Birth Name: Shannon Marie Kahololani Sossamon
Place of Birth: Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Date of Birth: October 3, 1978
Ethnicity: Native Hawaiian, Filipino, German, English, French, Dutch, Irish
Shannyn Sossamon is an American actress and musician. She has appeared in the films The Holiday, The Heavy, and One Missed Call. She has Native Hawaiian, Filipino, German, English, French, Dutch, and Irish ancestry.
Shannyn changed her name from “Shannon” to “Shannyn” in high school. The surname “Sossamon” is German.
Shannyn’s paternal grandmother is likely named Ingrid.
Shannyn’s maternal grandmother is Ethel Mangalao (the daughter of Meliton/Meleton Mangalao and Helen Ahialani Uina). Meliton was born in the Philippines. Helen was born in Hawaii, of Hawaiian descent, and was the daughter of John Uina and Keala Mary Kaaimoku/Kaiamoku/Kauaohilo.
Sources: http://www.theage.com.au
Shannyn’s maternal great-grandparents, Meliton/Meleton Mangalao and Helen Ahialani Uina, on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Shannyn’s maternal great-grandmother, Helen Ahialani (Uina) Mangalao – https://library.byuh.edu
marcello farina / Shutterstock.com
{ 37 comments… read them below or add one }
I guessed half French half Asian.
she could easily pass for IRANIAN
heheh good one
Mother’s birth record:
https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGCG-KGM
Looks like it might have been a little chilly in that pic.
in this picture she looks like a French woman
I thought that she looks French too.I would never guess she’s mixed, she looks only white.
Well, the racial admixture fades away if you have less than 15%-10% of ancestry of a certain race…so yes, she’s white.
She has that Audrey Tautou look…so latin, so french…She’s gorgeous.
she is not fully European and she doesn’t look it in other pics, where the Pacific Islander influence is clear as day.
http://www.theplace2.ru/archive/shannyn_sossamon/img/Shannyn_Sossamon_01_BIG_2.jpg
HOWEVER
AUDREY TAUTOU is not the average french woman from next door
her ethnicity is also heavily discussed in her country france
??????????????!!!!!!!!!!!! Um not really. She could pass as a Mestizo Mexican. She does not look “only white”. It’s funny as hell when I see comments saying “he/she looks white”, when they’re obviously mixed with something ethnic.
even on that second pic she does look like a french woman
Yes i agree with both of you she looks on that photo like an ethnic french woman
but could also pass for IRANIAN
She’s gorgeous. Mixed people are so attractive.
Lmfao, I’ve seen some that were beaten by not only the ugly stick, but the whole damn tree. There’s ugly asses in every racial group.
Mixed people are always more attractive.
stupid sentence
MAYA RUDOLPH is also mixed
and the word ALWAYS is disgusting
its like you say all asians do eat dog
To Eric and Company,
You’re taste must be very ordinary or you’re not very knowledgeable about Shannyn Sossamon’s career.
She’s one of my favorite actresses along with Keira Knightley, Natalie Portman and Emma Watson. Simply put, early in her career she was the most uniquely beautiful young woman that I have ever seen. Just google her. Her beauty was beyond my subjective opinion. She was objectively gorgous. Granted my personal taste favors her more than most. She’s also still very beautiful and, aging gracefully and you can see that in the picture above but man in her 20’s she was an absolute vision.
Now as far as her style goes. Well, she has a very relaxed, quaint and pretty style. Very natural. Especially in her 20’s. She’s always had a cool, unique and beautiful hair style. She’s always been famous for her hair. However, she’s clearly always been very artsy which Eric would define as dressing like a hobo.
Personality wise, well I don’t know her and have never met her. But, from all of the films I’ve seen featuring her, the articles I’ve read on her and photos I’ve seen of her she seems quirky and very very lovely. Which I think is a very attractive combination. One thing she is not is stupid. She was a dancer and a DJ. She was a musician. She’s an actress and a director. She’s an artist and every comment I’ve read of hers seems very intelligent.
One thing she doesn’t seem to be is “Hollywood.” Rather she seems artsy. Eric it seems you confuse artsy for attention seeking. She is not overly attention seeking. Her first film was A knight’s Tale. A big budget Hollywood film. Her second another big Hollywood film called 40 days and 40 nights. Shortly after that she filmed The Rules of Attraction. A risqué Indy film. Than The Order with Heath Ledger. Then she became pregnant with her first child. Once he was born she worked at a record store for a while before returning to film making. Name one other Hollywood actress who would humble herself enough to take a job like that after becoming a movie star. That’s just cool. When she entered the industry she was a breathe of fresh air.
Again I don’t know her personally but her beauty was undeniable. Just watch The Order or Rules of Attraction and try to tell I’m wrong with a straight face. She’s clearly very talented. A dancer. A DJ. A drummer. An actresses. A director.
One of my favorite films of hers is Wrist-cutters A Love Story. A heart warming dark romantic comedy.
A great and unique film about suicide, purgatory and love.
She seemed like a very cool, sexy and artsy young woman when she entered the movie business and now she just seems like a wonderful woman and mother.
Quit yo’ jibba jabba!
That was the longest comment ever released on EC, not even Fuzzybear reached that lenght in his Afrocentrist deliria.
I knew she was part Asian because she’s as mixed as I am. When you are mixed with many Asian and White nationalities you DO end up looking mixed. If you’re mixed with only two things you usually look more Asian, never more White.
You can’t say never when you don’t know every body who is half white and half Asian. My sons are half Asian, their dad is Scottish. My older son has green eyes. They both DO NOT look Asian at all.
Yes, Clart, she is the one in A Knight’s Tale.
I love her dark hair, and her eyes! She’s pretty, but I have to agree with the comments about how she dresses, behaves, seems , etc.. It’s obvious her European heritage is strong; I always thought she was just white.
She dresses like a hobo and acts as if she has a metal disability, I hate these celebrities that purposely dress strangely in vintage sweaters and other “costumes” to make themselves stand out, would it kill them to show some respect and dress appropriately like they should on national television.
From her mannerisms and incessant giggling it would appear that she is either on drugs or has the brain function of a child.
@Eric Wow I totally agree with you, I’ve always thought this whenever I see her in a movie, she just seems so AWKWARD and I hate watching her.
It’s a shame because she’s a nice looking girl but comes off like she’s just out of rehab.
Maybe she just doesn’t wanna be like every other conservatard out there. Hate to break it to you, but not everyone has the same sense of style, EVEN on “national television”. In fact, she has more self respect than any of the other actresses you see today. You’re about as emotionally retarded as a duck, because any person with the slightest bit of empathy could tell that she is just nervous. Actually, it doesn’t take a smart person to figure that out.
She was funny in the movie Our Family Wedding even though she only had a little part.Another thing is of all the ethicity she could have been the first thing would not have popped out of my mind was hawaiian but looking at her now I can see a little bit of all her ethic and so…kinda.Its cool that she was born in Hawaii I guess the reason why I say that is because I’m polynesian and raised in Hawaii and would like to see polynesians in the hollywood business more or so.
I agree with you Meagan. Bring on the Polynesian talent.
YEAH I KNO RIGHT,THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE ISLAND FLAVOR IN THE MIX.
in the hollywood business i mean
Hawaiians are Austronesian, just like many other ethnicities in the Pacific Islands. So, she could pass as a part Maori, Indonesian etc. person too.
I put up an interview of her instead of a photo. Hope you enjoy it.
Ethnic
how do i delete a msge my cousin does’nt want her image/link up.
Which comment? I can delete it for you.
the one at the top of eva longoria by me,my cousin doesnt want a link to her pic.
thanks.
one missed call, was terrible.
that does not look like her. this is the girl who was in a knights tale right?
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