Background:

Canadian actress Shannon Tweed may not be an Oscar contender, but she has her
own share of fans through her poses for Playboy magazine and the roles in such
erotic thriller movies as Night Eyes II (1992, played unfaithful diplomat wife
Marilyn Mejenes), Naked Lies (1998, also served as associate producer) and The
Rowdy Girls (2000). She was also seen in the soap operas “Falcon Crest”
(1982-1983) and “Days of Our Lives” (1985-198, as Savannah Wilder).

Outside the limelight, the actress once had a brief relationship with the boss
of Playboy magazine, Hugh Hefner. Currently Shannon, with measurements
36B/C-25-36 (source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine), had a long-time partnership
with a member of the rock band KISS, Gene Simmons, which began in 1984. Yet,
after living together for almost 15 years, Tweed-Simmons eventually broke up.
They share two children: a son and a daughter.

“He opted never to marry. I opted not to bitch about it. I’m not the jealous
type.” Shannon Tweed on her relationship with Gene Simmons


Canadian Model

Childhood and Family:

In St John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, Shannon Lee Tweed was born on March 10,
1957. The third of seven, Shannon is also the sister of actress Tracy Tweed
(born on May 10, 1965). During her childhood, she was raised on a mink ranch.

Shannon began her journey in show business with beauty pageant contests in
Canada. Her writing to a reality series eventually launched her Hollywood
career. Now, Shannon is the mother of two: son Nicholas Simmons (born in 1988)
and daughter Sophie Simmons (born in 1992), from her longtime partnership with
KISS member Gene Simmons (born on August 25, 1949).


The Playmate

Career:

In 1975, teenager Shannon Tweed entered the realm of show business after moving
to Ottawa, where she became the winner of a local beauty pageant and took the
title of Miss Ottawa. Three years later, she represented the Ottawa Valley in
the Miss Canada Pageant and arrived at the third runner-up position. Choosing
modeling as her career, she wrote to the Canadian reality series “Thrill of a
Lifetime” (1981), in which ordinary folks were given the chance to live out
their fantasies and Tweed’s dream of posing for Playboy magazine came true. The
same year, she moved to L.A., and first modeled for Playboy Magazine as Miss
November. Since then, she has made numerous appearances in the adult magazine,
up until 2000.

Gaining the status of 1982’s Playboy Playmate of the Year, Tweed quickly jumped
to the screen and made a first small screen appearance in the TV movie Drop Out
Father (1982), which was followed with a regular role of Diana Hunter in the CBS
primetime soap “Falcon Crest” (1982-1983). She also had a movie debut with the
supporting part of Meg Hughes in the horror Of Unknown Origin (1983) and
continued it with the role of Sylvia Fonda in the comedy Hot Dog... The Movie
(1984).

The model/actress then joined the cast of the popular soap “Days of Our Lives”
(1985-1986, as crime boss Savannah Wilder) and played the porn star-turned-love
goddess in Meatballs III: Summer Job (1986). After taking parts in the
acceptable romantic comedy The Last Fling (1987) and the underrated Western TV
movie Longarm (1988), Tweed drew in a larger amount of fans through her leading
role of feminist professor Dr. Margo Hunt in the action comedy Cannibal Women
and the Avocado Jungle of Death (1989).

Following her part in the little seen Twisted Justice (1990), the actress
appeared in the erotic thriller Last Call (1991, starred as Cindy/Audrey), Night
Eyes II (1992, played unfaithful diplomat wife Marilyn Mejenes) and Indecent
Behavior (1993, as sex therapist Dr. Rebecca Mathis). She later reprised the
role in the 1994 Indecent Behavior II and the self-produced Indecent Behavior
III, in 1995. Tweed was also cast as the sexy titular superhero in the action
movie Electra (1996), before guest starring in an episode of the TV series “Nash
Bridges” (1997) and taking the role of FBI agent Cara Landry in Naked Lies
(1998, also served as associate producer).

In 1999, Tweed joined director Adam Rifkin to play Amanda Finch in Detroit Rock
City. She also co-produced the erotic thriller The Rowdy Girls (2000, also
starred as Velvet McKenzie), made her second appearance as best-selling writer
Dr. Honey Snow in the sitcom “Frasier” (2001, first appeared in 1995) and took
on the regular part of the mother of an aspiring musician in the comedy drama
series “My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star” (2002). The next year, the actress
guest starred as Ms. Dee Dee Cole in an episode of the first season of the
sitcom “Run of the House” (2003).


Award:
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