Birthdate: Jul 3, 1969
Birthplace: Orangeburg, South Carolina, USA
Shawnee Smith (birthname: Shawnee Rebecca Smith) is most recognized by moviegoers in her recurring role as Amanda in Lionsgate’s horror series phenomenon, Saw, starting with the original Saw (2004), co-starring Tobin Bell and Danny Glover, directed by James Wan, and making an incredible $104 million global gross on a $1 million budget.
Smith’s subsequent Saw movies include: Saw II (2005), directed by Darren Lynn Bousman, with Bell, Donnie Wahlberg, Franky G, and Glenn Plummer, and grossing $147.7 million; the Bousman-directed Saw III (2006), with Bell and Angus Macfadyen, and earning globally $165 million; the Kevin Greutert-directed Saw VI (2009), with Bell and Costas Mandylor, grossing a franchise low of $68 million; and the series’ tenth installment again directed by Greutert, Saw X (2023), starring Bell, Synnøve Macody Lund, and Steven Brand.
Shawnee Smith’s pre-Saw career began with a roster of minor roles in many movies from major, world-class directors, starting with Annie (1982), directed by John Huston; the Sidney J. Furie-directed Iron Eagle (1986); Summer School (1987), directed by Carl Reiner; director/writer/producer Michael Cimino’s thriller, Desperate Hours (1990); writer-director Mike Figgis’ Oscar-winning Leaving Las Vegas (1995), starring Nicolas Cage and Elisabeth Shue; George Hickenlooper’s drama, The Low Life (1995); the Susan Streitfeld-directed Female Perversions (1996), with Tilda Swinton; Hickenlooper’s Dogtown (1997); Michael Bay’s Armageddon (1998), with Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton, and Liv Tyler; writer-director Toni Kalem’s A Slipping-Down Life (1999), with Liv Tyler and Guy Pearce; and writer-director Alan Rudolph’s Kurt Vonnegut adaptation, Breakfast of Champions (1999), starring Willis.
Shawnee Smith’s first starring role was in the sci-fi horror remake of The Blob (1988), co-written by Frank Darabont and director Chuck Russell. Smith immediately displayed her versatility with a co-starring role opposite comedy superstar John Candy in the Paul Flaherty-directed Who’s Harry Crumb? (1989). After Saw, Smith continued her run as mainly a supporting player in several features that swung wildly between mostly bloody horror and genre movies and Christian-themed family movies, including Bay’s thriller, The Island (2005), co-starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson.
Director/writer/star Billy Bob Thornton’s drama, Jayne Mansfield’s Car (2012), starring Robert Duvall, John Hurt, Kevin Bacon, Robert Patrick, and Frances O’Connor; director-writer Brad J. Silverman’s Christian drama, Grace Unplugged (2013); another Christian drama, Believe (2016), written and directed by Billy Dickson. Smith starred in another Christian-themed movie, the comedy Christmas vs. the Walters (2021), co-starring Bruce Dern, Chris Elliott, and Richard Thomas. In a completely different vein, Smith co-starred with Dern, Tyrese Gibson, and Taryn Manning in the horror-thriller Bloodline Killer (2023), and played support in director-writer Paul Etheredge’s Psychopomp (date to be announced).
Shawnee Smith was born and raised in Orangeburg, South Carolina by parents James H. Smith (Air Force pilot and financial planner) and Patricia Ann Smith (oncologist). Smith’s family moved from South Carolina to the Westside of Los Angeles when she was five months old. When Smith was two, her parents divorced; Smith lived with her mother, who remarried when Smith was seven.
Smith was married to still photographer and film loader Jason Reposar from 1998 to 2003, when the couple divorced; they have one daughter, Verve. Smith then married musician Kai Mattoon from 2005 to 2006 when the couple divorced after they had one son, Jackson. Smith’s height is 5’ 3”. Smith’s estimated net worth is $3 million.
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Not What You’d Expect: Although she’s performed in many horror movies, Shawnee Smith has said that she “hates” horror movies, and says she gets scared watching them.
Athlete: Smith is a triathlete.
Rocker and Singer: Shawnee Smith formed a punk rock band, Fydolla Ho, with Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo and Skindred vocalist Benji Webbe, leading to an album and two EP recordings along with a U.S. and U.K. tour before dissolving in 2004. Later, Smith was a member of the country group, Smith & Pyle.
Religious: Smith converted to the Eastern Orthodox Church in 2012.
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