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Sam Shepard

Sam Shepard is an actor, screenwriter, director, and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright for his 1979 three-act play Buried Child. Shepard's numerous other plays have included Angel City, Curse of the Starving Class, Killer's Head, The Mad Dog Blues, Cowboy Mouth, The Rock Garden, True West, The God of Hell, and Fool for Love. In 1970 Shepard co-wrote Michelangelo Antonioni's ZABRISKIE POINT and later won critical acclaim for his original screenplay of Wim Wenders' PARIS, TEXAS.

As an actor, Shepard made his film debut in Bob Dylan's RENALDO AND CLARA and went on to impress critics that same year starring in Terrence Malick's DAYS OF HEAVEN alongside Richard Gere. A number of strong appearances followed, including RESURRECTION; RAGGEDY MAN; FRANCES, opposite Jessica Lange; and most notably his role in Philip Kaufman's THE RIGHT STUFF, which brought him an Academy Award nomination. Shepard then re-teamed with Lange in COUNTRY AND CRIMES OF THE HEART, and played the lead in Robert Altman's adaptation of his play FOOL FOR LOVE.

Shepard's other notable film credits include BABY BOOM, STEEL MAGNOLIAS, DEFENSELESS, THUNDERHEART, BRIGHT ANGEL, VOYAGER, THE PELICAN BRIEF, SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS, HAMLET, ALL THE PRETTY HORSES, THE PLEDGE, SWORDFISH, BLACK HAWK DOWN, THE NOTEBOOK, STEALTH, BANDIDAS, DON'T COME KNOCKING, THE RETURN, and WALKER PAYNE.

His notable television films and miniseries have included Larry McMurtry's Streets of Laredo, Lily Dale, Purgatory, Dash and Lilly (which brought him both Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for his performance as writer Dashiell Hammett), One Kill, Wild Geese, and Ruffian.

Shepard also wrote and directed the features FAR NORTH and SILENT TONGUE.

Most recently Shepard was seen in THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD opposite Brad Pitt, THE ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND directed by Griffin Dunne and FELON opposite Val Kilmer. His upcoming projects include FAIR GAME with Sean Penn and Naomi Watts, directed by Doug Liman and INHALE with Dermot Mulroney and Diane Kruger.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2009.
Read earlier biographies on this page.

Sam Shepard Facts

Birth NameSamuel Shepard Rogers
OccupationActor, Director, Producer
BirthdayNovember 5, 1943 (80)
SignScorpio
BirthplaceFort Sheridan, Illinois, USA
Height6' 1½" (1m87)  How tall is Sam Shepard compared to you?

Selected Filmography

Baby Boom
The Assassination Of Jesse James By The Coward Robert Ford
Out of the Furnace
The Notebook
The Only Thrill
Safe House
Midnight Special
The Pelican Brief
In Dubious Battle
The Right Stuff
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