Photo: Super Festivals from Ft. Lauderdale, USA / CC BY 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Vinessa Shaw is one of those actresses who lodged herself in your brain before you even knew her name — if you grew up in the early 90s, you absolutely remember her as Allison in Hocus Pocus, the cool older girl who actually believed in witches before it was too late. She started out as a child actress, which is a rough road for anyone, and somehow came out the other side with real range and a Barnard College degree to boot. Her career has been a long, steady slow-burn rather than a flash-in-the-pan — popping up in Eyes Wide Shut, Two Lovers, and a memorable run on Ray Donovan — and there's something genuinely refreshing about a talent who just keeps working without chasing celebrity. She's never been loud about herself, which is probably why she's underrated, but her instincts on screen are always sharp.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Vinessa Shaw
- Name (Japanese)
- ヴィネッサ・ショウ
- Reading
- ゔぃねっさ・しょう
- Born
- July 19, 1976 (age 50)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Dragon
- Origin
- Los Angeles, California, United States
- Occupation
- actor / television actor / model / film actor / film director
2. Background
- University
- Barnard College
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Frequently asked questions
When was Vinessa Shaw born?
Born July 19, 1976 (age 50).
Where is Vinessa Shaw from?
Vinessa Shaw is from Los Angeles, California, United States.
What does Vinessa Shaw do?
Vinessa Shaw works as actor, television actor, model, film actor, film director.
Actor — see all → · Television actor — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.