Jason Shaw was born into a prominent family in Chicago, his father holding the esteemed position of CEO at Jefferies & Company, Inc., a globally renowned investment bank and securities firm. Blessed with a chiseled physique and athletic prowess, Shaw graduated from the University of Chicago in 1995, where he played for the esteemed basketball team and earned a degree in history. Initially, he had planned to pursue a career in business. Nevertheless, his college roommate, who hailed from South Beach, Florida, knew individuals within the modeling industry and informed Shaw that he possessed the requisite looks and charisma to excel in this field. Consequently, he was able to attend a ProScout event held in Chicago and was promptly selected by the talent scouts in attendance. Subsequently, he was signed by the esteemed Wilhelmina Models agency and soon secured an assignment with the coveted Abercrombie & Fitch, a feat highly sought after among male models. This assignment led to a string of lucrative jobs and garnered him significant media exposure.
His big break came in 1998, when he was signed as the lead spokesman for the company founded and named after its eponymous founder, Tommy Hilfiger. This development marked a significant turning point in his life, as he became a household name and a fixture on the fashion scene. In 2000, he met socialite and occasional model Paris Hilton, heiress to the Hilton hotel fortune, and the two quickly hit it off, becoming fast friends and frequent companions. Their friendship soon blossomed into a romance, and in 2001, they became engaged. During this period, Hilton's celebrity status soared, and Shaw found himself caught up in the whirlwind of media attention. The couple eventually broke off their engagement, only to rekindle their romance and resume their engagement. However, in 2003, they ultimately parted ways for good, although they maintain a cordial relationship to this day.
Following the expiration of his contract with Hilfiger in 2003, Shaw decided to pursue a career in acting, leveraging his fame to secure television and film roles, including recurring parts on Third Watch (1999) and Charmed (1998),as well as co-starring alongside Hilton in The Hillz (2004). He hopes to convert his celebrity status into a successful and enduring acting career.
