| Shannon Baker | |
|---|---|
| Born | Stellat'en First Nation reservation, British Columbia, Canada |
| Occupation | model and actress |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) [1] |
| Website | |
| http://www.thebakertwins.com | |
Shannon Baker is a Canadian model, actress, spokesperson, and businessperson,[2] better known with her twin sister Shauna as The Baker Twins.[3] She and her twin sister appeared on Tyra Banks' talk show The Tyra Banks Show to talk about the stereotypes put on Native American and First Nations people and lack of representation.[2]
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Baker was born in Stellat'en First Nation reservation, British Columbia, Canada.[2] Shannon is of the Carrier Dene tribe.[2][3] As a baby an elder put warm bee honey in the palm of her hands so that she may have strong artistic abilities.[2] She has always been in competitions since being a small child. .[2] At age 16, she was in competition for classical music.[2]
In keeping with the traditions of the Carrier-Sekani people, Shannon and Shauna were raised by their grandmother, Emma Baker.[3] Shannon competed in the Miss Universe Canada 2007 pageant without Shauna by her side. She explained that the competition made her more aware of how being a twin was a "huge facet of her identity". Thinking like entrepreneurs, the twins also think that being identified as a unit works to their advantage.
Shannon Baker currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
Her first introduction into modeling occurred in a shopping mall, but Shannon and her sister believed it was scam.[2] Shannon and her twin sister were constantly being approached by different agencies, and decided to inspect them to see if they were real.[2] The twins manage their own model careers, and have been featured in several magazines.[2] Magazines such as:UMM Magazine, Vancouver Magazine, and Say Magazine. In managing their careers Shannon stated with her sister: "We firmly believe that First Nations people need to be represented in mainstream media a lot more, and feel that we can help to facilitate a positive profile for our people through initiatives like the Miss Universe Canada Pageant." She continued: "I hope I can represent First Nations people in a really good way and that's why I am competing in the pageant.[3]"
When Shannon competed in the Miss Universe Canada pageant she explained that the competition made her more aware of how being a twin was a "huge facet of her identity".[4]
In 2007, Shannon and Shauna were scouted by a modeling scout from Playboy. They declined the offer. In an interview Shauna recounted the experience and stated:
"We have gone this far keeping a clean image, why throw that out the window now? We want to show young ladies that you can be a good girl and still make it in this industry. There are enough half naked girls shown on television and music videos already, I wouldn’t want to blend in with them. Plus, I would be horrified if my little sister and little cousins saw me nude in a magazine."
Shannon added:
"We do not need Playboy to pioneer our careers. We will make it without being in Playboy. The industry is changing, and our generation will be the ones that pioneer that change. We want to work harder and so, we aren't going to take our clothes off just to boost our careers. We would rather take a route with obstacles rather than what many deem to be the ‘easy’ path.[5]"
Shannon has been featured in the television show Smallville, where one part became two when the producers found out they were identical twins.[3] She has appeared in films along with her sister such as: Tin Man, Sharp as Marbles, Hard Impact, A Wedding Story, and other films.[2]
The twins made an appearance on The Tyra Banks show in 2007 to talk about the stereotypes they deal with in the entertainment industry and the misconceptions the media and the industry have of First Nations people.[4]
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Dominant Gene | Reporter | Direct-to-DVD |
| 2011 | Hopelessly in June | Casey | |
| 2010 | Worth 1000 Words | Woman | |
| 2010 | Dreamcatcher | Rebecca | |
| 2008 | Sharp as Marbles | Bikini Girl | Direct-to-DVD |
| 2007 | Tin Man | Demillo Girl |
| Year | Show | Role | Ep. # | Episode title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Tales of an Urban Indian | Terri | 1 | "Pilot" | Lead |
| 2006 | Smallville | Hondoras Girl | 5.17 | "Void" | Guest Star |
| Year | Show | Role | Ep. # | Episode title | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Tyra Banks Show | Herself -Guest | 175 | "Focus on Race: Are Celebrities Immune?" | Celebrity Guest Appearance |