Sam Shepard, the actor, playwright, producer and all around solid character actor has died at the age of 73. Sam received many awards, including a Pulitzer Prize for his 1979 ‘Buried Child,’ and Oscar nomination for ‘The Right Stuff’ in 1983. In the film Sam portrayed a grisly war veteran in the Hollywood production of ‘Black Hawk Down’ in 2001. His film credits also include ‘The Notebook,’ ‘Crimes of the Heart,’ and ‘The Pelican Brief’ with Julia Roberts.
Upon graduating from high school, Sam moved to New York to work as any struggling writer and actor might have done, taking jobs as a busboy while working off Broadway. Sam’s writing got him through the front door to Hollywood, but it’s his acting that made him a household name.
Sam had been a live-in partner to Jessica Lange for nearly 10 years, suffering from ALS and a host of other ailments until his death.
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