Shawn Ashmore

**Shawn Robert Ashmore** is a Canadian film and television actor. He is known for his roles as Jake in the television series *Animorphs*, Agent Mike Weston in the television drama series *The Following*, and Bobby Drake / Iceman in the *X-Men* film series. Ashmore also plays the main character, Jack Joyce, in the 2016 video game *Quantum Break*. On 3rd October 2016, he debuted in his role of Sam Spencer in the new U.S. drama series on ABC, *Conviction*. Shawn is the identical twin brother of actor Aaron Ashmore.

## Early life

Ashmore was born in Richmond, British Columbia, the son of Linda, a homemaker, and Rick Ashmore, a manufacturing engineer. He was raised in St. Albert, Alberta and Brampton, Ontario, where he attended Turner Fenton Secondary School, and Earnscliffe Senior Public School. His twin brother, Aaron Ashmore, is also an actor. Aaron and Shawn have played twins in several movies, but have also pursued roles independently. Aaron is slightly taller than Shawn and, according to Aaron, Shawn often gets cast as the nice guy while Aaron himself is cast as the bully.

## Career

One of Ashmore's notable roles was as Iceman in *X-Men* and its sequels *X2* and *X-Men: The Last Stand*. 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*.

Ashmore starred as Cadet Major Brad Rigby in *Cadet Kelly*, a Disney Channel original film which aired in 2002 and he 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. Ashmore had starring roles on *Animorphs* as Jake Berenson and *In a Heartbeat* as Tyler Connell.

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. He played the role of Ged, a young wizard-in-training, who takes advice from a Magus (Danny Glover) and falls in love with Tenar (Kristin Kreuk), the protege of the High Priestess of the Tombs of Atuan (Isabella Rossellini). In 2005, Ashmore starred in a CTV TV movie about Terry Fox's historic run across Canada, which aired in September of that year. In 2008, he starred as one of the leads in the 2008 horror film *The Ruins*. Ashmore was cast in Adam Green's 2010 dramatic thriller *Frozen* as Joe Lynch.

Ashmore starred in the apocalyptic siege warfare film *The Day* with Dominic Monaghan, Michael Eklund, Shannyn Sossamon, and Ashley Bell. Ashmore also starred in the television drama series *The Following*, starring Kevin Bacon. He reprised his role as Iceman in the 2014 film *X-Men: Days of Future Past*.

Shawn recently appeared in Quantum Break, a third-person shooter video game developed by Remedy Entertainment and published byMicrosoft Studios, that features a TV show as cut scenes where Shawn plays the main character, Jack Joyce.

Beginning 3rd October 2016, he began his role as Sam Spencer of New York City's newly-created Conviction Integrity Unit on the new U.S. legal drama on ABC, *Conviction*. The pilot was actually filmed in Toronto, and the series shoots there as well.

## Personal life

On July 27, 2012, Ashmore married film executive Dana Renee Wasdin, whom he met while filming *Frozen*.