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Shannon Tweed

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Shannon Tweed
Tweed in 2007
Born
Shannon Lee Tweed

(1957-03-10) March 10, 1957 (age 67)
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada[1]
Occupation(s)Model, actress
Years active1981–present
Spouse
​
(m. 2011)​
Children
Playboy centerfold appearance
November 1981
Preceded byKelly Tough
Succeeded byPatricia Farinelli
Playboy Playmate of the Year
1982
Preceded byTerri Welles
Succeeded byMarianne Gravatte

Shannon Lee Tweed Simmons (born March 10, 1957) is a Canadian model and actress. One of the most successful actresses of mainstream erotica, she is identified with the genre of the erotic thriller cinema. Tweed has appeared in more than 60 films and several television series. She was named Playboy's Playmate of the Year in 1982.

Tweed is also known for Gene Simmons Family Jewels, a reality TV show that portrayed the life of her family from 2006 until 2012. She is married to Gene Simmons, bassist and co-lead singer of the band Kiss; Tweed and Simmons have two children, Nicholas Adam Tweed-Simmons and Sophie Alexandra Tweed-Simmons.

Early life

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Tweed was born on March 10, 1957,[1] in St. John's, Newfoundland. She is the daughter of Donald Keith Tweed, a mink rancher, and Louise (née Wall) Tweed,[2][3] and was raised on a mink ranch in Whitbourne. She is one of seven children and has three sisters, including actress Tracy Tweed.[4]

After Donald Tweed fell into a coma after a car crash, Louise moved with her children to her mother's home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and studied nursing while the family survived on welfare. Shannon had breast enhancement surgery at the age of 20 and subsequently became involved in beauty pageants.[2]

Career

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Tweed in the 2012 Heart Truth celebrity fashion show

In 1978, Tweed was the third runner-up in the Miss Ottawa event and won the Miss Canada talent competition for her singing.[2]

After the Canadian wish-fulfilment TV show Thrill of a Lifetime arranged for her to pose for Playboy magazine, Tweed was chosen to be the Playmate of the Month for the November 1981 issue, and eventually the Playmate of the Year for 1982.[5][6][7][8] Tweed and her sister Tracy appeared together in a Playboy spread.

Tweed primarily acted in B movies and in television series such as the HBO comedy 1st and Ten[9] and the prime-time soap opera Falcon Crest,[5][8] She also appeared in an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard as well as Married... with Children. In 1985, she landed a year-long role on Days of Our Lives as Savannah Wilder.[8][4] Tweed has appeared as a guest on Frasier.[10] She has also lent her voice to the Nickelodeon cartoon SpongeBob SquarePants in the episode "20,000 Patties Under the Sea", which also featured Gene Simmons as a guest.[11]

The first major theatrical film in which Tweed appeared was the horror film Of Unknown Origin (1983). Since then, Tweed has appeared in more than 60 films, including Detroit Rock City, produced by Simmons, in 1999. Tweed and her sister Tracy co-starred in the film Night Eyes 3.[12] She is known as one of the most successful actresses of mainstream erotica.[13] Vanity Fair has described Tweed as "one of home video's most rented erotic thriller goddesses".[14]

Tweed was featured along with her family on the reality TV show Gene Simmons Family Jewels from 2006 until 2012. One of the highlights of the series was Simmons' proposal to her and their subsequent marriage at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.[15] In 2010, an episode of the series was taped in Tweed's former hometown of Saskatoon. During the visit, she was presented with an honorary street sign denoting the (nonexistent) "Tweed Lane". Tourism Saskatoon subsequently requested Saskatoon City Council approve the naming of a real Tweed Lane in her honour.[16] The Council approved the request, and the street is located in the neighbourhood of Rosewood.[17]

Tweed is the narrator of the reality TV show Ex-Wives of Rock.[18]

Personal life

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Tweed resided at the Playboy Mansion for approximately 14 months as Playboy founder Hugh Hefner's partner.[19] The relationship coincided with her Playmate appearances and with being named 1982 Playmate of the Year.[2] The Mansion was the location of her first meeting with her future husband, musician Gene Simmons.[19] Tweed has been in a relationship with Simmons since 1983. In a 2011 interview, Simmons said, "I need Shannon in my life. Not just because of love and family but because she holds me accountable."[20] After 28 years together, the couple wed in an outdoor evening ceremony on the crystal lawn of The Beverly Hills Hotel on October 1, 2011.[21]

Tweed (second from right) visiting The Pentagon with her husband Gene Simmons in 2019

Filmography

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Films

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Year Film Role Notes
1983 Curtains Body Double Uncredited
Of Unknown Origin Meg Hughes
Playboy Video Playmate Review Herself
1984 Hot Dog…The Movie Sylvia Fonda
The Surrogate Lee Waite
1986 Meatballs III: Summer Job The Love Goddess
1987 Steele Justice Angela Spinelli
Dragnet Baitmate Uncredited
Code Name Vengeance Sam
1988 Lethal Woman Tory MacAllistair, Ex-Pilot
The Firing Line Sandra Spencer
1989 Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death Dr. Margo Hunt
Night Visitor Lisa Grace
Playboy Playmates of the Year: The 80's Herself Documentary
1990 In the Cold of the Night Lena
1991 Last Call Cindy / Audrey
The Last Hour Susan
1992 Liar's Edge Heather Burnz
Night Eyes 2 Marilyn Mejenes
The Naked Truth The First Class Stewardess
1993 Cold Sweat Beth Moore
Night Eyes 3 Zoe Clairmont
Indecent Behavior Dr. Rebecca Mathis
1994 Possessed by the Night Carol McKay Direct-to-video
Scorned[22] Patricia Langley / Amanda Chessfield
Hard Vice Andrea
Night Fire Lydia
Indecent Behavior 2 Dr. Rebecca Mathis
Illicit Dreams Moira Davis
1995 No Contest Sharon Bell
Victim of Desire Carla Duvall
The Dark Dancer Dr. Margaret Simpson
Body Chemistry IV: Full Exposure Dr. Claire Archer Direct-to-video
Indecent Behavior 3 Dr. Rebecca Mathis Associate producer
1996 Stormy Nights Jennifer McCormick
Electra Lorna Duncan / Electra
White Cargo Alexia
Playboy: 21 Playmates Centerfold Collection Herself Documentary
1997 No Contest II Sharon Bell
Human Desires Alicia Royale Direct-to-video
Associate producer
Bimbo Bash Movie Margo
Java Heads: The Movie
Playboy Celebrity Centerfold: Shannon Tweed Herself Documentary
1998 Naked Lies Cara Landry Associate producer
Dead by Dawn Wendy Marsh
Playboy: Celebrities Herself Documentary
Playboy: Babes of Baywatch Herself Documentary
1999 Detroit Rock City Amanda Finch
Forbidden Sins Maureen Doherty
Scandalous Behavior Lisa Blair Direct-to-video
Associate producer
Playboy: Playmate Pajama Party Herself Documentary
2000 The Rowdy Girls Velvet McKenzie Co-producer
Diaries of Darkness
2001 Dead Sexy Kate McBain Direct-to-video
Executive producer
2002 Wish You Were Dead Lesbian Hitwoman
2003 Sex at 24 Frames Per Second Herself Interviewee
Documentary
2004 Playboy: 50 Years of Playmates Herself, Miss November 1981 Documentary
2014 Sex, Marriage and Infidelity Margaret
A Very Satan Christmas Herself Short
The Ultimate Wedding Planner Herself Documentary
Gone South: How Canada Invented Hollywood Herself Documentary

Television

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Year Film Role Notes
1982 Drop-Out Father Beautiful Woman TV film
1982–1983 Falcon Crest Diana Hunter 21 episodes
1983 Fantasy Island Celina Morgan Season 7 episode 7: "The Wedding Picture/Castaways"
Match Game/Hollywood Squares Hour Herself Panelist
5 episodes
1984 The New Mike Hammer Karen Thorsen Season 1 episode 9: "The Perfect Twenty"
Family Feud Herself Episode: "Battle of the Perfect 10's: Wilt's Wows vs. Debbies Dudes; Richard's Rosebuds vs. Phyllis Fighters"
The First Olympics: Athens 1896 Woman Mini-series
Uncredited
The Dukes of Hazzard Betty Jo Page Season 7 episode 2: "Welcome, Waylon Jennings"
1984–1987 The Hitchhiker Barbara / Dr. Rita de Roy Season 2 episode 6: "Videodate"
Season 4 episode 6: "Doctor's Orders"
1985 Three's a Crowd Princess Leanna Episode 20: "King for a Day"
Playboy Mid Summer Night's Dream Party 1985 Herself Documentary
1985–1986 Days of Our Lives Savannah Wilder 142 episodes
1986 Cagney & Lacey Vicki Barrington Season 6 episode 5: "Role Call"
Highway to Heaven Nina Van Slyke Season 3 episode 12: "Oh Lucky Man"
1987 The Last Fling Joanne Preston TV film
CBS Summer Playhouse Beth Season 1 episode 15: "Sirens"
Nine to Five Tiffany Crystal Season 5 episode 1: "Meet Mr. Felb"
Ohara Randi Season 2 episode 1: "Y' Wanna Live Forever?"
L.A. Law Jocelyn Miller Season 2 episode 1: "The Lung Goodbye"
21 Jump Street Jody Kleinman Season 2 episode 9: "You Oughta Be in Prison"
Hooperman Season 1 episode 7: "Hot Wired"
Rags to Riches Babe Adair Season 2 episode 9: "Beauty and the Babe"
Sex Symbols; Past, Present and Future Herself Documentary
1988 Our House Maxine Denton Season 2 episodes 16 and 17: "Trouble in Paradise: Part 1" and "Trouble in Paradise: Part 2"
Longarm Sally "Crazy Sally" TV film
1989 Dear John Margo Season 1 episode 20: "Margo"
Desperado: The Outlaw Wars Uncredited
1989–1991 1st & Ten: The Championship Kristy Fullbright 30 episodes
1990 Hollywood Dog TV film
1991 Tagteam Leona TV film
Parker Lewis Can't Lose Ms. Mason Season 2 episode 5: "The Undergraduate"
Baywatch Allison Fowles Season 2 episode 11: "If Looks Could Kill"
Fly by Night Sally "Slick" Monroe 13 episodes
1992 Civil Wars Luree Season 1 episode 8: "For Better or Perverse"
Sexual Response Eve Anderson
1993 Matrix Andrea Hopper Episode 2: "To Err Is Human"
1994 Hot Line Rebecca Season 1 episodes 5 and 6: ""Payback" and "Payback"
Model by Day Shannon TV film
1995 Married... with Children Shannon Tweed Season 10 episode 9: "The Two That Got Away"
Murder, She Wrote Priscilla Lake Season 11 episode 15: "Twice Dead"
Marker Samantha Kent Episode 12: "Factor X"
1995–2001 Frasier Dr. Honey Snow Season 2 episode 15: "You Scratch My Book..."
Season 9 episode 2: "Don Juan in Hell: Part 2"
1996 Pacific Blue Sheila Silver Season 1 episodes 1 and 8: Pilot and "Burnout"
1997 Homeboys in Outer Space Delia Episode 18: "The Naked and the Dred, or the Toast of the Town"
Wings Emily Palmer Season 8 episode 21: "Oedipus Wrecks"
Nash Bridges Bess Season 3 episode 2: "Payback"
Assault on Devil's Island Hunter Wiley TV film
1997–1998 The Tom Show Maggie Amross Episodes 2, 12, and 16: "Bad Publicity," "Maggie Returns," and "The Centerfold"
1999 Assault on Death Mountain Hunter Wiley TV film
Powerplay Jacqueline Knight TV film
V.I.P. Herself Season 1 episode 15: "Val on the Run"
Beggars and Choosers Shannon Tweed Season 1 episode 8: "Unsafe Sex"
Get Real Joanna Parsons Episode 3: "Passages"
2000–2003 The Parkers Sophia Van Lowe Season 1 episode 19: "Moving on Out"
Season 3 episode 20: "Mother's Day Blues"
Season 5 episode 11: "Out with the Old, in with the New"
2002 My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star Mom 11 episodes
2003 Run of the House Ms. Dee Dee Cole Episode 5: "Where There's Smoke, There's Fire"
Banzai Herself Uncredited
2004 Frasier: Analyzing the Laughter Dr. Honey Snow Uncredited
When Playboy Ruled the World Herself Documentary
2006 Playboy: Celebrity Centerfolds Herself Documentary
2006–2012 Gene Simmons Family Jewels Herself 158 episodes
2007 SpongeBob SquarePants Woman Fish Voice
Season 5 episode 17: "20,000 Patties Under the Sea/The Battle of Bikini Bottom"
2008 Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? Herself, Audience Member
2009 Hugh Hefner: Playboy, Activist and Rebel Herself: Playmate of the Year 1982 / Actress Documentary
2010 United States of Tara Knatasha Knightblade Season 2 episode 7: "Dept. of F'd Up Family Services"
Bill Zucker's Day with the Simmons Herself
2012 How Playboy Changed the World Herself Documentary
America's Book of Secrets Herself Season 1 episode 6: "The Playboy Mansion"
2012–2013 Republic of Doyle Frances Lemont Season 3 episode 2: "Head Over Heels"
Season 5 episode 7: "Hook, Line and Sinker"
2014 Seed Wendy Maybely Season 2 episode 7: "Mother Sucker"
Credited as Shannon Tweed-Simmons
Canada's Smartest Person Herself, Lie Detector Guest Season 1 episode 6: "#1.6"
Credited as Shannon Tweed-Simmons
2013 Ex-Wives of Rock Herself Narrator
2014 Shannon & Sophie Herself Executive producer
13 Nights of Elvira Dr. Margo Hunt Episode 1: Cannibal Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death
2015 Sunday Brunch Set decorator
Episode 6: "The Smoking Pistol"
2017 Hell's Kitchen Herself Season 17 episode 4: "Just Letter Cook"

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Playmate data". Archived from the original on May 3, 2012. Retrieved July 18, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d Buchalter, Gail (December 6, 1982). "That New Bird on Hugh Hefner's Arm Is a Falcon Crest Fledgling from Canada Named Shannon Tweed". People. Archived from the original on August 18, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  3. ^ Maria Thiesson Obituary Archived May 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine Legacy.com
  4. ^ a b Riggs, Jonathan. "Shannon Tweed- Biography". Yahoo! Movies Canada. Yahoo!. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  5. ^ a b de Arakal, Byron (April 1983). "Hanging Around with Shannon Tweed, Falcon Crest's Confident Belle". Orange Coast (April 1983): 18–25. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  6. ^ Axworthy, Tom (1987). Our American Cousins: The United States through Canadian Eyes. Toronto: Lorimer. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-88862-878-7.
  7. ^ Wolfe, Morris (1987). Jolts: the TV wasteland and the Canadian oasis. Toronto: Lorimer. p. 66. ISBN 978-0-88862-648-6.
  8. ^ a b c "Today leads morning ratings". Toledo Blade. July 9, 1985. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2019 – via news.google.com.
  9. ^ Dinsmore, Jef (November 11, 2013). "HBO Classics: 1ST & TEN". HBO Watch. Reinhart Web Development LLC. Archived from the original on January 19, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  10. ^ "Shannon Tweed". Filmbug. MISJA.COM. 1998–2014. Archived from the original on February 3, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  11. ^ Riggs, Larry. "Gene Simmons Is Guest Voice On "Spongebob Squarepants."". WFMY News 2. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  12. ^ Andrews, David (January 1, 2006). Soft in the Middle: The Contemporary Softcore Feature in Its Contexts. Ohio State University Press. pp. 313–. ISBN 978-0-8142-1022-2.
  13. ^ Green, Phillip. Cracks in the Pedestal: Ideology and Gender in Hollywood. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 1998: 170
  14. ^ Liebenson, Donald (March 20, 2017). ""The Sexpendables": How Basic Instinct Birthed a Schlocky, Sexy Cottage Industry". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  15. ^ Strause, Jackie. "EXCLUSIVE: Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed Renew Wedding Vows!". Life and Style magazine. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  16. ^ "Saskatoon street could be named after Shannon Tweed". CBC News. June 28, 2011. Archived from the original on January 15, 2023. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  17. ^ Hutton, David (June 29, 2011). "Tweed Lane new jewel on city map". The StarPhoenix. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2013.
  18. ^ Bourdeau, Annette (August 30, 2012). "'Ex-Wives of Rock': Hello, Guilty Pleasure". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on April 3, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  19. ^ a b "Shannon Tweed". Askmen. Archived from the original on August 8, 2017. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  20. ^ "The Smart Ass Wedding Announcement". TMZ.com. September 1, 2011. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
  21. ^ McNiece, Mia (October 1, 2011). "People Exclusive: Gene Simmons Is Married". People. Archived from the original on April 8, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  22. ^ Lel, Jedadiah (August 17, 2017). "A Movie A Day #221: Scorned (1994, directed by Andrew Stevens)". Through the Shattered Lens. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved January 28, 2019.
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