever It Takes’ in 2000 which also starred James Franco. The plot revolves around two high school boys who try to help each other in winning the hearts of the girls they love. In 2002, he starred opposite Mandy Moore in the coming-of-age teen romance ‘A Walk to Remember’ which was based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. He played Tom Sawyer in the superhero film ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’ in 2003. It had several well-known names like Sean Connery, Naseeruddin Shah, Peta Wilson, etc. It was a huge commercial hit. In the 2007 biographical film ‘What We Do Is Secret’ he portrayed Darby Crash, the singer of the Los Angeles punk rock band, the Germs. The film tells the story of how the band members met and formed the band. Along with Edward Burns and Ving Rhames, he appeared in the science fiction action thriller, ‘Echelon Conspiracy’ (2009) in which he plays a computer engineer who gets a mobile phone and starts receiving strange text messages. He played a ghost in the horror thriller, ‘The Presence’ in which an apparition stalks a woman who travels to an isolated cabin. It is a romantic horror where the ghost grows more obsessive over the woman when her human lover arrives. From 2010 till 2013, he played a role in the television series ‘Nikita’ which was based on the life of a woman who escaped from a secret government-funded organization. He was much appreciated for his performance. A musician at heart, he was the lead singer of the punk rock band ‘Jonny Was’ for several years. He also plays with the band, The Germs often, touring with them from time to time.
Major Works
He is best known for portraying Landon Carter in the teen romance, ‘A Walk to Remember’. He plays a high school student who falls in love with a terminally ill girl and helps her in finding happiness during her last days.
Awards & Achievements
He is the recipient of two Teen Choice Awards: Film-Choice Chemistry for ‘A Walk to Remember’ in 2002 and TV-Choice Actor, Action, for ‘Nikita’ in 2011.
Personal life & Legacy
He is not married. He has been linked to several beautiful women like Rachel Lee Cook, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, and Maggie Q.