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Who is Shawn Ashmore?
Canadian actor and producer Shawn Robert Ashmore was born in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, on 7 October 1979, making Libra his zodiac sign. He has 70 acting credits, but is perhaps still known best for playing Bobby Drake, aka Ice Man in the 2003 action science fiction thriller “X2: X-Men United”, which starred Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, and was written and directed by Bryan Singer. It follows X-Men as they’re fighting Colonel William Stryker who’s kidnapped Professor X – the movie won six of its 47 award nominations.
Education and early life
Shawn was raised in Richmond alongside his twin brother Aaron Ashmore, by their father Rick Ashmore who’s a manufacturing engineer, and mother Linda (nee Davis) who’s a housewife; Aaron’s today also a successful actor with 83 credits, probably still known best for playing Atom Galen in the 2009 science fiction horror movie “The Thaw”.
The family moved several times while Shawn was growing up, and he was thus also raised in Brampton, Ontario and St. Albert, Alberta. He studied at Earnscliffe Senior Public School, and was only 10 when he made his debut TV series appearance in the 1990 episode “Mistaken Identity” of the family crime adventure “Rin Tin Tin: K-9 Cop”; the following year saw Shawn make his debut film appearance, playing Student in Pageant in the comedy “Married to It”.
He went on to study at Turner Fenton Secondary School, and upon matriculating in 1998, chose to focus on acting rather than on pursuing a college degree.
Roles in TV series
Shawn played Charlie in the 1992 episode “Colonel Stonesteel and the Desperate Empties” of the fantasy horror “The Ray Bradbury Theater”, and he was then cast to appear in an episode of the drama “Fast Track”, the family comedy “Flash Forward” and the family drama “Real Kids, Real Adventures”.
In 1998 and 1999, he starred as Jake Berenson in the popular science fiction fantasy thriller “Animorphs”, which also starred Nadia-Leigh Nascimento and Boris Cabrera, and was created by Katherine Applegate. It follows five teenagers and their alien friend as they’re trying to stop an army of parasitic aliens from taking over Earth.
Shawn started off the 2000s by appearing in an episode or two of the fantasy horror “The Outer Limits”, the action adventure “Smallville” and the fantasy adventure mini-series “Earthsea”. What marked the decade for him was starring as Fitz in the 2010 drama mini-series “Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures”, which also starred Mayko Nguyen and Byron Mann, and follows the lives of three doctors.
From 2013 through 2015, Shawn starred as Mike Weston in the crime horror “The Following”, which co-starred James Purefoy and Kevin Bacon, and was created by Kevin Williamson. It follows the life of a psychotic serial killer, and the series won three of its 17 award nominations.
Since 2018, Shawn’s been portraying the supporting character Wesley Evers in the crime action “The Rookie”, which starred Nathan Fillion and Alyssa Diaz, and was created by Alexi Hawley. It follows John Nolan who’s just begun working at the Los Angeles Police Department, and the series won two of its three award nominations.
Roles in movies
In 1993, Shawn appeared in the sports drama “Gross Misconduct: The Life of Brian Spencer”, and some of his following roles were in the 1994 adventure “Guitarman”, the 1995 drama “Long Island Fever”, and the 1997 drama “Any Mother’s Son”.
What marked the ‘90s for Shawn was playing Photographer in the 1998 comedy “Strike!”, which starred Lynn Redgrave and Kirsten Dunst, and was written and directed by Sarah Kernochan. It follows a group of girls who are attending an all-girls school, and are trying to stop the merger of their school and an all-boys school.
Shawn appeared in three movies in 2001: the drama “Blackout”, the fantasy horror “Wolf Girl” and the family drama “The Big House”. In 2005, he starred as Rob Donovan in the crime action comedy “Underclassman”, which also starred Hugh Bonneville and was directed by Marcos Siega; it follows a young detective who’s gone undercover at an elite private school. Some of Shawn’s notable performances in the remainder of the 2000s were in the 2006 action science fiction adventure “X-Men: The Last Stand”, the 2008 adventure horror thriller “The Ruins”, and the 2010 adventure mystery “Frozen”.
In 2014, he reprised his role as Bobby, aka Iceman in the critically acclaimed science fiction action “X-Men: Days of Future Past”, which starred Ian McKellen, Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, and was directed by Bryan Singer. It follows the X-Men who’ve sent Wolverine to fix the past, and the film won 16 of its 64 award nominations, including an Oscar nomination for Best Achievements in Visual Effects.
Some of Shawn’s most recent film roles have been in the 2020 crime thriller “Darkness Falls”, the mystery horror “Aftermath” and the mystery horror “The Free Fall” both in 2021.
Other credits
Shawn produced the 2005 biographical movie “Terry”, the 2010 drama mini-series “Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures”, and the 2016 thriller “Home Invasion”.
He’s received four special thanks, including for the 2012 documentary movie “Inside the Following”, the 2018 episode “X-Men” of the short mini-series “X-Men Mondays”, and the 2019 mystery horror thriller movie “Witches in the Woods”.
Some of Shawn’s recent talk-show appearances have been in “Celebrity Biograph Channel on YouTube”, “Film Threat” and “In Creative Company”.
Awards and nominations
Shawn’s won four of his 13 award nominations. Some of his wins include a 2002 New York International Independent Film & Video Festival Short Film Award for Best Actor, for his performance in “Past Present”, a 2004 MTV Movie Award for Breakthrough Male Performance, for “X2: X-Men United”, and a 2005 Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Feature Length Drama, for “Earthsea”.
Love life and wife
Shawn can rarely be heard speaking about his love life in public, but has shared with his fans that he’s today a married man, as well as a father of one. He and American movie executive Dana Renee Wasdin exchanged vows in a small, private ceremony on 27 July 2012; the two met on the set of the 2010 movie “Frozen”. Some of Dana’s most notable work has been serving as a set production assistant on the 2009 mystery movie “Get Low”, which won four of its 32 award nominations, and the 2009 comedy movie “The Joneses”.
Dana gave birth to their son Oliver Ashmore in July 2017, but she and Shawn are keeping their boy away from media.
Shawn hasn’t shared the names of the girls whom he had dated prior to meeting Dana; he’s married to Dana Renee Wasdin as of June 2023, and they have a son together.
Interesting facts and hobbies
For his role in the 2002 movie “Cadet Kelly”, Shawn had to spend three months at a military school.
He and his brother both have ‘GMA’ tattooed on their wrists, standing for ‘Good Man Ashmore’; their grandfather had a similar tattoo.
Shawn and Aaron portrayed twin brothers in the 2004 movie “My Brother’s Keeper”.
For his role in the 2003 movie “X2: X-Men United”, Shawn took a six-month physical training course, followed a strict diet and didn’t drink alcohol.
He and his brother are living together in an apartment in Los Angeles, California.
One of his best friends is Canadian actor and producer Kevin Zegers.
Shawn’s favorite actor is the late Heath Ledger, and some of his favorite films include “Lords of Dogtown”, “I’m Not There”, and “The Order”.
Height, eyes and wealth
Shawn’s age is 43. He has light blue eyes and brown hair, is 5ft 11ins (1.8m) tall and weighs around 160lbs (72kgs).
Shawn’s net worth’s been estimated at over $3 million, as of June 2023.
