Shannon Whirry
{{short description|American actress}}
{{Infobox person
| image =
| caption =
| birth_name = Shannon Meta Whirry
| birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|59|2024|10|15}}
| birth_place = Green Lake, Wisconsin, U.S.
| years_active = 1991–present
| occupation = Actress
}}
Shannon Meta Whirry (born 1964/1965) is an American actress.
Early life
Shannon Meta Whirry{{cite news |title=One will become Miss Oshkosh 1983 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oshkosh-northwestern-one-will-become/128716520/ |newspaper=Oshkosh Northwestern |date=February 27, 1983 |access-date=July 24, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}} was born in Green Lake, Wisconsin, United States, the daughter of Sherril Jean "Sherry" ({{nee|Kemnitz}};{{cite news|title=Obituary for Henrietta Elaine "Henri" Giese|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/60999982/|newspaper=Oshkosh Northwestern|date=November 4, 2002|access-date=July 25, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}} 1944–2016){{cite news|title=Obituary for Sherril Jean "Sherry" Chier|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/48667660/|newspaper=Oshkosh Northwestern|date=May 12, 2016|access-date=July 25, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}} and Russell Clyde Whirry (1943–1988).{{cite news |title=Obituary for Russell Clyde Whirry |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-representative-obituary-for-russell/101473171/ |newspaper=The Fox Lake Representative |date=December 22, 1988 |access-date=July 23, 2023 |via=Newspapers.com}}
Career
A native of Green Lake, Wisconsin, where she was the salutatorian of her 1983 high school graduating class,{{cite news |title=Green Lake Top Graduates Named |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oshkosh-northwestern/34624229/ |work=Oshkosh Northwestern |date=May 23, 1983 |access-date=July 23, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}} in 1985 Whirry was accepted to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, one of only 365 accepted out of 3,000 applicants and one of only 65 to graduate the 2-year program.{{cite news |last1=Madden |first1=Amy T. |title=From Green Lake to Hollywood: Actress debuts in first film |work=Oshkosh Northwestern |date=April 11, 1991 |page=15}} While attempting to establish her career in New York, Whirry worked as a bartender, took a number of small bit roles and appeared in a commercial for FedEx; the latter work finally allowed her to join the Screen Actors Guild.{{cite news |last=Wolff |first=Patricia |title=Former Green Lake Woman Has Role in TV Miniseries |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oshkosh-northwestern/41740330/ |work=Oshkosh Northwestern |date=February 9, 1995 |access-date=July 23, 2023 |via=newspapers.com}} Her first film role was in the action film Out for Justice starring Steven Seagal.
She thereafter began to work in a number of direct-to-video erotic B-movies and unrated thrillers, concurrent with Tanya Roberts, Maria Ford, and Shannon Tweed, who appeared in the same kinds of films at the time. She starred in Gregory Hippolyte's productions of Animal Instincts I and II, Body of Influence, and Mirror Images II. Entertainment Weekly referred to Whirry and Hippolyte as "the Dietrich and Von Sternberg of the soft-core set".{{cite magazine |title=Shannon Whirry: Video's reigning vixen |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |date=1994-08-19 |last=Kenny |first=Glenn |authorlink=Glenn Kenny |url=http://ew.com/article/1994/08/19/shannon-whirry-videos-reigning-vixen/ |accessdate=2017-03-26 |quote=Whirry and Hippolyte are fast becoming the Dietrich and Von Sternberg of the soft-core set, with four titles — Animal Instincts, Body of Influence, Mirror Images II, and the latest, Animal Instincts II, due out next week — under their belts.}} Other films at the time included Private Obsession and Playback, a Playboy production.
In the late 1990s, she transitioned from erotic thrillers into a series of roles on mainstream network television and films, including action, sci-fi and horror genres. She had a recurring role as Mike Hammer's secretary Velda in the television series Mike Hammer, Private Eye and made guest appearances on such shows as ER, Felicity, Seinfeld, V.I.P., Murphy Brown, Malcolm in the Middle and Nash Bridges. She also had a small role in the Jim Carrey film Me, Myself & Irene (2000).
In 2007, she appeared on a BBC TV miniseries, Nuclear Secrets, playing Kitty Oppenheimer, the wife of Robert Oppenheimer.
She occasionally performs with theater companies in Arizona, where she lives{{cite news |last=Lengel |first=Kerry |url=http://archive.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/ae/articles/0120whirry0120.html |title=Valley actress never bored on the boards |work=The Arizona Republic |date=2008-01-20 |accessdate=2017-03-26 }} and has continued appearing in small roles in films, including independent film Raising Buchanan in 2019.
Filmography
=Film=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 1991
| Terry Malloy | |
| 1992
| Joanna Cole | Video |
| rowspan="3"| 1993
| Laura/Lana | Video |
| Sliver
| Woman Looking In Mirror | |
| Mirror Images 2
| Carrie/Terrie | Video |
| rowspan="3" | 1994
| Animal Instincts 2 | Joanna Cole | Video |
| The Gift
| Sitting Woman | TV movie |
| Lady in Waiting
| Lori | |
| rowspan="5" | 1995
| Texas Justice | Rebecca | TV movie |
| Private Obsession
| Emmanuelle Griffith | Video |
| The Granny
| Kelly Gargoli | Video |
| Dangerous Prey
| Robin | |
| Fatal Pursuit
| Jill | |
| rowspan="4" | 1996
| Playback | Karen | |
| Exit
| Diane | Video |
| Omega Doom
| Zed, Droid Leader | Video |
| Ringer
| Kristin / Tracy | |
| 1997
| Rayanne Lloyd | |
| 1999
| Gina Murphy | Video |
| rowspan="2" | 2000
| The Prophet's Game | Barbara "Barb" | |
| Me, Myself & Irene
| Beautiful Mom | |
| rowspan="3" | 2001
| Mach 2 | Shannon Carpenter | |
| Lying in Wait
| Lori | |
| Outlaw
| Liz | |
| 2008
| Jolene | Teacher | |
| rowspan="2" | 2009
| Ingenious | Lydia | |
| Middle Men
| Screaming Mother | |
| rowspan="2" | 2010
| Nurse | |
| Dead West
| Sarah Dust | |
| 2012
| Out of Focus | Detective Jessie Johnston | Short |
| 2019
| Parnella Monroe | |
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 1992
| Lola | Episode: "Episode #1.2094" |
| rowspan="3" | 1993
| Sue | Episode: "The Last Temptation of Eddie: Part 1 & 2" |
| Eden
| Lauren's Friend | Episode: "Eden 6" |
| Silk Stalkings
| Karen Daniels | Episode: "Look the Other Way" |
| rowspan="5" | 1997
| Deborah Cummings | Episode: "Chapter Ten, Year Two" |
| Murphy Brown
| Amber | Episode: "Blind Date" |
| Nash Bridges
| Suzanne | Episode: "Moving Target" |
| Pacific Blue
| Kay McNeil | Episode: "Ties That Bind" |
| Seinfeld
| Cute Girl | Episode: "The Butter Shave" |
| 1997-1998
| Velda | Main Cast |
| 1998
| Victoria Tremain | Episode: "Passion and the Palm Beach Detectives" |
| rowspan="3" | 1999
| Dr. Veronica Brady | Episode: "Fear of Flying" |
| Sons of Thunder
| Sabrina | Episode: "Daddy's Girl" |
| V.I.P.
| Katherine Johnson | Episode: "Why 2 Kay" |
| 2000
| Gina | Recurring Cast: Season 2 |
| rowspan="3" | 2001
| Beautiful Woman | Episode: "Evacuation" |
| Black Scorpion
| Vox Populi | Episode: "Face the Music" |
| Felicity
| Barbara "Barb" Jones | Episode: "Boooz" |
| 2002
| Flatland | Gina | Episode: "Aurora" & "Triptych" |
| 2003
| ER | Doreen Brant | Episode: "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished" |
| 2007
| Episode: "Superspy" & "Superbomb" |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{imdb name|924204|Shannon Whirry}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Whirry, Shannon}}
Category:20th-century American actresses
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:Actresses from Wisconsin
Category:American Academy of Dramatic Arts alumni
Category:American film actresses
Category:American stage actresses
Category:American television actresses