Sam Shepard, a playwright, actor and director, has reportedly died at the age of 73

Sam Shepard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Oscar-nominated actor and celebrated author whose plays chronicled the explosive fault lines of family and masculinity in the American West, has died. He was 73.A family spokesperson said Monday that Shepard died Thursday at his home in Kentucky from complications related to Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.The taciturn Shepard, who grew up on a California ranch, was a man of few words who nevertheless produced 44 plays and numerous books, memoirs and short stories. His 1979 play “Buried Child” won the Pulitzer for drama.His Western drawl and laconic presence made him a reluctant movie star, too. He appeared in dozens of films, and was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in 1983′s astronaut drama “The Right Stuff.Stars quickly reacted:— "A great man of the theater has passed. Thank you, Sam Shepard. RIP." — Actor Jason Alexander on Twitter.— "Sam Shepard was a towering figure in American theater and film. He indeed had "the right stuff." His voice will truly be missed." — Actor George Takei on Twitter.— "I'm coping with Sam Shepard's death by listening to Prince which is just bumming me out more" — Comedian Whitney Cummings on Twitter.— "A hero of theatre. A hero of writing. A hero of acting. A hero of mine. Sam Shepard RIP." — Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau on Twitter.— "So sad about the news of Sam Shepard... We still have his theater and his characters, which will live forever." — Actor-director Diego Luna on Twitter, translated from Spanish.— "Sam Shepard is one of the greats. These eyes saw so much, and he wrote of what he saw with fearless, timeless honesty. RIP maestro." — Writer-producer Beau Willimon on Twitter.

Sam Shepard, the Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Oscar-nominated actor and celebrated author whose plays chronicled the explosive fault lines of family and masculinity in the American West, has died. He was 73.

A family spokesperson said Monday that Shepard died Thursday at his home in Kentucky from complications related to Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.


The taciturn Shepard, who grew up on a California ranch, was a man of few words who nevertheless produced 44 plays and numerous books, memoirs and short stories. His 1979 play “Buried Child” won the Pulitzer for drama.

His Western drawl and laconic presence made him a reluctant movie star, too. He appeared in dozens of films, and was nominated for an Oscar for his performance in 1983′s astronaut drama “The Right Stuff.

Stars quickly reacted:

— "A great man of the theater has passed. Thank you, Sam Shepard. RIP." — Actor Jason Alexander on Twitter.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

A great man of the theater has passed. Thank you, Sam Shepard. RIP. — jason alexander (@IJasonAlexander) July 31, 2017

— "Sam Shepard was a towering figure in American theater and film. He indeed had "the right stuff." His voice will truly be missed." — Actor George Takei on Twitter.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Sam Shepard was a towering figure in American theater and film. He indeed had "the right stuff." His voice will truly be missed. https://t.co/gkkK8KHxum — George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) July 31, 2017

— "I'm coping with Sam Shepard's death by listening to Prince which is just bumming me out more" — Comedian Whitney Cummings on Twitter.

— "A hero of theatre. A hero of writing. A hero of acting. A hero of mine. Sam Shepard RIP." — Actor Nikolaj Coster-Waldau on Twitter.

— "So sad about the news of Sam Shepard... We still have his theater and his characters, which will live forever." — Actor-director Diego Luna on Twitter, translated from Spanish.

— "Sam Shepard is one of the greats. These eyes saw so much, and he wrote of what he saw with fearless, timeless honesty. RIP maestro." — Writer-producer Beau Willimon on Twitter.

This content is imported from Twitter. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.