SAM SHEPARD BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Sam Shepard was born on November 5th, 1943 in Fort Sheridan, Illinois with the birth name Samuel Shepard Rogers, born to Samuel Shepard Rogers Jr. and Jamie Elaine.  His father was in the military so he lived all over on various bases.  His family finally settled in Duarte, California and it was during his years at high school, that he first developed an interest in acting.  After he completed his high school diploma he studied agriculture for one year at Mount Antonio Junior College, initially planning to pursue a career as a veterinarian.
 
He later changed his mind about his career when he was given a chance to join the Bishop's Company Repertory Players.  He performed with them for two years and then relocated to New York City and found work as a playwright.
 
Along with working as a playwright, he also played the drums for the Holy Modal Rounders band and then he moved again, this time to London where he continued working as a writer. 
 
Some of his early writing credits included, "Me and My Brother" (1968), "Zabriskie Point" (1970), "Buried Child" (1978), "Curse of the Starving Class" (1978), "True West" (1980) and "A Lie of the Mind" (1985). 
 
After he gained some more experience there he relocated back to the United States in 1974 and found work in San Francisco at the San Francisco's Magic Theater.  Along with his writing talent he still tried to pursue a career as an actor and first gained the attention of Hollywood when he starred in, "Days of Heaven" (1978) and "The Right Stuff" (1983), for which he earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. 
 
Other credits he has added to his resume are roles in the films, "Paris, Texas" (1984), "Crimes of the Heart" (1986), "Steel Magnolias" (1989), "Voyager" (1991), "The Pelican Brief" (1993) starring Denzel Washington and Julia Roberts, "Safe Passage" (1994), "It All Came True" (1998), "Hamlet" (2000), "Black Hawk Down" (2001), "The Notebook" (2004) starring Ryan Gosling, Rachel McAdams, James Garner and Gena Rowlands, "The Return" (2006), "Felon" (2008) and "Inhale" (2010). 
 
In addition to his writing and acting he has also worked as a director for such projects as, "Far North" (1988) and "Silent Tongue" (1993).  He also worked as a writer for such television movies is, "Loucos Por Amor" (1991), "Autentic Oeste" (1991), "Verdadeiro Oeste" (1995) and "True West" (2002).   
 
He has also always been involved in teaching how to write plays and other areas of theater.  He has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Letters as well as being elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.  
 
Sam Shepard has married only once to O-Lan Jones in 1969 and they had one child before the marriage came to an end in 1984.  He lived with actress Jessica Lange and they have two children although they never married and in 2010, their relationship came to an end.

His most recent appearances have been on such films as, "Darling Companion" (2012), "Safe House" (2012), "Savannah" (2012), "Killing Them Softly" (2012), "Mud" (2012), "Out of the Furnace" (2012) and "Shoedog" (2012).     
 

Filmography

2012   Shoedog

2013   Out of the Furnace

2012   Mud

2012   Killing Them Softly

2012   Savannah 

2012   Safe House 

2012   Darling Companion 

2011   Blackthorn

2010   Inhale 

2010   Fair Game

2010   Tough Trade

2009   Brothers 

2008   Felon

2008   The Accidental Husband

2007   The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford

2007   Ruffian 

2006   Charlotte's Web 

2006   The Return 

2006   Walker Payne 

2006   Bandidas

2005   Stealth 

2005   Don't Come Knocking 

2004   The Notebook

2003   Blind Horizon

2002   Leo 

2001   Black Hawk Down

2001   Great Performances 

2001   Shot in the Heart 

2001   Swordfish 

2001   After the Harvest 

2001   The Pledge 

2000   All the Pretty Horses 

2000   One Kill

2000   Hamlet

1999   Snow Falling on Cedars

1999   Dash and Lilly

1999   Purgatory

1998   It All Came True

1997   The Only Thrill 

1996   Lily Dale 

1995   Streets of Laredo

1995   The Good Old Boys

1994   Safe Passage

1993   The Pelican Brief 

1992   Thunderheart

1991   Defenseless

1991   Voyager 

1990   Bright Angel

1989   Steel Magnolias 

1987   Baby Boom 

1986   Crimes of the Heart 

1985   Fool for Love 

1984   Country 

1984   Paris, Texas

1983   The Right Stuff 

1982   Frances

1981   Raggedy Man 

1980   Resurrection

1978   Days of Heaven 

1978   Renaldo and Clara

1970   Brand X