Sam Shepard, who died July 27 from complications of ALS, had an extensive list of acting credits, on top of being a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author of short stories and essays. Read on to look back on his best film and television roles.
Shepard began his acting career with Terrence Malick’s “Days of Heaven,” in which he starred opposite Richard Gere and Brooke Adams in 1978.
In 1980, the actor starred in “Resurrection,” which was nominated for two Academy Awards.
In 1983, he starred in “The Right Stuff.” For his role as pilot Chuck Yeager, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
One year later, the actor starred opposite Jessica Lange in Richard Pearce’s “Country.”
In 1985, Shepard’s play “Fool for Love” got a film adaptation directed by Robert Altman, in which Shepard played the lead role.
Shepard co-starred with Lange in another movie one year later: “Crimes of the Heart,” in which he played Doc Porter.
In 1991, Shepard starred in “Defenseless” opposite Barbara Hershey and Mary Beth Hurt.
Shepard, Val Kilmer, Fred Dalton Thompson and Graham Greene all starred in the detective thriller “Thunderheart” in 1992.
Two years later, Shepard played a role in “Safe Passage” alongside Susan Sarandon.
In 1999, he starred in the TV movie, “Dash and Lilly.”
In 2000, Shepard played Ghost in Michael Almereyda’s “Hamlet,” which also starred Ethan Hawke and Bill Murray.
One year later, Shepard starred in Ridley Scott’s “Black Hawk Down” alongside Josh Hartnett and Ewan McGregor. The film won two Oscars and was nominated for two more.
In 2004, Shepard played the father of Ryan Gosling’s character in “The Notebook.”
In 2006, the actor narrated “Charlotte’s Web.”
In 2012, Shepard starred in “Safe House,” opposite Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington.
In 2012, he worked with Brad Pitt, Ray Liotta and Ben Mendelsohn on “Killing Them Softly.”
One year later, Shepard played Beverly Weston in “August: Osage County,” which was nominated for two Oscars.
In 2014, he played Father Judge in 6 episodes of the TV mini series “Klondike.”
In 2015, the author and playwright starred in Meg Ryan’s “Ithaca” alongside Tom Hanks, Ryan and Hamish Linklater.
Shepard also starred in James Franco’s 2016 film, “In Dubious Battle.”
His last film credit was “Never Here,” which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June.
His last TV credit was Netflix’s “Bloodline,” on which he played family patriarch Robert Reyburn.