Shannon James Bio
Shannon James is an American actress, glamour and nude model. She was born on February 5, 1987, in Holland, Pennsylvania. Playboy named her its May 2007 Playmate at 20. Her appearance came in the 2000s, as Playboy's print tradition began to share space with an expanding online presence.
James has natural breasts, brown eyes and blond hair. Her measurements are 34-23-34.
Shannon James reached Playboy through an appearance on The Howard Stern Show rather than through the usual agency route. After competing in a few bikini contests, she had photographs from those events that her best friend, Lindsay Campbell, submitted to the program. James was invited onto the show for an evaluation, where her appearance attracted the attention of a senior Playboy photo editor and led to a test shoot in Chicago.
College remained part of James’s life as modeling opportunities developed. She studied marketing and attended the University of Central Florida, where she was a member of the Zeta Tau Alpha sorority. By the time Playboy featured her, she was also establishing herself professionally as a model, with work that included calendars and billboards for Hooters as well as participation in the company’s 2007 beauty pageant.
James regarded Playboy as a piece of American cultural history and was particularly proud to become part of it. After her centerfold appearance, her relationship with the magazine continued through promotional work around the United States. She represented Playboy at events in the traditional Bunny costume and at golf-related appearances, extending her involvement with the brand beyond her original pictorial.
Fitness became another significant element of James’s modeling career. She maintained a disciplined exercise routine, describing daily workouts as both physically rewarding and an effective way to relieve stress. That interest eventually produced a notable magazine credit outside Playboy when she appeared on the July 2012 cover of Muscle & Fitness. Her other editorial work included a feature in Maxim UK.
Acting added a screen credit to James’s professional record when she played Lieutenant Jan Hanson in the low-budget science-fiction film Merc Force. Her discovery story also had an unexpected ripple within Playboy: James later encouraged aspiring model Felicia Taylor to submit photographs to the magazine, advice that helped lead to Taylor’s selection as a Playboy Cybergirl in 2008.
