Shannon Tweed

Casanova would have adored Shannon Tweed. In his diaries, for those of you who haven't read them, he says that a woman who is only beautiful, men will tire of eventually. An ugly woman who is a clever and a fine conversationalist will have a man at her feet. The woman who has all these qualities is the rare prize every man dreams of. That's Shannon Tweed.

MODW: "Shannon, everyone who has watched 'Family Jewels' has come to see what a great relationship you and your younger sister have."

Shannon: "My other sisters were grown up when I left home. But she was only 8 at the time. We're getting to know each other again now. To tell you the truth, I wish I had my other sisters here too. We'd fight when were younger...the usual girl stuff. But when you don't have that around you everyday, you come to appreciate what you had."

MODW: "Tell me about you mom. Was she your role model?"

Shannon: "My mom was very strong. She never kowtowed to anyone in the day when women weren't supposed to do that. At one point during my childhood we had to sell our ranch. She kept seven kids going. Watching her taught me a lot about having a strong work ethic and standing up for yourself."

MODW: "You've got two great kids Shannon. Your mom must have influenced the way you raised them?"

Shannon: "I think so. If I could share just one I'd tell new moms this: Mean what you say to your kids. Follow through. It's the most important thing. Even if I said no to my children at times, and even if I regretted it, I always followed through. Consequently, I had kids that weren't whiners about going to bed, doing their homework. We didn't negotiate."

MODW: "It was your way or the highway?"

Shannon: "That sounds a little harsh, but yeah. I think parents try so hard to be friends to their children. Trust me. They've got friends. What they need is rules. They need to know where they belong. I got my son to 18 years of age without drinking, drugs or sex...well, I don't know how that's working out right now. But I learned from my mom. She didn't have time to waste and neither did I."

MODW: "What about Gene's role in all this?"

Shannon: "He's a great dad. But he was away a lot when the kids were young. That's why I'll say it again. Say what you mean when you talk to your kids."

MODW: "What do you think about Lindsay Lohan and other troubled stars like her?"

Shannon: "Lindsay doesn't need that mom. She needs a mom. These girls think they can do whatever they want and get away with it. Now they're realizing that there are consequences to every action, even if you're a rich, young Hollywood starlet."

MODW: "People may not realize this, but you are very involved in your children's schooling. You've been the president of the PTA."

Shannon: "Right. I did the lunch program for four years. Helping my children's school has become a passion for me. At a certain point in life you realize that giving back is what it's all about."

MODW: "What do you think is the best thing you've imparted to your kids?"

Shannon: "When my son graduated, he got up and had to tell us what he had learned throughout his program. For an hour no one talked except for him. Finally I asked him if it was hard being good when most of the kids smoked drugs, dissed their parents and did a lot of other things. He looked at me and said, 'No mom. It wasn't hard at all.' When I heard that I lost it. You always worry that they'll hate your guts. That why I say if you're a mom stand your ground with your kids."

MODW: "How do you think you've helped your daughter Sophie most in the way you and Gene have raised her?"

Shannon: "Sophie's got great radar. She's getting good at picking real friends. She's strong willed. She's an athlete. She'll never be anorexic. She despises that you're only as good as you look attitude. If you meet her friends, at first you might not get the connection. Then the kid opens their mouth and you say, 'Now I get it. I see why Sophie likes them.' Her friends are quirky, good people."

MODW: "What about body image issues with your daughter? Has that ever been a problem?"

Shannon: "She's got a chest and it's getting harder to hide, that's for sure. But Sophie's not hiding her body. She's comfortable with herself. She so not like I was. When I was her age I was desperate for any attention from a man. But Sophie knows how to say 'no' to people in an appropriate manner. She'll come home from school sometimes and say, 'I heard how this girl talked to her mom and I didn't like it. I don't think we'll be friends.' She's street smart, but in good way."

MODW: "Whose idea was it to do a reality show?"

Shannon: "I definitely didn't want to do it at first. I did it as a favour to Gene. It was something he wanted to do as a platform for other business ventures."

MODW: "When you and Gene checked in for plastic surgery together on the show it was talked about all over North America. Was the decision to have a facelift done in front of the whole world difficult for you?"

Shannon: "Here's the thing. I feel like I am 25. I run three miles every day. But when you start looking like 50 and don't feel that way it messes your head. I don't advocate what I do or did to anyone. Plastic surgery doesn't always look great and the idea is to look better, not 20. I didn't like how things were falling south. The bottom line is nobody gives you a plaque after you die, you know. So just do it now, no matter what others may think, and live with the consequence if it's right for you."

MODW: "Yes, but wasn't it hard to have everybody see you go through that?"

Shannon: "To be honest, doing it on TV was a relief. I didn't have to lie about it."

MODW: "Were you happy with the results?"

Shannon: "I think Gene looked better before."

MODW: "What about Gene? What does he feel when he looks at you now?"

Shannon: "He sees no change in me at all. Isn't that great?"

MODW: "Are you satisfied where you are in your life right now Shannon?"

Shannon: "I'm at a transition in my life. I guess my big fear is that my kids won't call home when they finally leave."

MODW: "What about your career, though?"

Shannon: "There aren't a whole lot of call for actresses like me. To be honest, I lost my passion for acting a long time ago. I think my whole career was a mistake, actually."

MODW: "Why is that?"

Shannon: "It was hard to get parts because I'm so tall. But I think I did the best with what was offered to me."

MODW: "What's your biggest regret?"

Shannon: "I regret doing drugs. Although, at least I know what I'm looking for now at school or around my kids. I wasted too much time on drugs and I wish I hadn't. Other than that I don't regret a thing."

MODW: "What's your greatest passion?"

Shannon: "My children and doing for others."

MODW: "What else turns you on?"

Shannon: "People who have a passionate, giving souls."

MODW: "What does the word 'love' mean to you."

Shannon: "It's a bigger word than you think and it's not always unconditional."

MODW: "What about making a relationship work? What's the trick?"

Shannon: "Gene never disses me in public. He always wants the best for me. Sometimes I think the balloon is going to break because it is mind- boggling to me that I'm this happy. Gene still sticks to his guns about the marriage thing. But we've been together 24 years. We're more married than most married people are."

MODW: "What do you know now that you didn't at 40?"

Shannon: "How important loyalty is. It's like a filter around you. That's why I feel it's better to have fewer friends but me loyal to one another."

MODW: "What's your greatest strength?"

Shannon: "My honesty. I'm the person you go to when you really want to know how that dress looks. Trust me, if it's bad I'll tell you straight up not to go out in it."