Born Samuel Shepard Rogers in Fort Sheridan, IL. Emerged as a leading American playwright in the late 1960s and early 70s with a number of powerful dramas which reworked American mythology, especially that of the "Old West." Among Shepard's eight Obie®-winning plays are Curse of the Starving Class (1977), Buried Child (1979), Fool for Love (1984) and True West (1985). Shepard contributed to the screenplay of Michelangelo Antonioni's interesting, if poorly received, ZABRISKIE POINT (1970) and scripted Wim Wenders's atmospheric American odyssey, PARIS, TEXAS (1984). Tall, with weathered good looks, he made his first film appearance in Bob Dylan's RENALDO AND CLARA (1978) and went on to establish himself as an able supporting and lead player, notably in Terrence Malick's DAYS OF HEAVEN (1978), as the legendary Chuck Yeager in THE RIGHT STUFF (1983) and in Robert Altman's film adaptation of his play FOOL FOR LOVE (1985). He made his directorial debut with the elliptical drama, FAR NORTH (1988), which he also wrote. Other notable credits include: (as writer) OH! CALCUTTA! (1972 - contributions), SILENT TONGUE (1994, also director) and SIMPATICO (1999 - play); (as actor) RESURRECTION (1980), RAGGEDY MAN (1981), FRANCES (1982), COUNTRY (1984), CRIMES OF THE HEART (1986), BABY BOOM (1987), STEEL MAGNOLIAS (1989), THUNDERHEART (1992), THE PELICAN BRIEF (1993), CURTAIN CALL and SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS (both 1999), HAMLET and ALL THE PRETTY HORSES (both 2000), THE PLEDGE, SWORDFISH and BLACK HAWK DOWN (all 2001), LEO (2002), BLIND HORIZON (2003), THE NOTEBOOK (2004), DON'T COME KNOCKING (also writer) and STEALTH (both 2005), WALKER PAYNE, BANDIDAS and THE RETURN (all 2006), THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD (2007), and THE ACCIDENTAL HUSBAND, FELON and DESCENDING FROM HEAVEN (all scheduled for 2008). Shepard has two children by actress Jessica Lange.  Nominated for Supporting Actor 1983: THE RIGHT STUFF 1 nomination