Shannon Cochran
After graduating with top honors from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, Shannon Cochran set out to pursue her lifelong dream of acting. Her post-collegiate travels led her to Chicago, where she immersed herself in the local theater scene. Throughout the late '80s Cochran appeared in dozens of plays in Chicago, including several productions with the world-famous Steppenwolf Theatre, where she won numerous accolades. By 1992 Cochran decided to try her hand at screen acting, and within a few months began landing guest spots on several popular sitcoms, including "Empty Nest," "Full House," and "Seinfeld," in which she played a small part on a now-classic episode known as "The Parking Space." Cochran's big break came in 1994 when she landed a guest-starring role on the science fiction series, "Star Trek: The Next Generation." During the remainder of the '90s, Cochran also appeared in two episodes of the spin-off series, "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine," as well as a small role as Senator Tal'aura in the 2002 film, "Star Trek: Nemesis." By the 2000s Cochran returned to acting in TV comedies, appearing in episodes of "Frasier," "Desperate Housewives," and a memorable performance as Pam Beasly's mother in a 2005 episode of "The Office."