20 Facts About Shawn Christian

On "Days of our Lives" Shawn Christian portrayed Dr. Daniel Jonas, a devoted surgeon, who had a rebellious streak. Daniel was killed in a car accident in January 2016, bringing an abrupt end to his on-again, off-again romance with Nicole Walker, played by actress Arianne Rucker. 

Even though Daniel won't be returning, Christian will always have a special place in the hearts of longtime "Days" fans. 

Here are a few interesting facts about this intriguing actor.

Shawn Christian in Real Life

• Shawn Patrick Christian stands 6 feet tall; he has brown hair and blue eyes.
• He shares his December 18 birthday with film star Brad Pitt, although Christian is two years younger.
• Most of his life, Christian considered acting a hobby. “I wrote plays when I was younger and acted in them,” he recounts. “No one really tells you, ‘You can do this for a living.’ So I pursued other things.”
• Christian graduated from Ferris State University in Michigan with a degree in marketing.
• Christian met his wife, Deborah Quinn, in 1991, while they were both models auditioning for a print ad in Chicago. The pair married in 1996 but were divorced in 2013.
• He is the father of a son, with Quinn, named Kameron Christian.

Shawn Christian Acting Career

• "Days" wasn't Christian's first daytime soap opera role; he played Mike Kasnoff for three years on the now-defunct "As the World Turns."
• He honed his acting skills when he relocated to Chicago, where he joined the improvisational company Improv Olympic and began performing with them on stage.
• One of Christian’s career guardian angels was the late Aaron Spelling, who cast him on "Charmed," "Pacific Palisades" and "Beverly Hills, 90210." 
• While Christian plays Victor’s godson on "Days," he also has a connection to actor John Aniston’s famous daughter, Jennifer Aniston. He played Rachel’s gynecologist on "Friends" back in 2001.
• "Days" fans can thank the writers’ strike and looming actors’ strike of 2008 for luring the actor back to daytime. “The town was in a holding pattern,” says Christian. “I thought, This is a nice opportunity. Let me go on this adventure.”
• Christian understands why some Days viewers weren’t enamored with the womanizing Daniel. But in the character's later years, he softened a bit as he grew into his relationship with Nicole.
• Christian was nominated for "Hottest Male Star" by Soap Opera Digest magazine in 1996 but lost to co-star Peter Reckell (who played the late Bo Brady). 
• When it came to making his doctor role as believable as possible, Christian would turn to childhood friend Tony Yasick, a real-life physician.

Shawn Christian Off Screen

• Christian has played on various NBAE (NBA Entertainment) basketball teams. The rosters are made up of various celebrities, and over the years, he played with Josh Duhamel and Taye Diggs.
• Christian’s parents live on a lake near Cannonsburg, Michigan. He finds the area extremely peaceful and even bought land there. One day, he hopes to build a cabin there.
• He is a devoted fan of the Detroit Red Wings.
• Christian swears he’s not workout obsessed, but when he gets a script that says he’ll be shirtless, “that's incentive to get into the weight room."
• He is a big supporter of The Painted Turtle, a camp for chronically and terminally ill children.
• When Christian isn’t indulging in his favorite outdoor activities –- hiking, mountain biking and water sports –- he enjoys painting and photography.