---
name: "Sam Shepard"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/sam-shepard"
fi1m_id: "sam-shepard"
imdb_id: "nm0001731"
tmdb_id: 9880
wikidata_id: "Q294583"
roles: ["Actor","Writer"]
born: "5 November 1943"
died: "27 July 2017"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 12
average_fi1m_score: 73
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 11
updated: "2026-10-04T23:06:12.129125+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Sam Shepard

## Identity

Sam Shepard

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/sam-shepard
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** sam-shepard
- **IMDb ID:** nm0001731
- **TMDB ID:** 9880
- **Wikidata ID:** Q294583
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Shepard, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q294583, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001731/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9880

Actor and writer. Born 5 November 1943 in Fort Sheridan, Illinois, USA. Died 27 July 2017.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor, Writer
- **Born:** 5 November 1943, Fort Sheridan, Illinois, USA
- **Died:** 27 July 2017
- **Active:** 1970–2013
- **Also known as:** Samuel Shepard Rogers, Сем Шепард, سم شپارد, سام شپارد
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 12: 11 acting, 1 writing
- **Frequently works with:** [Andrew Dominik](https://film.one/person/andrew-dominik.md), [Brad Pitt](https://film.one/person/brad-pitt.md), [Ridley Scott](https://film.one/person/ridley-scott.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Average Fi1m score:** 73, as actor, over 11 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1970s 85 (1), 1980s 80 (3), 1990s 63 (1), 2000s 75 (4), 2010s 68 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 73 to 69 across 11 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 7 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 10 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 9, Thriller 3, Comedy 2, Crime 2, History 2, Romance 2
- **Screen time:** 24 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $766m across 11 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Shepard, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q294583, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001731/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/9880

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Mud*](https://film.one/film/mud.md) (78), [*Killing Them Softly*](https://film.one/film/killing-them-softly.md) (68), [*The Pelican Brief*](https://film.one/film/the-pelican-brief.md) (63), [*August: Osage County*](https://film.one/film/august-osage-county.md) (57)
- **HBO Max:** [*Paris, Texas*](https://film.one/film/paris-texas.md) (88)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford*](https://film.one/film/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford.md) (84)
- **Apple TV:** [*Black Hawk Down*](https://film.one/film/black-hawk-down.md) (73)
- **Netflix:** [*Steel Magnolias*](https://film.one/film/steel-magnolias.md) (67)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Sam Shepard

> Sam Shepard could make a man seem worth listening to before he had said much. We value the restraint most in *The Right Stuff*, though the repeated casting as stoic authority figures could leave him too little to do.

Sam Shepard’s Chuck Yeager makes a dangerous occupation look like work that someone has taken the trouble to learn. In *The Right Stuff* (1983), his self-possession gives us confidence in the pilot without making a display of courage. We found him stirring because he lets us see the skill in Yeager’s work without insisting that we admire the man. There is enough assurance in the performance that we want Philip Kaufman to stay with him, even with that lively astronaut ensemble waiting.

As the Farmer in Terrence Malick’s *Days of Heaven* (1978), Shepard had already established how much he could convey through physical presence and economy. Wider recognition came with *The Right Stuff*, which gave that restraint a particularly persuasive use. Kaufman lets him supply the authority while Ed Harris, Scott Glenn and Dennis Quaid keep the astronaut ensemble from becoming too solemn. The satire can be heavy-handed, but Shepard never seems to be pressing a point.

Later roles often called on the same authority, from Garrison in *Black Hawk Down* (2001) to Frank James in Andrew Dominik’s *The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* (2007). His weathered presence is an apt choice for Dominik’s western, where hero worship becomes uncomfortable to watch. The film rewards patience, though some scenes repeat the point and its pace will not suit every evening.

The reservation is the repeated casting as stoic men in supporting parts. A farmer, a general and an outlaw have different work to do, but asking an actor merely to look seasoned can leave too little for him to play. Yeager gives that quiet a practical purpose: we believe he knows his job, and that belief keeps us watching. Start with *The Right Stuff*, allowing for Kaufman’s heavier comedy elsewhere.

## Biography

Sam Shepard (born Samuel Shepard Rogers III) was an American actor and playwright. He appeared as William F. Garrison in *Black Hawk Down* (2001) and as Frank James in *The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* (2007). His other film roles include Frank Calhoun in *The Notebook* (2004), Hank Cahill in *Brothers* (2009), Tom in *Mud* (2013) and Gerald 'Red' Baze in *Out of the Furnace* (2013).

Shepard wrote numerous plays and received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for *Buried Child*. He won ten Obie Awards and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as Chuck Yeager in *The Right Stuff* (1983). He was born in Fort Sheridan, Illinois, on 5 November 1943 and died on 27 July 2017.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, britannica.com, thoughtco.com.*

## On Fi1m (12)

### Performed in (11) — the average rests on these

- *August: Osage County* (2013), Fi1m 57, as Beverly Weston — [page](https://film.one/film/august-osage-county.md)
- *Mud* (2013), Fi1m 78, as Tom — [page](https://film.one/film/mud.md)
- *Killing Them Softly* (2012), Fi1m 68, as Dillon — [page](https://film.one/film/killing-them-softly.md)
- *The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* (2007), Fi1m 84, as Frank James — [page](https://film.one/film/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford.md)
- *The Notebook* (2004), Fi1m 74, as Frank Calhoun — [page](https://film.one/film/the-notebook.md)
- *Black Hawk Down* (2001), Fi1m 73, as Garrison — [page](https://film.one/film/black-hawk-down.md)
- *Hamlet* (2000), Fi1m 68, as Ghost — [page](https://film.one/film/hamlet-2000.md)
- *The Pelican Brief* (1993), Fi1m 63, as Thomas Callahan — [page](https://film.one/film/the-pelican-brief.md)
- *Steel Magnolias* (1989), Fi1m 67, as Spud Jones — [page](https://film.one/film/steel-magnolias.md)
- *The Right Stuff* (1983), Fi1m 86, as Chuck Yeager — [page](https://film.one/film/the-right-stuff.md)
- *Days of Heaven* (1978), Fi1m 85, as The Farmer — [page](https://film.one/film/days-of-heaven.md)

### Wrote (1)

- *Paris, Texas* (1984), Fi1m 88, Writer — [page](https://film.one/film/paris-texas.md)

## Complete filmography (88)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Tesla* (2020), In Memory Of
- *Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese* (2019), as The Writer
- *Never Here* (2017), as Paul Stark
- *Buried Child* (2016), Writer
- *In Dubious Battle* (2016), as Mr. Anderson
- *Midnight Special* (2016), as Calvin Meyer
- *True West* (2016), Writer
- *Ithaca* (2015), as Willie Grogan
- *Bloodline* (2015), series, as Robert Rayburn
- *Cold in July* (2014), as Russell
- *Klondike* (2014), series, as Father Judge
- *August: Osage County* (2013), as Beverly Weston — Fi1m 57, [page](https://film.one/film/august-osage-county.md)
- *The Assassination of President Kennedy* (2013), as Acting Double
- *Out of the Furnace* (2013), as Gerald 'Red' Baze
- *Mud* (2013), as Tom — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/mud.md)
- *Savannah* (2013), as Mr. Stubbs
- *Killing Them Softly* (2012), as Dillon — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/killing-them-softly.md)
- *Darling Companion* (2012), as Sheriff Morris
- *Safe House* (2012), as Harlan Whitford
- *Blackthorn* (2011), as James Blackthorn
- *Inhale* (2010), as James Harrison
- *Fair Game* (2010), as Sam Plame
- *Brothers* (2009), as Hank Cahill
- *Felon* (2008), as Gordon
- *The Accidental Husband* (2008), as Wilder
- *The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* (2007), as Frank James — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/the-assassination-of-jesse-james-by-the-coward-robert-ford.md)
- *Ruffian* (2007), as Frank Whiteley
- *Charlotte's Web* (2006), as Narrator (voice)
- *The Return* (2006), as Ed Mills
- *Walker Payne* (2006), as Syrus
- *Bandidas* (2006), as Bill Buck
- *Don't Come Knocking* (2005), as Howard · Writer
- *Stealth* (2005), as George Cummings
- *The Notebook* (2004), as Frank Calhoun — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/the-notebook.md)
- *See You in My Dreams* (2004), Short Story, Writer
- *Blind Horizon* (2003), as Sheriff Jack Kolb
- *True West* (2002), Writer
- *Leo* (2002), as Vic
- *Black Hawk Down* (2001), as Garrison — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/black-hawk-down.md)
- *Shot in the Heart* (2001), as Frank Gilmore, Sr.
- *Swordfish* (2001), as Senator Reisman
- *After the Harvest* (2001), as Caleb Gare
- *The Pledge* (2001), as Eric Pollack
- *Kurosawa* (2000), as Narrator (voice)
- *All the Pretty Horses* (2000), as J.C. Franklin
- *One Kill* (2000), as Maj. Nelson Gray
- *Hamlet* (2000), as Ghost — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/hamlet-2000.md)
- *Snow Falling on Cedars* (1999), as Arthur Chambers
- *Simpatico* (1999), Theatre Play
- *Dash and Lilly* (1999), as Dashiell Hammett
- *Purgatory* (1999), as Sheriff Forrest / Wild Bill Hickock
- *Curtain Call* (1998), as Will Dodge
- *The Only Thrill* (1997), as Reece McHenry
- *Lily Dale* (1996), as Pete Davenport
- *Streets of Laredo* (1995), series, as Pea Eye Parker
- *The Good Old Boys* (1995), as Tarnell
- *Safe Passage* (1994), as Patrick
- *Curse of the Starving Class* (1994), Writer
- *Silent Tongue* (1994), Director, Writer
- *The Pelican Brief* (1993), as Thomas Callahan — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/film/the-pelican-brief.md)
- *Thunderheart* (1992), as Frank Coutelle
- *Defenseless* (1991), as Det. Beutel
- *Voyager* (1991), as Walter Faber
- *Bright Angel* (1990), as Jack Russell
- *Steel Magnolias* (1989), as Spud Jones — Fi1m 67, [page](https://film.one/film/steel-magnolias.md)
- *Far North* (1988), Director, Writer
- *MaMa's Pushcart* (1988), Actor
- *Baby Boom* (1987), as Dr. Jeff Cooper
- *Crimes of the Heart* (1986), as Doc Porter
- *Fool for Love* (1985), as Eddie · Screenplay, Theatre Play
- *Alive from Off Center* (1985), series, Writer
- *Country* (1984), as Gil Ivy
- *Paris, Texas* (1984), Writer — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/film/paris-texas.md)
- *True West* (1984), Writer
- *The Right Stuff* (1983), as Chuck Yeager — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-right-stuff.md)
- *Frances* (1982), as Harry York
- *Tongues* (1982), Music, Writer
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, Writer, Theatre Play
- *Raggedy Man* (1981), as Bailey
- *Savage/Love* (1981), Writer
- *Resurrection* (1980), as Cal
- *Days of Heaven* (1978), as The Farmer — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/days-of-heaven.md)
- *Renaldo and Clara* (1978), as Rodeo · Writer
- *Oh! Calcutta!* (1972), Writer
- *Brand X* (1970), Actor
- *Zabriskie Point* (1970), Screenplay
- *Me and My Brother* (1969), Writer
- *Ages of the Moon*, Theatre Play

## Gallery

- ![Actor Sam Shepard mulls over a scene in the upcoming motion picture "Stealth," while filming aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 7 (2004)](https://film.one/media/person/97410/gallery-4ad2a64a9eed.jpg) Actor Sam Shepard mulls over a scene in the upcoming motion picture "Stealth," while filming aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 7 (2004) — U.S. Navy photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Tyler J. Clements, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b7/Sam_Shepard_Stealth.jpg/1280px-Sam_Shepard_Stealth.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Sam Shepard](https://film.one/media/person/97410/gallery-974c9b6d9520.jpg) Sam Shepard — Soerfm, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Sam_Shepard_Stealth_crop.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Sam Shepard](https://film.one/media/person/97410/gallery-629e5e4f67c2.jpg) Sam Shepard — Image via TMDB
- ![Sam Shepard](https://film.one/media/person/97410/gallery-e7c5dee7cbfd.jpg) Sam Shepard — Image via TMDB
- ![Sam Shepard](https://film.one/media/person/97410/gallery-b2a781730080.jpg) Sam Shepard — Image via TMDB
- ![Sam Shepard](https://film.one/media/person/97410/gallery-d852b24876c4.jpg) Sam Shepard — Image via TMDB
- ![Sam Shepard](https://film.one/media/person/97410/gallery-c3016e83056c.jpg) Sam Shepard — Image via TMDB
- ![Sam Shepard](https://film.one/media/person/97410/gallery-5ee4d72aca02.jpg) Sam Shepard — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 1984: Best Supporting Actor (nominated), for *The Right Stuff*

### Other awards — 3 won, 2 nominated

- Tony Award for Best Play 2000: Tony Award for Best Play (nominated), for *True West*
- Tony Award for Best Play 1996: Tony Award for Best Play (nominated), for *Buried Child*
- Pulitzer Prize for Drama 1979: Pulitzer Prize for Drama (won)
- Guggenheim Fellowship 1971: Guggenheim Fellowship (won)
- Guggenheim Fellowship 1968: Guggenheim Fellowship (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/sam-shepard