Shane West (born June 10, 1978) is an American actor and singer the son of Catherine, a lawyer, and Don, a drugstore manager. He is perhaps best known for his roles on the television series ER and Once and Again and in the film A Walk to Remember. He is currently performing with The Germs and has his own band called Jonny Was, and lives in L.A.
West's first major role was in a 1999 television series, Once and Again, playing Eli Sammler. West's film debut was in Liberty Heights, director Barry Levinson's film about a Jewish family in Baltimore. He also co-starred in the teen comedies Whatever It Takes (2000) and Get Over It (2001).
West was subsequently cast opposite singer/actress Mandy Moore in 2002's A Walk to Remember, which was a box office success, grossing $41 million in the United States. He also was in the Mandy Moore music video "Cry". In 2003, West appeared in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and in 2004, he joined the cast of NBC's long running medical television series, ER as resident Ray Barnett. West then left at the end of the 2007 season for Supreme Courtships, but the series was not picked up by the Fox Network. In 2008-2009, West returned to ER for three episodes during its 15th and final season.
He recently starred in the independent film What We Do Is Secret, playing Darby Crash, a member of the 1970s punk band The Germs. The film is currently in theaters and on DVD. Members of the band were impressed by West's performance and re-formed the band with West taking the deceased Crash's place. West has also fronted an original band, Jonny Was, who have frequented the LA scene. In West's absence the remaining members of the group have formed the dance rock quintet Lunar Fiction. But a Jonny Was reunion may still be on the horizon. His upcoming films include Red Sands, Echelon Conspiracy and The Lodger. He is due to start filming Silver Cord with Val Kilmer in September 2008. It has also been rumoured that Shane has been offered the lead role in the upcoming remake of The Crow. He attended UC Irvine.
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Script Tattoos,
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