Updated Feb 20, 2026
Details
Known For
Actor
Occupations
Actor, Dramaturge, Playwright, Screenwriter
Birthday
(Friday)
Died
Birthplace
Fort Sheridan, Illinois, USA
Nationality
Citizenship
United States
Languages
English
Spouse
O-Lan Jones (1969-1984)
Partner
Jessica Lange
Children
3 children
Parents
Jane Elaine Schook
Education
Duarte High School, Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, Mt. San Antonio College
Zodiac Sign
♏ Scorpio
Chinese Zodiac
羊 Goat
Name Origin
English < Akkadian (šamû)
Popularity
Tier A -- 116,791 Wikipedia views/month
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Career
Career spanning 46 years (1970-2016)
Screen debut
First screen credit at age 36
Year context
Born in 1943 -- Battle of Stalingrad ends; Allied invasion of Italy; Franklin D. Roosevelt was US president
Year 1943 →
Sissy Spacek →DROPTHE GOOD_
15
Notable
out of 100
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Human Impact
0
Innovation
0
Giving
0
Sustainability
100
Cultural Uplift
50
Public Vote
★
★
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★
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Filmography (42)
AWARDS (8)
G
Pulitzer Prize for Drama
1979
WON
B
Guggenheim Fellowship
1971
WON
B
PEN/Laura Pels International Foundation for Theater Award
WON
B
star on Playwrights' Sidewalk
WON
Biography
Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs. He won 10 Obie Awards for writing and directing, the most by any writer or director. Shepard received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for portraying pilot Chuck Yeager in the 1983 film The Right Stuff. He received the PEN/Laura Pels Theater Award as a master American dramatist in 2009. New York magazine described Shepard as "the greatest American playwright of his generation."
Shepard's plays are known for their bleak, poetic, surrealist elements, black comedy, and rootless characters living on the outskirts of American society. His style evolved from the absurdism of his early off-off-Broadway work to the realism of later plays like Buried Child and Curse of the Starving Class.
Connections (3)
Related People
Frequently Asked Questions
How old was Sam Shepard?
Sam Shepard was born on and passed away on at the age of 73.
Where was Sam Shepard born?
Sam Shepard was born in Fort Sheridan, Illinois, USA.
What movies or shows has Sam Shepard been in?
Sam Shepard has 42 credits in our database. Notable titles include California Typewriter (2017), Midnight Special (2016), Bloodline (2015), Mud (2013), Savannah (2013).
What is Sam Shepard known for?
Sam Shepard is primarily known as an actor. Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century.…
Where can I find more information about Sam Shepard?
You can find more about Sam Shepard on IMDB, TMDB, Wikidata. Their full profile and filmography is available on this page.
