Growing up in North Carolina, Kristen began studying Acting at the age of 8.  After graduating from Wake Forest University in 1992 with a Film and TV Major, she headed out to LA, to pursue her lifelong dream of being an actress.

Within 5 years she had broken into the Los Angeles market and was making a living as an Actress. Since then she has appeared in over 2 dozen Films and Television shows as well as having over 25 National Commercials to her credit.

Kristen Shaw was recently seen as "Nora", the First Gentleman's Chief-of-Staff, in ABC's hit Commander-in-Chief, with Geena Davis and Donald Sutherland.  She was called a "modern day Lady MacBeth" by the New York Times, for her portrayal of "Fiona", William Petersen's tough-talking wife in the Oscar nominated film, The Contender.

She received an Emmy campaign by the producers of the critically-acclaimed ABC series, Line of Fire, for her role as "Janet Malloy", wife to the mob boss, played by David Paymer. Look for her in Resurrecting the Champ with Samuel L. Jackson, The Last Castle, with Robert Redford, as well as Nothing But the Truth, with Kate Beckinsale, and many others.