Shanna Reed

Shanna Reed is an American retired actress and dancer, born Shanna Herron in Kansas City, Kansas. When she was seven years old, her father, Carl Herron, an engineer, died in a car accident in 1962, leaving her mother, Mary Lou (née Thompson; 1928–2014), with five children and pregnant. Within two years, Mary Lou married Tommy Reed (1913–2012), a former Marine who led the Tommy Reed Orchestra as a jazz saxophonist. The blended household grew to seven children, and Mary Lou Reed taught dancing for Arthur Murray dance studios. The family relocated to Phoenix, where Reed spent her formative years. Her mother and stepfather ran a talent-booking agency there, and Mary Lou and Tommy Reed had an additional child together. Reed attended Arizona State University for one year before pursuing a performance career.

Following her departure from Arizona State, Reed danced at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas. In 1975, she was among twelve dancers who, accompanied by a singer, performed for audiences in the Middle East and Europe. Upon returning to the United States, she joined the national touring company of A Chorus Line and subsequently took on a replacement role in the Broadway production of the same show. Her Broadway career extended through 1978, when she performed in Dancin'. She later became widely recognized for her recurring role as Polly Cooper McGillis on the sitcom Major Dad.

Reed's television work spanned numerous series, including Promised Land, Beverly Hills, 90210, Touched by an Angel, Cheers, Magnum, P.I., The Colbys, Simon & Simon, Hotel, I Had Three Wives, Knight Rider, T.J. Hooker, Fantasy Island, Texas, and Newhart. In her personal life, Reed married film director Terrence O'Hara.