Shawnee Smith facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shawnee Smith
Smith in 2007
Born	(1969-07-03) July 3, 1969 (age 56) Orangeburg, South Carolina, U.S.
Occupation	Actress singer
Years active	1978–present
Spouse(s)	Jason Reposar (divorced) Kai Mattoon (divorced)
Children	2

Shawnee Smith (born July 3, 1969) is an American actress and singer. She started her acting journey when she was very young. Her first movie role was at age 11 in Annie (1982). A few years later, she performed on stage for the first time in To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1984). For this role, she won a special award called the Drama-League Critics Award.

In the late 1980s, Shawnee took on bigger roles in movies like The Blob (1988) and Who's Harry Crumb? (1989). During the 1990s, she appeared as a guest star on popular TV shows such as Murder, She Wrote and The X-Files. Later, she got a main role in the TV show Becker, which ran from 1998 to 2004.

Shawnee Smith is also well-known for playing Amanda Young in the movie Saw (2004). She played this character again in several sequels, including Saw II (2005), Saw III (2006), Saw VI (2009), and Saw X (2023). She also had a role in The Grudge 3 (2009). From 2012 to 2014, she played Jennifer Goodson in the TV series Anger Management.

About Shawnee Smith's Early Life

Shawnee Smith was born on July 3, 1969, in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Her mother, Patricia Ann, was a nurse, and her father, James H. Smith, was a financial planner and a former pilot for the U.S. Air Force.

When Shawnee was just five months old, her family moved from South Carolina to West Los Angeles, California. Her parents divorced when she was two years old. Five years later, her mother remarried, and they moved to the San Fernando Valley.

Shawnee Smith's Acting Career

Starting Out in the 1980s

Shawnee Smith began her acting career early. She first appeared in a McDonald's commercial when she was eight years old. At age 11, she made her first movie appearance in John Huston's 1982 film Annie. In the movie, she played one of Annie's friends at the orphanage. The next year, she sang on The Merv Griffin Show.

When she was 15, Shawnee got her first role in a play in Los Angeles called To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday. Her co-star, Richard Dreyfuss, saw how talented she was during rehearsals and suggested she get a bigger part. She ended up winning the Drama-League Critics Award for her performance.

In 1985, she had small roles in TV shows and movies like Not My Kid, Cagney & Lacey, and Iron Eagle (1986). In 1987, Shawnee played a student named Rhonda in Summer School. The next year, she got her first main role in the movie The Blob. In 1988, she also starred in the TV movie I Saw What You Did.

In 1989, Shawnee had a supporting role with John Candy in the movie Who's Harry Crumb?. She played a teenager who helps Harry Crumb find her kidnapped sister. That same year, she was in the TV series Brand New Life with Jennie Garth and Barbara Eden.

Working in the 1990s

In 1990, Shawnee co-starred in the thriller Desperate Hours. She then took a three-year break from acting in the early 1990s. This was mainly because she was growing out of teenage roles and it was hard to find new work.

She made a guest appearance on the 200th episode of Murder, She Wrote in 1993. The next year, she played Julie Lawry in the TV miniseries The Stand, which was based on a book by Stephen King. Shawnee also appeared in a 1994 episode of The X-Files called "Firewalker", playing Jessie O'Neil.

In 1998, Shawnee was cast as Linda in the CBS TV show Becker. She played the office assistant to Dr. John Becker (Ted Danson). The show was very popular, and CBS ordered a full season. She was a main character for all six seasons until the show ended in 2004.

Roles in the 2000s

Smith promoting Saw III at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con

In 2003, Shawnee lent her voice to an episode of the Disney cartoon Kim Possible, playing Vivian Porter. Also in 2003, she was cast in James Wan's horror movie, Saw, as Amanda Young. It was a small part, and she filmed her scene in one day while she was sick.

Saw was originally planned to go straight to video, but test screenings were very positive. So, Lionsgate decided to release it in theaters in October 2004. It became a huge success, earning $103 million around the world. Shawnee played Amanda Young again in Saw II (2005), Saw III (2006), Saw VI (2009), and Saw X (2023). The Saw movies became one of the highest-earning horror movie series ever, making over $1 billion worldwide by 2021.

Shawnee started working on her own music album in 2004 with producer Chris Goss, but it was never finished. In 2006, she sang on the soundtrack for Saw III with the song "Killer Inside". She also sang "Please Myself" for the soundtrack of Catacombs.

Smith (right) with Missi Pyle (left), performing as Smith & Pyle in 2008

In 2007, Shawnee formed a country rock music group with actress Missi Pyle called Smith & Pyle. Their first album, It's OK to Be Happy, was released online in 2008.

In 2008, Shawnee played Detective Gina Harcourt in the FEARnet online series 30 Days of Night: Dust to Dust. She was also an executive producer for the show. Shawnee was the host and one of the mentors on the VH1 reality TV show, Scream Queens, which aired from October to December 2008. She did not return for the second season.

Shawnee played Dr. Sullivan, a child psychiatrist, in The Grudge 3, which was released directly to video on May 12, 2009.

From 2010 to Today

Shawnee appeared in the first episode of Law & Order: Los Angeles called "Hollywood" on September 29, 2010. In 2012, she had her first voice role in a video game called Lollipop Chainsaw.

From 2012 to 2014, Shawnee starred as Jennifer Goodson in the TV series Anger Management. She played the ex-wife of Charlie Sheen's character.

In 2019, she sang on a cover of Steve Miller Band's song "Abracadabra" by Eagles of Death Metal.

More recently, Shawnee co-starred with Dean Winters in the 2021 comedy movie Christmas vs. the Walters. She played Amanda Young again in Saw X, which was released in September 2023. She also appeared in the movie Bloodline Killer in April 2024.

Shawnee Smith's Personal Life

Shawnee Smith was married to photographer Jason Reposar. They have a daughter, who was born in 1999. She later married musician Kai Mattoon, but they divorced. They have a son, who was born in 2005. Shawnee Smith is a follower of Eastern Orthodoxy Christianity.

Film and Television Roles

Shawnee Smith has been in many movies and TV shows. Here are some of them:

Movies

Television Shows

Images for kids

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  Smith in 2007

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  Smith promoting Saw III at the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con

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  Smith (right) with Missi Pyle (left), performing as Smith & Pyle in 2008

See also

In Spanish: Shawnee Smith para niños