What is Vinessa Shaw's Net Worth?
Vinessa Shaw is an American actress and model who has a net worth of $1 million. Vinessa Shaw has appeared in films like "Hocus Pocus," "Eyes Wide Shut," "40 Days and 40 Nights," and "The Hills Have Eyes," among others. In 1989, at 13 years old, she signed with Elite Models agency. Vinessa made her film debut in the 1981 movie Home Sweet Home. She starred as Laura Savino in the TV series Vegas from 2012 to 2013. In 2014, Shaw starred in the TV series Those Who Kill as Angela Early and Ray Donovan as Kate McPherson. She has also starred in the movies Ladybugs, Hocus Pocus, Eyes Wide Shut, Corky Romano, 40 Days and 40 Nights, The Hills Have Eyes, 3:10 to Yuma, and Two Lovers. She was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2008 and was nominated for six Young Artist Awards, including for Best Young Actress Recurring in a Television Series, Best Young Actress Co-starring in a Motion Picture, Best Youth Actress Leading Role in a Motion Picture Comedy, Best Performance by a Youth Actress in a Drama Series, and Best Performance by a Youth Actress as a Guest Star. Vinessa is a Buddhist and is a facilitator of the SHI-USA lay Buddhist Association for Peace, Culture, and Education.
Early Life
Shaw was born on July 19, 1976, in Los Angeles, California, to parents Larry Shaw and Susan Damante. Her father worked as a psychology professor and psychologist, while her mother was an actress. Shaw became interested in acting and the arts as a child. Shaw was raised in the Buddhist religion. She attended acting camps at the University of California – Los Angeles and also began touring with children's folk singer Peter Alsop when she was 11 years old. At the age of 13, she signed with Elite Models. Much of her early work was in commercials and modeling before she began acting. She did enroll at Barnard College in New York City but ultimately decided to drop out in order to pursue acting.
Career
In 1993, when Shaw was 17, she was cast in the Disney film "Hocus Pocus" along with Bette Midler, Sara Jessica Parker, Omri Katz, and Kathy Nijimy. The film was popular and helped Shaw launch her early career. She subsequently landed roles in various television series like "Fallen Angels," "McKenna," and "Murder, She Wrote." For her work in the two latter shows, she received nominations at the Young Artist Awards in the Best Performance by a Youth Actress in a Drama Series and Best Performance by a Youth Actress in a Guest Star categories.
While attending Barnard College, Shaw was approached by director Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick encouraged her to audition for his upcoming film, "Eyes Wide Shut." She landed a role as a prostitute who is approached by Tom Cruise's character in the film. She later spoke about how influential Kubrick was on her and how he was very instrumental in her decision to pursue acting full-time.
Her work in "Eyes Wide Shut" helped Shaw land additional roles in other films. She appeared in the mystery-drama film "The Weight of Water" in 2000 opposite Sarah Polley and Sean Penn. She also appeared in the comedy "Corky Romano," the romantic comedy "40 Days and 40 Nights," and the Woody Allen film "Melinda and Melinda." For much of the early 2000s, she primarily appeared in independent films.
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In 2006, Shaw was cast in the horror movie "The Hills Have Eyes." She plays the character of a young mother on a camping trip with her family, who is later attacked by mutants. The director, Alexandre Aja, had wanted to cast Shaw in the film after seeing her performance in "Eyes Wide Shut." Shaw's face appeared on the promotion poster for the film and helped solidify her status as a Hollywood actress. The film was a box office success.
In 2007, Shaw booked a role in the remake of the classic Western film, "3:10 to Yuma." The film also starred Russell Crow and Christian Bale and did well with the critics as well as at the box office. The cast of the film also received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category. In 2008, she appeared in the indie drama film "Garden Party." In the same year, she also starred in "Two Lovers" along with Joaquin Phoenix and Gwyneth Paltrow. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2008 and then was released more broadly in theaters in early 2009.
In 2010, she appeared in the film "Leave" followed by "Puncture" in 2011. The following year, she appeared in both "Big Miracle" and "Come Out and Play." She remained busy in 2013, appearing in four films – "Side Effects," "Siren," "Dark Around the Stars," and "Electric Slide." In 2014, she booked a lead role in the crime drama series, "Ray Donovan." She appeared in 10 total episodes.
In 2015, Shaw appeared in the film "Bereave." In 2017, she booked the role of Dr. Jane Mathis in "Clinical," followed by a role in "Family Blood" in 2018. She appeared in three films in 2021 – "The Blazing World," "12 Mighty Orphans," and "We Need to Do Something."
Personal Life
After being raised a Buddhist, Shaw continued practicing throughout her adult life. She became a follower of Nichiren Buddhist philosophy and was a member of the Soka Gakkai International (SHI) Buddhist organization during her first year of college in 1996. The belief system helped her overcome loneliness and depression while she was a young woman. She has since become a facilitator of the SGI-USA lay Buddhist Association for Peace, Culture, and Education and remains devout in her practice.
In 2007, Shaw began dating Kristopher Gifford. They two got engaged in 2008 and married in 2017. In 2017, she also announced that she was expecting her first child with her husband. Their son, Jack, was born in October of that year.
