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Sofia Shinas

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Sofia Shinas
Born (1968-01-17) January 17, 1968 (age 56)
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
GenresPop
Dance
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter, actress, director
Years active1991–present
LabelsWarner (1992)

Sofia Shinas (born January 17, 1968) is a Greek Canadian[1] singer, songwriter, actress and director.[2]

Shinas entered the entertainment industry as a recording artist and later pursued acting. After graduating from film school, she became a film director. She is best known for her role as Eric Draven's murdered fiancée, Shelly, in The Crow starring opposite Brandon Lee.[2]

Career

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Recording artist

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In 1992, Shinas released her eponymously titled debut album on Warner Bros. Records. She co-wrote every song and worked with various producers and remixers, including Steve Peck, Daniel Abraham (record producer), Mitch Kaplan, Mark 'MK' Kinchen, Roger Sanchez, Tommy Musto, Ben Grosse and Boris Granich.[3]

Her first single, "The Message", reached No. 20 on Billboard's Dance/Club Play chart and was a crossover pop hit, peaking at No. 75 on the Hot 100 chart. Her second single, "One Last Kiss", didn't chart in the US, but became a minor hit in her native Canada. Her last single, "State of Mind", peaked at No. 16 on the Dance/Club Play chart.[4] She received a Juno Award nomination for Most Promising Female Vocalist at the Juno Awards of 1993.[5]

Shinas left the music business to pursue a career as actor and director.[2] She has not released another album.

Film actress

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Shinas made her film debut in the 1994 action thriller The Crow, starring Brandon Lee. The box office hit has become a cult favorite.[6] Shinas then landed a role opposite Charlie Sheen and Nastassja Kinski in Terminal Velocity.

She starred alongside C. Thomas Howell in the independent action/drama, Hourglass and in the 1997 action film, Dilemma.

Television actress

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Shinas appeared in two episodes of the TV series The Outer Limits (in the "Valerie 23" and "Mary 25" episodes) and an episode of The Hunger.

Film director

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Shinas's first feature as director was the thriller, My Stepdaughter, released in August 2015.

Education

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In 2008, Shinas graduated from the USC School of Cinema-Television in Los Angeles, California where she directed a film titled Spring Eternal as a thesis project.[7]

Personal life

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Fluent in English, Hebrew, and Greek, the director often travels between her Hollywood home and her Canadian hometown.

Shinas is an avid supporter of welfare and conservation organizations dedicated to helping endangered species. She is particularly interested in big cats and has worked with tigers in human care.

Filmography

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Film
Year Film Role Notes
1994 The Crow Shelly Webster
Terminal Velocity Maxine 'Broken Legs Max'
1995 Hourglass Dara Jensen
1996 Ripper Man Gena
Dilemma Lydia Cantrell
1997 Hostile Intent Gina Alternative title: Lethal Games
2000 Red Shoe Diaries 12: Girl on a Bike Woman On Train Segment: "Borders of Salt"
2004 Planet of the Pitts Fay Kennedy, NBC News Anchor
2015 My Stepdaughter Directorial debut
2016 DaZe: Vol. Too (sic) – NonSeNse Rosabel
Television
Year Title Role Notes
1994 Red Shoe Diaries Woman On Train 1 episode
1994 Blue Skies Gina 1 episode
1998 The Hunger Claire 1 episode
1995–1998 The Outer Limits Mary 25 / Valerie 23 2 episodes

Discography

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Albums

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  • 1992: Sofia Shinas

Singles

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  • 1992: "The Message"
  • 1992: "One Last Kiss"
  • 1992: "State of Mind (You Make Me Feel Good)"

References

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  1. ^ Appleford, Steve (November 1, 1992). "Debut Album Presents Sofia Shinas Reconnected With Her Funky Soul". Los Angeles Times.
  2. ^ a b c "Dream comes true for Shinas". Windsor Star, May 28, 1994.
  3. ^ "Sofia Shinas: Album credits". allmusic.com. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
  4. ^ "Sofia Shinas Chart History". allmusic.com. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
  5. ^ "Celine Dion sweeps Juno nominations". Ottawa Citizen, February 10, 1993.
  6. ^ McDonnell, Jen (July 17, 2008). "The Show Must Go On". The Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on August 17, 2008. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
  7. ^ Ishizuka, LiAnn (May 16, 2008). "Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival 2008: Seasons of Love short films". Asia Pacific Arts. Retrieved September 25, 2008.
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