Shannon Lee Tweed (born March 10, 1957, St. John's, Newfoundland) is a Canadian actress and model. She is the daughter of a mink rancher and is the oldest of seven siblings.
Shannon became involved in beauty pageants at a young age. After the Canadian wish-fulfillment TV series Thrill of a Lifetime arranged for her to pose for Hugh Hefner's Playboy, she gained fame as the Playmate of the Month for the November 1981 issue (photographed by Richard Fegley) and eventually the Playmate of the Year for 1982. She was briefly involved with Hugh Hefner at that time. Since then, Shannon has primarily acted in TV series (including a year on the prime-time soap Falcon Crest and a guest appearance in Frasier) and B movies.
Shannon has appeared in over 60 films over the past twenty years. She is one of the best known actresses of mainstream erotica, and she is identified with the genre of the erotic thriller--most notably her movies Night Eyes 2 & 3.
On rare occasions she has made it into mainstream films such as Detroit Rock City, but only in minor roles. She occasionally acts (and models) with her younger sister, Tracy Tweed.
She lives with Gene Simmons of KISS (they have been together since 1983), and their two children, Nicholas (born 1989), and Sophie (born 1992).
Currently, Tweed, along with Simmons and their children, are featured in a reality television show on A&E, Gene Simmons Family Jewels.
