In 1993, Shannon made his first on screen appearance in Groundhog Day, the hilarious comedy featuring Bill Murray, Andie MacDowell, and Chris Elliott. His next role would not come until three years later, when he had a small role in Chain Reaction, featuring Hollywood mainstays such as Keanu Reeves, Morgan Freeman, and Fred Wars. The rest of the decade was unremarkable for Shannon. He had appearances in relatively ignored films such as Chicago Cab The Ride and Jesus’ Son.

Not to be discouraged, Shannon continued to pursue his fledgling on screen career, and it proved to be a wise decision. The first five years of the new millennium saw the actor scoring roles in numerous high profile films. These included Pearl Harbor, the film based on real life events which starred Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Cuba Gooding Jr, Jon Voight, Alec Baldwin, and Jennifer Garner; Vanilla Sky, featuring Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz, and Cameron Diaz; and High Crimes, with Ashley Judd, Morgan Freeman, and Adam Scott. Although he didn’t gain a lead role in the thriller, he was listed among the principle cast members, which is a significant break for any actor. He appeared alongside Eminen, Kim Basinger, and Brittany Murphy in the gritty 8 Mile, and then shared the screen with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the action comedy Bad Boys II.

In 2006, Shannon appeared in Marvelous and Let’s Go to Prison, with Will Arnett and Dax Shepard. He also had a co-starring role in the controversial Oliver Stone film World Trade Center, which featured Nicholas Cage as the star actor.

In 2007, Shannon is set to star in the film adaptation of the theater production Bug, in which he also starred. His co-stars for the film version of the play are Ashley Judd and Harry Connick Jr.

YUDDY