8:41AM, Jan 23, 2009
Born: 1974
Where: Lexington, Kentucky, USA
The actor received acclaim for his Oscar-nominated performance in director Sam Mendes' drama Revolutionary Road.
Previous career high spots included the noirish thriller Before The Devil Knows Your Dead and the superlative indie drama Shotgun Stories.
Shannon began his career as a stage actor in Chicago, where he helped found A Red Orchid Theatre and went on to work with Steppenwolf Theatre Company.
He made his small screen debut in 1992 in the police drama Angel Street and went on to appear in a minor role as a wedding groom in the 1993 Bill Murray comedy Groundhog Day.
Subsequent appearances included the action thriller Chain Reaction with Keanu Reeves but he first attracted attention as Sgt Filmore in Joel Schumacher's Vietnam War drama Tigerland.
Director Michael Bay gave him the call for the blockbuster Pearl Harbor and he went on to appear alongside Tom Cruise and Penelope Cruz in Vanilla Sky in 2001.
The following year he starred opposite Eminem in the rap drama 8 Mile only to switch styles as a villain for the adventure comedy Kangeroo Jack.
He reteamed with Bay for Bad Boys II and returned to theatre where he originated the role of Peter Evans in the play Bug (he also starred in the 2007 film adaptation with Ashley Judd and Harry Connick, Jr, directed by William Friedkin).
The same year he starred alongside Kevin Bacon in the controversial paedophile drama The Woodsman and went on to appear in the crime drama Criminal with John C Reilly.
After the big screen version of Bug, he appeared in Oliver Stone's World Trade Center and played Son Hayes in the indie drama Shotgun Stories.
In 2007, he appeared in the rom-com Lucky You with Eric Bana and landed a supporting role in Sidney Lumet's crime thriller Before The Devil Knows Your Dead.
Recent work includes the drama Revolutionary Road with Leondardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.
