Shannon Tweed
Shannon Tweed is a Canadian actress and model, best known for her appearance as Playboy's Miss November 1981 and for being named Playmate of the Year the following year. Born on March 10, 1957, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, she grew up on a mink ranch as one of seven children. Tweed's career began in modeling in 1979, and she transitioned into acting, gaining recognition for her roles in television series like "Falcon Crest" and "Days of Our Lives." She is particularly noted for her work in low-budget erotic thrillers and adventure films.
Tweed's personal life gained public attention through her long-term relationship with Gene Simmons of KISS, which began in 1983. After nearly three decades together, they married in 2011, and their family was featured in the reality TV series "Gene Simmons Family Jewels." She has authored an autobiography titled "Kiss and Tell," reflecting on her life experiences. Tweed is also involved in charitable work, particularly for children's causes. Today, she splits her time between Brentwood, California, and Whistler, British Columbia.
Subject Terms
Shannon Tweed
Actor
- Born: March 10, 1957
- Place of Birth: St. John’s, Newfoundland
Contribution: Shannon Tweed, a Canadian actress and model, became famous as Playboy’s Miss November 1981. Tweed began her relationship with legendary rock star Gene Simmons of KISS in 1983, finally marrying him in 2011, and she and her family starred in the American reality television series Gene Simmons Family Jewels.
Early Years
Shannon Lee Tweed was born March 10, 1957, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, to a mink rancher. One of seven children, Tweed spent much of her childhood fishing and horseback riding on her family’s ranch.
After a car accident left Tweed’s father in a coma for more than year, the family relocated to her grandmother’s home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where Tweed attended Mount Royal Collegiate Institute. At the age of eighteen, she moved to Ottawa with her boyfriend. In 1978, Tweed was third runner-up representing Ottawa in the Miss Canada Pageant.
Modeling Career
In 1979, Tweed began modeling. Her big break came in 1981 when the Canadian TV series Thrill of a Lifetime arranged for her to pose in the November issue of Playboy. The following year Tweed was named Playmate of the Year, winning $100,000 in cash and a new Porsche.
Acting Career
Tweed soon took up acting, playing Diana Hunter on the CBS prime-time series FalconCrest in 1982 and Savannah Wilder on the NBC soap opera Days of Our Lives from 1985 to 1986. Numerous television and film roles followed and, in 1991, Tweed even starred in her own late-night drama series, CBS’s Fly by Night. Tweed has guest starred on such prime-time shows as Married. . .with Children; Frasier; Murder, She Wrote; Wings; and 21 Jump Street. Other television roles were on United States of Tara (2010) and Seed (2014). However, she is best known for her appearances in low-budget, straight-to-cable erotic thrillers and adventure films, such as The Naked Truth (1993), Victim of Desire (1995), and Forbidden Sins (1999).
Personal Life
Tweed began her relationship with Kiss band member Gene Simmons, whom she met at the Playboy Mansion, in 1983. After twenty-eight years together, they finally married October 1, 2011, in Beverly Hills. Together they have two grown children: Nick, born in 1989, who is an artist and a voice actor, and Sophie, born in 1992, who is a singer. In August 2006, Tweed released her autobiography, Kiss and Tell, in which she opened up about her life as a child, in the Playboy Mansion, and with Simmons.
In 2006, cable network A&E began showcasing Tweed and Simmons’s untraditional family on the reality show Gene Simmons Family Jewels, which aired its last episode in July 2012 after seven seasons. In June 2011, while appearing with Simmons on The Today Show, Tweed declared that her relationship with him was likely over. In an interview with the couple on The Joy Behar Show, which aired June 15 and was covered widely by the press, Simmons joked about his infidelity, causing Tweed to take off her microphone and storm off the set. However, the couple stuck together and married in October. They have been involved in charitable ventures such as ChildFund, which assists African children.
Tweed resides in both Brentwood, California, and Whistler, British Columbia. Her younger sister, Tracy Tweed, is also an actress and model.
Bibliography
Britt, Tabitha. "Who Is Gene Simmons' Wife? All About Shannon Tweed." People, 23 Apr. 2024, people.com/music/who-is-shannon-tweed-gene-simmons-wife/. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Buchalter, Gail. “That New Bird on Hugh Hefner’s Arm Is a Falcon Crest Fledgling from Canada Named Shannon Tweed.” People. Time, Inc., 6 Dec. 1982. Web. 15 Aug. 2013.
Kaufman, Donna. “Shannon Tweed Slams Longtime Love Gene Simmons on Live TV.” iVillage. NBC Universal, 13 June 2011. Web. 15 Aug. 2013.
Lynch, Joseph Brannigan. “Gene Simmons and Shannon Tweed’s TV Drama Goes Beyond ‘Family Jewels.’” Yahoo! Music. Yahoo! Inc., 14 June 2011. Web. 15 Aug. 2013.
“Shannon Tweed.” Biography. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 15 Aug. 2013.
"Shannon Tweed." IMDb, www.imdb.com/name/nm0000238/?ref‗=vp‗close. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.
Weiss, Shari. “Gene Simmons Makes Joke about Infidelity that Causes Shannon Tweed to Storm off ‘Joy Behar Show.’” Daily News [New York]. NYDaily News, 15 June 2011. Web. 16 Aug. 2013.