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Shawn Ashmore

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Shawn Ashmore
Ashmore in 2014
Born
Shawn Robert Ashmore

(1979-10-07) October 7, 1979 (age 45)
Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
OccupationActor
Years active1989–present
Spouse
Dana Renee Wasdin
​
(m. 2012)​
Children1
RelativesAaron Ashmore (twin brother)

Shawn Robert Ashmore (born October 7, 1979)[1] is a Canadian actor.

He is known for his roles as Bobby Drake / Iceman in the X-Men film series, Jake in the television series Animorphs, Agent Mike Weston in the television drama series The Following, Eric in the horror film The Ruins, Sam Spencer in the television series Conviction, Wesley Evers in the television series The Rookie, and Lamplighter in the superhero television series The Boys.

Ashmore also plays the main character, Jack Joyce, in the 2016 video game Quantum Break, as well as Conrad in 2019's Man of Medan. For his portrayal of Terry Fox in the film Terry, Ashmore received a Gemini Award nomination.

Early life and education

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Shawn Robert Ashmore was born in Richmond, British Columbia,[2] to Linda (née Davis), a homemaker, and Rick Ashmore,[3] a manufacturing engineer. Shortly after his birth the family lived in St. Albert, Alberta, before settling in Brampton, Ontario, where he attended Earnscliffe Senior Public School and Turner Fenton Secondary School.[2]

Shawn and his identical twin brother, Aaron Ashmore, began appearing in television commercials while still in elementary school.[4] At age nine, Shawn made his screen debut on the CTV series Katts and Dog (1990); the following year both brothers had small roles in the feature film Married to It (1991).[4]

His first starring vehicle was the family telefilm Guitarman (1994), which earned him a Gemini Award nomination for Best Performance in a Children’s/Youth Program.[5]

Aaron is slightly taller than Shawn and, according to Aaron, Shawn often gets cast as the nice guy while Aaron is cast as the bully.[6] They have a "GMA" tattoo on their wrists that stands for "Good Man Ashmore"; their grandfather had a similar tattoo.[7]

Career

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Ashmore in January 2010

Early work and breakthrough (1990s–2004)

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Ashmore’s first sustained television role was Jake Berenson in the Nickelodeon series Animorphs (1998–1999), followed by lead billing as EMT cadet Tyler Connell in Disney Channel’s In a Heartbeat (2000–2001).[2]

His breakthrough came when director Bryan Singer cast him as Bobby Drake / Iceman in X-Men. Although his part was filmed in only three weeks,[4] the franchise gave Ashmore global recognition, and he reprised the role with an expanded arc in X2 and X-Men: The Last Stand. For X2 he received the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Male Performance in 2004.[8] Ashmore also reprised his role as Iceman in the animated series The Super Hero Squad Show, as well as voicing the role for X-Men: The Official Game.[9][10]

In between X‑Men films he diversified with Disney Channel’s Cadet Kelly (2002),[11] a Disney Channel original film which aired in 2002. He also guest-starred as Eric Summers in two episodes of Smallville, a series on which his brother was later cast in the role of Jimmy Olsen.[12]

In December 2004, Ashmore was cast in the lead role in the SciFi Channel mini series Legend of Earthsea, based on the novels by Ursula K. Le Guin.[13] He played the role of Ged, a young wizard-in-training.[14]

Film and television (2005–2015)

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In 2005, he portrayed Canadian icon Terry Fox in the CTV biographical film Terry (2005), dramatizing the Marathon of Hope; his performance earned a Gemini Award nomination for Best Actor.[15] The same year he appeared in the action‑comedy Underclassman, the HIV/AIDS anthology drama 3 Needles, and the psychological thriller The Quiet.

In 2008, he starred as one of the leads in the 2008 horror film The Ruins.[16] The following year, he starred in the CTV telefilm Diverted (2009), playing an air‑traffic manager coping with flights grounded in Newfoundland during the September 11 attacks.[17] Ashmore was cast in Adam Green's 2010 dramatic thriller Frozen as Joe Lynch.[18] He also co‑starred in the ensemble horror remake Mother’s Day (2010) as eldest brother George Barnum.[19]

Ashmore starred in the apocalyptic siege warfare film The Day.[20][21] From 2013 to 2015 Ashmore co‑starred with Kevin Bacon as FBI agent Mike Weston in Fox’s crime‑thriller series The Following.[22][23] He reprised his role as Iceman in the 2014 film X-Men: Days of Future Past.[24][25]

Video games and recent roles (2016–present)

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In April 2016, Ashmore starred in the Microsoft/Remedy video game Quantum Break, providing both performance capture and live‑action cut‑scenes as protagonist Jack Joyce. The title blends third‑person shooter gameplay with TV‑style episodes featuring the same cast.[26][27] He also did the motion capture and voice acting for the character.[28][29]

From October 2016 to January 2017, he played the role of Sam Spencer on the American legal drama Conviction.[30][31] The series was filmed in Toronto.[32] Following Conviction, Ashmore returned to feature films with a run of genre projects. He headlined the science‑fiction horror thriller Devil’s Gate, which premiered at the 2017 Tribeca Film Festival, and played a troubled brother in the Canadian mystery Hollow in the Land (2017).[33][34] He next starred in the action thriller Acts of Violence (2018), portraying a police officer pursuing a human‑trafficking ring.[35]

In interactive media, Ashmore provided voice, likeness, and motion capture for the playable character Conrad in the horror game The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan (2019).[36] That same year he appeared in Hulu’s anthology series Into the Dark, playing migrant‑rights activist Thomas in the Independence Day episode "Culture Shock".[37] In 2020, Ashmore recurred in the second season of the Amazon Prime Video superhero series The Boys as Lamplighter, a former member of the superhero group the Seven.

In 2021 Ashmore appeared in two thriller features. He played Kevin Dadich opposite Ashley Greene in the Netflix release Aftermath. [38] He also starred as the manipulative husband Nick Miller in the psychological‑horror film The Free Fall, which premiered at Grimmfest on 7 October 2021 [39]

That same year Ashmore’s recurring part as defence‑attorney‑turned‑ADA Wesley Evers on ABC’s The Rookie was upgraded to the main cast at the start of season 3; he has remained a series regular through season 7.[40] Ashmore later reprised the role in the spin‑off The Rookie: Feds episode “Standoff” (2022).[41]

In 2023, Ashmore voiced and performed motion capture for Sheriff Tim Breaker in Remedy Entertainment’s survival-horror video game Alan Wake II.[42]

Ashmore continued his game work by voicing Timmy LeBlanc in Sons of the Forest. Ahead of the game’s full 1.0 launch on February 22, 2024, GamesRadar+ reported that "X-Men, The Boys, and Alan Wake 2 actor Shawn Ashmore has joined the cast, voicing side character Timmy LeBlanc", and that the update would "expand Timmy’s role" in the narrative.[43]

In 2025, Ashmore starred as Randall Harris in the supernatural-horror film It Feeds, directed by Chad Archibald.[44]

Personal life

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On July 27, 2012, Ashmore married film executive Dana Renee Wasdin, whom he met while filming Frozen.[45] The couple has one son, Oliver, born in 2017.[46][47][48]

In February 2025, Ashmore posted a public Instagram tribute to former girlfriend Michelle Trachtenberg after her death at age 39, remembering her “loving, quirky spirit” and the years they spent together.[49]

Ashmore has also supported breast‑cancer causes. In October 2021 he joined a virtual meet‑and‑greet auction run by the nonprofit A Cause for Entertainment, with proceeds funding research and patient support.[50]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1991 Married to It Student in pageant
1998 All I Wanna Do Photographer Originally titled The Hairy Bird
2000 X-Men Bobby Drake / Iceman
2001 Wolf Girl Beau
2002 Cadet Kelly Brad Rigby Disney Channel Original Movie
2003 X2 Bobby Drake / Iceman MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance
Nominated—MTV Movie Award for Best Kiss (with Anna Paquin)
Nominated—Saturn Award for Cinescape Genre Face of the Future (Male)
Nominated—Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Chemistry (with Anna Paquin)
2005 Underclassman Rob Donovan
3 Needles Denys, the porn actor
The Quiet Connor
2006 X-Men: The Last Stand Bobby Drake / Iceman
2008 Solstice Christian
The Ruins Eric
2010 Frozen Joe Lynch
Mother's Day George Barnum
2011 The Day Adam
2012 Mariachi Gringo Edward
Breaking the Girls Eric
2014 X-Men: Days of Future Past Bobby Drake / Iceman
2016 Home Invasion N/A Executive producer
2017 Devil's Gate Conrad "Colt" Salter
Hollow in the Land Darryl
2018 Acts of Violence Brandon
2020 Darkness Falls Jeff Anderson
2021 Aftermath Kevin Dadich
The Free Fall Nick Miller
2025 It Feeds Randall Harris [51]

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1989 Katts and Dog Episode: "Mistaken Identity"
1992 The Ray Bradbury Theater Charlie Episode: "Colonel Stonesteel and the Desperate Empties"
Mr. Dressup Shawn [52]
1993 Gross Misconduct: The Life of Brian Spencer Young Brian Spencer TV film
1996 Any Mother's Son Billy TV film
1997 Flash Forward Gord Episode: "Mudpack"
Promise the Moon Leviatus Bennett TV film
Melanie Darrow David Abbott TV film
Fast Track Young Chandler Episode: "Combustions"
1998–1999 Animorphs Jake Main role
1999 The City Tyler Episode: "Departures"
Real Kids, Real Adventures Aaron Hall Episode: "Mountain Lion"
At the Mercy of a Stranger Danny TV film
2000 Earth: Final Conflict Max Episode: "Sanctuary"
The Famous Jett Jackson Chet Episode: "What You Wish For"
2000–2001 In a Heartbeat Tyler Connell Main role
2001 The Big House Trevor Brewster TV film
Blackout First Son TV film
The Outer Limits Morris Shottwell Episode: "Lion's Den"
Wolf Girl Beau TV film
2002 Aces TV film
2002–2004 Smallville Eric Summers Episodes: "Leech", "Asylum"
2004 Earthsea Ged Miniseries
Leo Award for Best Lead Performance By a Male in a Feature Length Drama
2005 Terry Terry Fox TV film
Nominated—Gemini Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Program or Mini-Series
2009 Diverted Mike Stiven TV film
2009–2010 The Super Hero Squad Show Bobby Drake / Iceman (voice) Episodes: "Mysterious Mayhem at Mutant High!", "The Ice Melt Cometh!"
2010 Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures Fitz Miniseries
Fringe Joshua Rose Episode: "Amber 31422"
2013–2015 The Following Mike Weston Main role
2016 Relationship Status Ben 3 episodes
2016–2017 Conviction Sam Spencer Main role
2018 S.W.A.T. William Tanner 1 episode
2018–present The Rookie Wesley Evers Recurring role (seasons 1–2); main role (season 3–present)
2019 Into the Dark Thomas Episode: "Culture Shock"
2020 The Boys Lamplighter 3 episodes
2022 The Rookie: Feds Wesley Evers Episode: "Standoff"

Video games

[edit]
Year Title Voice role Notes
2006 X-Men: The Official Game Bobby Drake / Iceman
2016 Quantum Break Jack Joyce Also likeness and motion capture
2019 The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan Conrad Also likeness and motion capture
2023 Alan Wake II Tim Breaker / the actor Also likeness and motion capture
2024 Sons of the Forest Timmy

References

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  1. ^ "Shawn Ashmore". TV Guide. Retrieved September 23, 2009.
  2. ^ a b c "Shawn Ashmore – Biography". TV Guide. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  3. ^ "Richard Ashmore Obituary (1949–2021)". St. Catharines Standard. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c "Shawn Ashmore – Biography". Tribute.ca. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  5. ^ "1995 Gemini Awards – Nominees". Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  6. ^ Bull, Ron. "The Famous Aaron Ashmore Closes in on Stardom". The Toronto Star. Archived from the original on October 30, 2007. Retrieved August 8, 2012.
  7. ^ "Tattoos". Aaron-Ashmore.com. Archived from the original on June 20, 2006. Retrieved August 29, 2006.
  8. ^ "MTV Movie Awards 2004 – Winners" (Press release). MTV Press. June 5, 2004. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  9. ^ Wong, Curtis M. (December 9, 2015). "X-Men Star Shawn Ashmore Wants To Play Iceman As Gay". HuffPost. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  10. ^ "Iceman, alias mutante de Bobby Drake en "X-Men", se da su primer beso gay". Universo Gay (in Spanish). Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  11. ^ Lakshmin, Deepa. "Why Do You Still Love Disney Channel Movies? Cadet Kelly's Shawn Ashmore Explains". MTV News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  12. ^ "Shawn Ashmore (Seasons 1 and 3) from 30 Smallville Stars and Guest Stars You Might Have Forgotten About". E! Online. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  13. ^ "Legend of Earthsea | TV Guide". TVGuide.com. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  14. ^ Lowry, Brian (December 12, 2004). "Legend of Earthsea". Variety. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  15. ^ "Shawn Ashmore – Biography". Disney/ABC Press. 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  16. ^ "Exclusive: Shawn Ashmore Visits The Ruins". ComingSoon.net. March 30, 2008. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  17. ^ "Shawn Ashmore – Biography". Disney/ABC Press. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  18. ^ Catsoulis, Jaannette (February 4, 2010). "A Nightmare on a Ski Lift". New York Times. Retrieved April 11, 2018.
  19. ^ "Rebecca De Mornay to Celebrate Mother's Day". Empire Online. September 1, 2009. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  20. ^ "On A Gray Day, One Last Post-Apocalyptic Stand". NPR.org. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  21. ^ "AFM 2011: Entertainment One Seizes Post-Apocalyptic Thriller The Day". The Hollywood Reporter. November 2, 2011. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  22. ^ Jim, Big (January 9, 2013). "Shawn Ashmore of The Following on FOX Once Played His Twin Brother Playing His Twin Brother [Celebrity Interview]". 983 The KEY. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  23. ^ "The Following Postmortem: Shawn Ashmore on the Aftermath of a Big Team Change". The Hollywood Reporter. February 4, 2013. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  24. ^ "Canadian Shawn Ashmore talks his role in X-Men: Days of Future Past". www.citynews1130.com. October 14, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  25. ^ "X-Men: Days of Future Past Star Shawn Ashmore: 'I've Been Waiting to See Bobby Drake Do His Thing' (Video)". TheWrap. May 13, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  26. ^ "Quantum Break: Shawn Ashmore talks time travel, virtual reality and Andy Serkis". Empire. April 4, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  27. ^ Loveridge, Sam (April 5, 2016). "Shawn Ashmore talks making Quantum Break and gay Iceman". Digital Spy. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  28. ^ Quantum Break's Shawn Ashmore on the Future of Performance Capture - IGN, April 26, 2016, retrieved September 2, 2019
  29. ^ Schulz, Chris (April 12, 2016). "Why Quantum Break star Shawn Ashmore can't play his own game". The New Zealand Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  30. ^ "Shawn Ashmore". vox.de (in German). July 12, 2018. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  31. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (February 11, 2016). "Shawn Ashmore Joins ABC's Conviction". Deadline. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  32. ^ "Conviction Video Clips". ABC. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  33. ^ Kay, Jeremy (March 2, 2017). "Tribeca 2017 unveils Competition, Spotlight, Viewpoints, Midnight". ScreenDaily. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  34. ^ Scheck, Frank (December 7, 2017). "'Hollow in the Land': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  35. ^ "First Trailer for Action Thriller 'Acts of Violence' Starring Bruce Willis". FirstShowing.net. December 1, 2017. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  36. ^ "'Into the Dark Pictures': Shawn Ashmore Leads Man of Medan Cast". Deadline via Yahoo News. June 2019. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  37. ^ Petski, Denise (April 12, 2019). "'Into The Dark': Martha Higareda, Shawn Ashmore Among 6 Cast In Hulu's "Culture Shock" Installment". Deadline. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  38. ^ Vlessing, Etan (July 28, 2021). "Ashley Greene, Shawn Ashmore's 'Aftermath' Lands at Quiver for Digital". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  39. ^ Kasule, Melissa (August 9, 2021). "UK's Grimmfest reveals 2021 festival line-up (exclusive)". Screen Daily. Screen International. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  40. ^ Weiss, Jacqueline (November 26, 2023). "'The Rookie' Cast: A Guide to All the Actors and Characters from Season 1 to Season 6". People. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  41. ^ "Standoff". The Rookie: Feds. Season 1. Episode 8. November 22, 2022. ABC.
  42. ^ Reiner, Andrew (August 25, 2023). "Shawn Ashmore joins Alan Wake 2 cast as Sheriff Tim Breaker". Game Informer. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  43. ^ Bellingham, Hope (November 30, 2023). "Open-world survival hit Sons of the Forest leaves Early Access in under three months with new story updates featuring a beloved Alan Wake 2 actor". GamesRadar+. Retrieved April 30, 2025. The rest of the post reveals that ... Shawn Ashmore has joined the cast, voicing side character Timmy LeBlanc, as well as expanding Timmy's role in Sons of the Forest.
  44. ^ "'It Feeds' Trailer: New Supernatural Thriller Is Terrifying Audiences". Dread Central. April 15, 2025. Retrieved April 30, 2025.
  45. ^ "Shawn Ashmore is married". People. August 29, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  46. ^ "Shawn Ashmore Welcomes a Son". E! Online. July 18, 2017. Retrieved July 20, 2017.
  47. ^ "Shawn Ashmore Welcomes Son Oliver". People. July 18, 2017. Retrieved October 22, 2019.
  48. ^ Stutsman, Samantha (March 18, 2025). "Meet the Real‑Life Loves of The Rookie Cast (Including the Couple Who Played Volatile Exes on the Show!)". People. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  49. ^ Wenger, Stephanie (February 26, 2025). "Shawn Ashmore Remembers Ex‑Girlfriend Michelle Trachtenberg's 'Loving' Spirit and Their TV 'Marathons' After Her Death". People. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  50. ^ Lewis, Rebecca (October 20, 2021). "9‑1‑1, *Grey's Anatomy* and *Sex/Life* stars join forces for incredible cause". Hello!. Retrieved May 4, 2025.
  51. ^ "It Feeds (2025) - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
  52. ^ "Mr. Dressup with Guest Shawn Ashmore (1992)". YouTube. April 23, 2023.
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