Shannyn Sossamon has an unforgettable face. The kind of face that can, and did, launch a career. A face that goes with a name you may not instantly recall, though will, most certainly, recognize. Though her original ambitions, upon embarking for the City of Angels from Hawaii, focused more on her body than her face, and on technique rather than any sort of star power. Sossamon was an aspiring dancer, but following a slew of modeling gigs and commercial acting jobs was discovered and catapulted, almost instantaneously, to success in A Knight’s Tale.
Fourteen years later she’s still at it, and with a fervor she never knew as a rookie in the business. Sossamon has often strayed or faltered on the road to her present, though today she is finally regaining footing. After two children, starting then departing the band Warpaint with her sister, and taking a substantial leave of absence from the silver screen, she is now reveling in her opportunities and honing her craft. This year she will be playing Matt Dillonís wife in the mystery thriller series, Wayward Pines, premiering this May on Fox, and starring in Focus Featuresí horror sequel, Sinister II.
It is in this pivotal career moment that we talk to the 36-year-old artist about her beginnings, children, and goals.
Tell me about your beginnings in LA.
I moved to LA from Reno at 17-years-old to study dance. There were a few teachers that I was just obsessed with. They used to guest teach at my childhood studio and I wanted to be like them.
How did you get involved with acting?
It didnít take very long at all until I lost my way, got distracted, became broke and ended up trying to cash in on commercial and music video acting after having been told many times by folks around me that I should give it a try. So, I was “acting” but not very seriously. I didn’t understand it or really try very hard to understand it. It was during this time, around 20-years-old, that I was helping a friend DJ at a party and a big Hollywood casting director spotted me. She did not approach me at the party and instead got my phone number from the DJ and called me into her office the next week to audition for A Knight’s Tale. After about 4 auditions, I was very bad but also not bad at all, I got the part and that was that.
[blockquote]”I like to spend my alone time making character sketches and writing down ideas for new stories that I would like to turn into moving pictures”[/blockquote]
How has music and other creative outlets functioned in conjunction with acting?
My path was sort of chosen for me. That is how I now see it. But back then I fought it and continued to fight it for many years after. The pressure made me sick. My lack of study made me feel insecure. The publicity gave me anxiety. I enjoyed losing myself in my imagination but couldnít seem to do it on demand. I felt awkward in industry shoes. And on and on. I dabbled in other things to avoid it—starting a band with my sister being the main divergence. Also, having my first son at age 23 was amazing, confusing and terrifying all at once and also took up a lot of my time and headspace. I love to play around and film a lot with my two SD video cameras and my Samsung tablet, which has a lovely quality camera. I love to read about acting and screenwriting. I love to watch interviews with my favorite actors and directors. I love to take pictures and I enjoy cropping them and adjusting their color.
You’ve mentioned being more committed to acting as of late. What changed?
After hearing I was pregnant with my second child in 2011 something shifted in me and I decided to make the leap. To finally do the work and to commit myself to all aspects of this very magical realm of storytelling and moviemaking. Nowadays, while I wait for better scripts to come in as an actress-for-hire, I like to spend my alone time making character sketches and writing down ideas for new stories that I would like to turn into moving pictures one day with my third baby and production house called The Maudegone Theater. I have a deep respect for happy accidents and do not mess with the notion that any of it comes from me. I still love to dance and mostly I love to daydream while listening to music. To daydream up and out the infinite possibilities of storytelling. It is a truly limitless job.