About
Shannon McMullen is an Ecuadorian-Irish fashion model and rising on-screen talent best known for her breezy style and relatable social posts. Signed to Wilhelmina Models as well as Select Model Management’s Chicago division, she has walked shoots in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York while amassing more than 145 K followers on Instagram under @shannonmcmu. Her feed mixes dreamy editorial images with candid behind-the-scenes clips that underline her “professional day-dreamer” persona and give followers an upbeat window into model life. In late 2024 she crossed into acting when CBS daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful introduced her as Willow, a top Forrester Creations model—an appearance that instantly boosted her profile beyond fashion circles.
Before Fame
Born in the United States on August 19 1999, Shannon grew up tumbling through teen magazines and sketching her own wardrobe ideas. She posted her very first Instagram photo in February 2018, inviting friends to read an article she had contributed to Panther magazine—a hint that storytelling was already part of her creative toolkit. Though scouts praised her long lines and green eyes, she chose to finish school and dabble in freelance writing before signing agency papers, believing a grounded start would help her handle fashion’s fast pace.
Trivia
- Social reach: Alongside 145 K-plus Instagram fans, Shannon entertains more than 40 K TikTok viewers with lighthearted comedy bits that often spoof model clichés. In March 2021 one of those sketches—set to Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles”—went viral among soap-opera watchers.
- Acting bug: Her guest stint on The Bold and the Beautiful wasn’t technically her first camera work; IMDb lists earlier indie shorts such as Happy Campers (2008) and Portraits of Sari (2007), filmed while she was still in high school drama club.
- Runway facts: She stands 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) with classic 34-24-34 measurements, a frame agencies describe as “editorial-commercial crossover,” making her as comfortable in beauty campaigns as in high-fashion catalogues.
- Hidden hobbies: When not on set she picks up Spanish novels to polish the language she inherited from her Ecuadorian relatives and unwinds by baking pistachio cookies—her self-proclaimed “shoot-day survival snack.”
Family Life
Shannon keeps relatives out of the spotlight, saying their privacy “matters more than any backstage pass.” What she has shared is that her mother’s Ecuadorian heritage and her father’s Irish roots shaped her global outlook and love of travel. Now based in Los Angeles, she often brings her parents to coastal shoots so they can enjoy the beach while she works. She has hinted at a close-knit sibling circle—“the first ones to cheer when a casting email drops”—but has yet to reveal names or exact numbers, preferring to let her work speak louder than family details.
Associated With
- On set at The Bold and the Beautiful she traded fashion tips with co-stars Crew Morrow (Will Spencer) and Jacqueline MacInnes Wood (Steffy Forrester).
- Online, she regularly tags Australian label Princess Polly and UK-based House of CB, brands that send her samples after collaborations.
- Her early viral TikTok used Vanessa Carlton’s music, earning a playful shout-out from the singer’s fan page.
- Fellow Wilhelmina face Lucky Blue Smith and model-turned-DJ Charly Jordan often appear in her “day-off coffee” selfies, underlining a circle of friends who juggle fashion and digital influence.
