Sofia Shinas (born on January 17, 1974) is a Canadian television and film actress, and recording artist. She is best known for her hit single, "The Message", and her role as Brandon Lee's murdered fiancée, Shelly, in The Crow.
Shinas made her film debut in the 1994 action thriller, The Crow, starring Brandon Lee. The film was a box office success. After The Crow, Shinas landed a role opposite Charlie Sheen and Nastassja Kinski in Terminal Velocity. In 1995, she starred alongside C. Thomas Howell in the independent action/drama, Hourglass. Two years later, Shinas would again co-star with Howell in the 1997 action film, Dilemma. In addition to her film work, she has also appeared in the television shows, The Outer Limits and The Hunger.
In 1992, Shinas released her debut self-titled album on Warner Bros. Records. She co-wrote many of the songs and worked with noteworthy producers such as Roger Sanchez, Tommy Musto, Daniel Abraham, and Ben Grosse.
Her single, "The Message", reached #20 on Billboard's Dance/Club Play chart and was a crossover pop hit, peaking at #75 on the Hot 100 chart. Dance mixes for the single were produced by Mark Kinchen (aka MK). Her second single, "State of Mind", peaked at #16 on the Dance/Club Play chart. Her third single, "One Last Kiss", was released with some mid-tempo remixes called the "Cupid's Arrow" mixes, but it didn't fare well enough to chart.
Shinas left the music business to pursue an acting career and has yet to release another album.
Shinas currently attends USC School of Cinema-Television in Los Angeles, California, and will graduate in 2008. Most recently, Shinas directed a thesis film starring Jude Narita and Sebastian Segiel called Spring Eternal and is currently working on directing and writing another short film at USC School of Cinematic Arts.
1992: Sofia Shinas
1992: "The Message"
1992: "State Of Mind (You Make Me Feel Good)"
1992: "One Last Kiss"
