Shannon was best known for appearances in films such as
Little Shop of Horrors,
Red Dwarf,
Future Cop and ''
We'll Meet Again,'' the last two being his most substantial television roles, as Officer John Haven and Major James Kiley, respectively. Shannon was born in
Chicago on January 24, 1943. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Arts from
Northwestern University (whose School of Communication grants Bachelor of Science degrees in all of its programs of study, including theater). He subsequently received a Master of Arts in Oral Interpretation from Northwestern. In addition to his filmography, he maintained substantial theatrical acting credits throughout his career, including the British premiere of
Arthur Kopit's
The End of the World with Symposium to Follow in Southampton (Nuffield Theatre) and the London premiere of
A. R. Gurney's
The Dining Room (Greenwich Theatre, 1983, directed by Alan Strachan). In 2013 he gave four benefit performances in aid of
Amnesty International of the monumental one-man play
Clarence Darrow by David V. Rintels, based on the life of the lawyer and founding member of the American Civil Liberties Union, at the Teahouse Theatre in Vauxhall, London. The first play he authored,
Deros On the Funny Farm, was first produced at the
Long Wharf Theater in New Haven in 1981 with
Kevin Bacon in the lead.
Theme of the American President A recurring feature of his career, in acting and writing, is the figure of the American president. He portrayed
John F. Kennedy in the
BBC television series
Red Dwarf, starred in two episodes of the
ABC television series
Call to Glory titled 'JFK' (parts 1 and 2, though not as the president) and has written and starred in a one-man play,
JFK on JFK.
Hoyt Hilsman, in reviewing the play for
Back Stage West, wrote, "Shannon's memorable performance captures the soul of the late president like none other in recent memory." Shannon took the role of Harding in James Staley's play about the scandal-plagued American president
Warren G. Harding, ''Everyone's Friend
, which premiered in August 1999 at Whitefire Theatre. Los Angeles Times'' critic Philip Brandes wrote that "Shannon makes a heartbreakingly believable case for Harding's ignorance of and outrage at the abuses of his Cabinet." Shannon portrayed
Abraham Lincoln in a play he also authored,
Watching with Lincoln, produced at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2014. His play
Liberty Rising is set in the
Revolutionary War featuring
George Washington and
John Adams alongside their wives
Martha and
Abigail.
Personal life Shannon was the second husband of the late
British-born actress
Vickery Turner. He and Turner met during the American season of
Frith Banbury's production of the play
The Day After The Fair by
Frank Harvey, which opened on September 4, 1973 at the Auditorium Theatre in Denver, Colorado and closed January 20, 1974 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. Shannon played the role of Bradford and Turner the role of Anna. Their daughter Caitlin is also an actress and writer. Shannon died on November 23, 2023, at the age of 80. ==Filmography==