Shannon Whirry

[7] While attempting to establish her career in New York, Whirry worked as a bartender, took a number of small bit roles and appeared in a commercial for FedEx; the latter work finally allowed her to join the Screen Actors Guild.

[7] She thereafter began to work in a number of direct-to-video erotic B-movies and unrated thrillers,[4] concurrent with Tanya Roberts, Maria Ford, and Shannon Tweed, who appeared in the same kinds of films at the time.

[4] Entertainment Weekly referred to Whirry and Hippolyte as "the Dietrich and Von Sternberg of the soft-core set".

In the late 1990s, she transitioned from erotic thrillers into a series of roles on mainstream network television and films, including action, sci-fi and horror genres.

She had a recurring role as Mike Hammer's secretary Velda in the television series Mike Hammer, Private Eye and made guest appearances on such shows as ER, Felicity, Seinfeld, V.I.P., Murphy Brown, Malcolm in the Middle and Nash Bridges.