Young sandy-haired actor Shane West got his start with guest roles on the small screen that made the most of his boy-next-door good looks and unimposing presence. He quickly worked his way up the television ladder to series regular on the surprise hit ABC drama "Once and Again" in 1999. West played Eli, the teenage son of a man (Billy Campbell) who gets involved with a divorced mother (Sela Ward) following his own divorce. The actor capably handled the part's emotional range, with a role as a burdened young man struggling with a learning disability and carrying on a teen romance while trying
