<P> Shannon Marie Kahololani Sossamon was born on October 3, 1978 in Honolulu, Hawaii, and was raised in Reno, Nevada . She is the daughter of Sherry Sossamon, a nurse, and Todd Lindberg . She has a younger sister, singer Jenny Lee Lindberg, who was born in 1981 . Her parents divorced when she was five, and Sossamon and her sister were then raised by her mother, who married Randy Goldman, a salesman and manager of an auto dealership . Her maternal grandmother is of Hawaiian and Filipino descent, while the rest of her ancestry is English, German, Dutch, French, and Irish . Sossamon attended Galena High School in Reno, graduating in 1995 . The day after her high school graduation, she relocated to Los Angeles with two friends, to study dance . "Nothing compares to that feeling when you first leave home and arrive somewhere new," she once recalled . "When we woke up in the morning, just making coffee felt amazing . It felt like being so free--just to wake up and make coffee and look at our couch . Nothing beats that". The y in her first name was an adolescent alteration in 1995 . </P> <P> After moving to Los Angeles in 1995, she began to work as a DJ, booking gigs in local clubs and performance venues . While Sossamon was pursuing a career in dance, she actually never planned to become a professional dancer, recalling: "It was more like I just love to do this . It wasn't clear what I wanted, but I was fine with that . I had never needed a plan . I'm really good at feeling safe in the unknown in the aspect of planning your life". Around that time, Sossamon established her early career by modeling for various companies including Sassy Magazine, Unionbay Clothing, American Eagle Outfitters, and Planned Parenthood . She appeared in two television commercials for Gap and in music videos for artists such as Daft Punk, The Goo Goo Dolls, Cher, and the rock group 9xdead . In 1997, Sossamon guest - starred as several characters in three episodes of Mr. Show with Bob and David, and two years later, she was discovered by casting director Francine Maisler, while assisting a fellow DJ at Gwyneth Paltrow's brother's birthday party . </P> <P> Sossamon beat Kate Hudson for the lead female role in Brian Helgeland's medieval adventure dramedy A Knight's Tale, opposite Heath Ledger . She was cast as Lady Jocelyn, the love interest of a peasant (Ledger) pretending to be a knight in the world of Middle Age jousting . The film premiered on May 11, 2001, and received average reviews, with her part getting an equally mixed response; Robin Clifford for Reeling Reviews concluded that Sossamon was "pretty but little more than an object of affection" and Rob Blackwelder, of SPLICEDwire, called her role "the movie's weakest link", noting that although Sossamon was a "wonderfully wicked flirt", her character "isn't terribly well established and she's the most jarringly modern sight in this ancient tale". A Knight's Tale garnered US $117,487,473 worldwide, bringing Sossamon into mainstream audiences . It earned the actress two Teen Choice Awards nominations as well as three MTV Movie Awards nominations, including one for "Best Breakthrough Performance". </P> <P> In 2002, Sossamon starred in Miramax Films' romantic comedy 40 Days and 40 Nights, as Erica Sutton, the love interest of Josh Hartnett's character, Matt Sullivan . The movie depicts Sullivan as he meets Sutton during a period of his abstinence from any sexual contact for the duration of Lent . It received mixed reviews from critics, but was a major box office success, earning a worldwide total of US $95,146,283 on a production budget of US $17 million . Sossamon's part gained critical acclaim in general; About.com noted that she was "already making a name for herself as a romantic leading lady . With starring roles opposite two of Hollywood's hottest young actors (Hartnett and Heath Ledger) under her belt, Shannyn's star is rising fast . Her exotic looks separate her from the pack, and her performances have, thus far, been exceptional". Praising Sossamon and co-star Harnett, Elvis Mitchell wrote for The New York Times: "Mr. Hartnett matches up with Ms. Sossamon, and not only because their eyebrows signal that they are both Vulcans . She is a more direct performer; what she does is not acting--yet--but she can look as if she's listening . Her approach contrasts hilariously with his gentility". Afterwards, both actors received a Teen Choice Award nomination for "Choice Film Chemistry". </P>

Who plays the girl in a knight's tale
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