Shannon Elizabeth life and biography

Shannon Elizabeth (born September 7, 1973) is an American actress and former fashion model. Elizabeth came to prominence in the 1999 comedy film American Pie.

At age two she started taking ballet, tap and jazz. She loved to sing and dance. In her third grade year they moved to Waco, Texas, where a ton of her relatives already lived. During her senior year she had the opportunity to be in a video for a local band. The producer of the project thought that she should be in New York modeling and proceeded to pitch the idea to her parents. That Christmas Shannon and her family ended up going to New York to have some pictures taken and meet with some agencies. By the end of their trip she had an agent. So she began her high-profile international modeling career in New York City upon graduation from high school.

After landing a national commercial, Elizabeth launched her acting career in Los Angeles by landing guest starring roles on prime time shows on various major networks. Shannon Elizabeth first garnered attention from critics and audiences alike for her performance as the sexy Czech exchange student in the box office hits American Pie and American Pie 2. She also scored another success with Miramax’s teen horror parody Scary Movie. Currently, Shannon can be seen on That 70s Show where she has a recurring role as Kelso’s pregnant girlfriend. She was most recently seen in Kevin Smith’s irreverent comedyJay & Silent Bob Strike Back, as well as in Tomcats, Thirteen Ghosts and an all-star young cast in Wes Craven’s Cursed with Christina Ricci.

Personal life

Elizabeth was in a relationship with actor Joseph D. Reitman for 10 years, including three years of marriage. The couple separated in March 2005, and Elizabeth filed for divorce in late June 2005.

Animal Avengers, a non-profit animal rescue organization founded by Elizabeth and her then-husband Reitman, is dedicated to rescuing and finding a home for homeless pets, reducing pet overpopulation, promoting responsible pet guardianship and preventing animal cruelty. Among the many fundraising events, Team Bodog raised over $50,000 for Animal Avengers in a celebrity poker night on October 8, 2005. The event was hosted by noted tournament director Matt Savage. Over the past year Shannon Elizabeth has participated in numerous other Bodog-sponsored charity events as well.

After the September 11 attacks, Elizabeth recorded a public service announcement in which she said, "I'm half Arabic, but I am 100 percent American. What is going on affects me the same as everyone else."

Elizabeth dated her former Dancing with the Stars partner Derek Hough. Elizabeth denied rumors of a marriage proposal from Hough, or that the couple was engaged. In August 2009, the couple reported they were splitting up.

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