Shawn Robert Ashmore was born one minute after his twin brother Aaron in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada on October 7, 1979. At the tender age of seven, when their mother became a part of the Multiple Births Association in Alberta, Canada, the Ashmore twins were already in front of cameras impressing their elders. But it was Shawn that at the age of 14, stole the hearts of many with his wonderful performance in _"Guitarman" (1994)_ in which he played the main character and was nominated for a Gemini Award. Since then, his career has skyrocketed. He has done many made-for-television movies and series, and has guest starred on various television shows, but it was his brief appearance in X-Men that landed him a role in X2 and got him on the road to stardom. As an added bonus, he even got his own personal action figure modeled after him.

After only three months after X2 he easily earned the very minor role of his brother's double in My Brother's Keeper with a release date in spring of 2004. Apart from acting, Shawn enjoys spending time with his brother, listening to music, playing guitar and snowboarding. His special skill is that he's fluent in French. His mother Linda, who is a twin herself, is a homemaker, while his father Rick is a manufacturing manager. Shawn has one pet, Jessica, a golden retriever, that he got from his grandmother when he was nine.
Is twin brother of Aaron Ashmore For his made-for-television movie, Cadet Kelly, he had to attend military school for 3 months, also taking voice lessons to be able to project as a cadet major. For X2, he had to undergo physical training for 6 months with no alcohol consumption and a strict diet. Attended Turner Fenton High School in Brampton, Ontario. When filming Animorphs he had to pet a tiger. During one scene, the tiger jerked its head and Shawn's fingers went up its nose. Luckily, the tiger's trainer helped him escape injury. Reunited with actor Eugene Lipinski (Del McAllister in Guitarman) after 4 years for the hit television series Animorphs. Landed a role as his brother's twin in the movie My Brother's Keeper due to come out in Spring 2004. Currently dating actress Michelle Trachtenberg. They went to the 2004 MTV Movie awards together. His X-Men character, Bobby Drake/Iceman, was the first character from the comic series to make an appearance in another medium, as one of the main characters on Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. His character, and Ray Park's character of Toad, have both appeared in animated adaptations of the comics. In both, their characters were voiced by Frank Welker. For the 2005 TV movie "Terry", Shawn's prosthetic leg was digitally added in. However, for long distance shots, Grant Darby (a leg amputee and a world triathlon champion) was used as a double. Has his grandfather's initials tattooed on his wrist, as does his twin brother Aaron. Stayed in contact with co-star Anna Paquin (Rogue) after filming X2.