David Shaughnessy
David is noted by film aficionados as the voice of Sir Didymus in the Jim Henson classic film The Labyrinth. On stage, he is renowned for his seven years playing principal roles at the world famous Old Vic Theatre Company. While there, he appeared with notables Sir Derek Jacobi (David played both Horatio and Fortinbras in Jacobi’s Hamlet) and with Dame Eileen Atkins and Sir Alec McCowen.
As a theatrical stage director, David took on all manner of projects, from the famous weekly satire revue of current events, “Newsrevue,” at the Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, London to productions in English regional theatres including the Theatre Royal, Windsor, the Leeds Playhouse, and the Thorndike Theatre, Leatherhead. At the Chichester Festival Theatre, he directed the premiere of Steve Brown’s critically acclaimed musical, “Elmer Gantry.”
David emigrated to America where he was selected to be trained as a television director at NBC. This led to a busy and successful career behind the camera where he directed over 600 hours of Network television and produced almost 4000 hours. He directed for A & E: “The Last Act is A Solo,” starring Edward Herman and Academy Award winning Olympia Dukakis “Unpublished Letters” Anthony Edwards and Annette O’Toole. He felt truly awed directing the legendary Lauren Bacall in the wrap-arounds.
In 1991 he joined the #1 rated Daytime Drama, “The Young & The Restless,” as producer and director. He was with the show from 1991-2003, working his way through Supervising Producer to Executive Producer in 2000.
While with the “Young & Restless,” he won two Emmy Awards for “Best Daytime Drama,” in 1991 and 2003. He also won Two Nancy Susan Reynolds Awards, a TV Cares Ribbon of Hope Award and a People’s Choice Award.
David has had extensive experience directing and producing television shows including, “Trial by Jury,” with Raymond Burr and Academy Award winning Cuba Gooding Jr, “Tribes” for Fox, “Days of Our Lives” and “Santa Barbara,” both for NBC. David directed for CBS’s “The Bold & The Beautiful,” where he won two more Emmy Awards for directing. In addition to his busy work schedule, David continues to provide voice-overs for many video games, commercials and animation shows.
