Shannon Eagen ’12

Ever dream of walking down the red carpet in a gorgeous gown surrounded by adoring fans and clamoring paparazzi? Shannon Eagen is well on her way to achieving her lifetime dream of lighting up the silver screen. Shannon, originally from Southfield, Michigan, is a junior at the University of Michigan pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in acting and a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. In the summer of 2008, Shannon was featured in the Lifetime original movie Prayers for Bobby where she played Sigourney Weaver’s daughter. Her performance in the film caught the eye of a casting agent who quickly signed her on as a client. Shortly after, Shannon landed a role in the film Whip It staring Ellen Page and directed by Drew Barrymore. Her Campus was able to sit down and speak with Shannon about her experience in the film industry, and get the scoop on what she has planned next.
 
What was the casting process like for Whip It?I got the sides from my agent to audition and it was initially only a one-line part so I did that at the audition. Then they called me two weeks later and they told me that I had got cast and that they had actually expanded the part to add two additional scenes to it. So I was really excited, but I had no idea really what I was going to be doing.
 
What was it like having Drew Barrymore as your director? She is quite a character. She’s tiny and always wearing converse and skinny jeans and scarves and holding a Starbucks. She was very quiet and sweet and said, “everything is beautiful and that we’re all so beautiful and wonderful.” Really positive, but she definitely knew what she wanted and she knew how to get what she wanted. She wasn’t flaky, she just kind of has that air about her.
 
Was it intimidating to work with Ellen Page? I tried to just completely ignore all those feelings. It really was just a cool experience.  She’s really down to earth and just a normal person. She’s not crazy outgoing or high energy, she’s kind of just chill and quiet and really nice. I didn’t get to run my scenes before I did them and I was really scared, but it ended up working to my advantage because then you don’t think about it too much and just go for it and see what happens.
 
Do you want to pursue a career in film acting after graduating? Yeah, I want to move to L.A. after I graduate and try to do film or television. I actually think television would be really fun because it’s like a family.
 
What made you decide that you wanted a career in film? Working on Prayers for Bobby really helped with that. It was a longer shoot; I was there for two weeks because I was in all the family scenes. And that’s what made me know that I wanted a career in film. Everyday you see the same people; everyone is so nice and excited to be there and happy and doing what they love.  That made me realize that I want to do this. After being on a film set you just want to get back on it. Not just because its fun and it’s a movie, but you just want to be in that atmosphere, it’s unlike anything else.