Shannon McRandle

Shannon Lynn McRandle (born 1969 in Killeen, Texas) is a professional model and makeup artist chosen by Decipher, Inc. in 1999 to represent Mara Jade in the photos taken for the Star Wars card games. At the time the original photos were taken she was known as Shannon Baksa, her married name from her first marriage. She has been married to Jamie McRandle since September 18, 2002.
In addition to modeling work, McRandle also works as a commercial hair and makeup stylist for print and video work.

Shannon Lynn Jones was born on August 28, 1969 in Killeen, Texas, US, to Leonard Jones (stationed at Fort Hood, drafted into the army for the Vietnam War) and Barbara Kubiszewski Walsh. She has two younger half-sisters, Hillary and Adrienne, from her step-father (John Meador). She began modeling at the age of three for department store fashion shows in the Richmond, Virginia area. By age twelve, modeling between D.C. and the Hampton Roads area took up a good deal of her time.

After high school, she moved to Las Vegas for four years, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies (1993) from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, with an emphasis on Public Relations and a minor in Sociology. She's worked photo, runway, and character modeling since she was twelve throughout the northeast US and in Las Vegas, NV. She enjoyed a busy and successful career as a make-up artist in the Hampton Roads and Virginia Beach areas. While living in Las Vegas, she worked as a promotional model at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Bally's Mirage, MGM, and in the Roman Festival at Caesar's Palace.

She was seven when Star Wars came out and saw it in Norfolk, VA. Her favorite movie is The Empire Strikes Back. When she heard she had an appointment for the casting, she ran out and got a few of the comics and one of the first three novels. She loved Mara right away, especially in the Zahn books. For the last several years she has been the image of the LucasFilm, Ltd. character Mara Jade, for Star Wars merchandise. At the time the original photos were taken in 1999 she was known as Shannon Baksa, from her first marriage in 1994.

Before 1998, Mara Jade appeared only as an illustration, but after that, illustrations attempted to simulate McRandle's look. Mara Jade was present in Jabba's Palace under the guise of the dancer "Arica" while Luke Skywalker was held captive during the Star Wars films.

McRandle has said that a small part in the movies for fun for the fans sounds great. She has stated her displeasure with Sacrifice, in which Mara dies.

McRandle married United States Navy veteran Jamie McRandle on September 18, 2002. She and her family live in Virginia Beach.