Oscar nominated actor and Pulitzer-winning playwright, Sam Shepard, died on Thursday in Kentucky, USA. He was 73. A spokesperson for his family announced the death on Monday, saying he was battling with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Born on November 5, 1943, Shepard has over 50 years of experience, having burst into the theatre scene in the Off-Off-Broadway theatre in 1962. After winning six Obie Awards between 1966 and 1968, Shepard emerged as a viable screenwriter with Robert Frank’s Me and My Brother (1968) and Michelangelo Antonioni’s Zabriskie Point (1970).
While he dabbled in different genres in writing, including science fiction, Shepard was named playwright-in-residence at the Magic Theatre, where he created many of his notable works, including his Family Trilogy in 1975.
In 1978, Shepard began his acting career as the land baron in Terrence Malick’s Days of Heaven (1978), opposite Richard Gere and Brooke Adams. He went on to play other important roles, including playing Elle Burstyn’s love interest in Resurrection (1980). His portrayal of Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff (1983) fetched him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
He was also known for his role as General William F Garrison in the box office hit Black Hawk Down in 2001.
Most recently, in 2014, he published a play – A Particle of Dread, his take on Oedipus. He also played the role of the head of the troubled Florida family in the Netflix series Bloodline for three seasons.
He is currently survived by his children, Jesse, Hannah and Walker Shepard, and his sisters, Sandy and Roxanne Rogers.
Tributes have been pouring in since then:
Sam Shepard asked politely if he could rewrite his dialogue for this scene. He showed up w 1 page. Typewritten. Simple. Perfect. I framed it pic.twitter.com/snB4iXZVt0
— Jim Mickle (@Mickle_Jim) July 31, 2017
Wearing my cowboy boots and raising a glass tonight in honor of the great Sam Shepard.
— Edward Norton (@EdwardNorton) August 1, 2017
RIP Sam Shepard pic.twitter.com/b5H6ZvzINj
— Katie Couric (@katiecouric) July 31, 2017
Sam Shepard was a gift to the arts. A visionary. He will live forever in his words and timeless examinations. ?
— Keegan Allen (@KeeganAllen) July 31, 2017
So sad to hear about Sam Shepard passing. A truly original actor and an incredible writer. Sending love to his family. ?#RIP
— Reese Witherspoon (@RWitherspoon) July 31, 2017
We’ve lost an icon.
R.I.P. Sam Shepard#TheNotebook pic.twitter.com/IHkEKdjmTk— Nicholas Sparks (@NicholasSparks) July 31, 2017
Featured Image: USA Today
