Charles Shaughnessy Biography

Fast Facts

• Won three Soap Opera Digest Awards for his work on "Days of Our Lives․"
• Though the rest of his family was in show business and he did love the theater, he tried to take a more sensible route and earned his B․A․ in Law at the Magdalene College of Cambridge University
• His great-great-grandfather, Thomas Shaughnessy, was ennobled for war work in 1916
• Enrolled in drama school after college and spent a year touring in repertory
• Became known to audience in the United Kingdom for his role in "Partners in Crime" and his lead role in "Jury," a BBC drama series
• Many Americans know him best as Shane Donovan on the soap opera "Days of Our Lives," which he appeared on for eight years, and Maxwell Sheffield on the sitcom "The Nanny․"
• Became the fifth Baron Shaughnessy in December 2007