Biography
Samuel Shepard Rogers III (November 5, 1943 – July 27, 2017) was an American playwright, actor, director, screenwriter, and author whose career spanned half a century. He wrote 58 plays as well as several books of short stories, essays, and memoirs. He won 10 Obie Awards for writing and directing, the most by any writer or director. Shepard received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play Buried Child. He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for portraying pilot...
Known For
Complete Filmography

Tesla
2020
In Memory Of
The story of the Promethean struggles of Nikola Tesla, as he attempts to transcend entrenched technology—including his own previous work—by pioneering...

Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese
2019
as The Writer
Part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream, this film captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan perfo...

California Typewriter
2017
as Self
A story about people whose lives are connected by typewriters. A meditation on creativity and technology featuring Tom Hanks, John Mayer, Sam Shepard,...

Never Here
2017
as Paul Stark
An artist whose work involves capturing images of strangers begins to believe she herself is being observed.

Buried Child
2016
Writer
Sam Shepard's Pulitzer Prize-winning play in a production by The New Group, directed by Scott Elliott. Dodge (Ed Harris) and Halie (Amy Madigan) try t...

In Dubious Battle
2016
as Mr. Anderson
In the California apple country, 900 migratory workers rise 'in dubious battle' against the landowners. The group takes on a life of its own—stronger ...

Midnight Special
2016
as Calvin Meyer
A father and son go on the run after the dad learns his child possesses special powers.

True West
2016
Writer
A screenwriter gets conned out of selling a script to a Hollywood producer by his brother, who pitches his own idea for a movie. The damaged relations...

Ithaca
2015
as Willie Grogan
In a small town in California's San Joaquin Valley, 14-year-old Homer Macauley is determined to be the best and fastest bicycle telegraph messenger an...

Cold in July
2014
as Russell
While investigating noises in his house one balmy Texas night in 1989, Richard Dane puts a bullet in the brain of a low-life burglar. Although he’s ha...

August: Osage County
2013
as Beverly Weston
An intense look at the lives of the strong-willed daughters of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to ...

The Assassination of President Kennedy
2013
Acting Double
Produced by multiple EMMY® Award-winning executive producers Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman (HBO’s John Adams and The Pacific), and EMMY® Award-winning p...

Out of the Furnace
2013
as Gerald 'Red' Baze
Two brothers live in the economically-depressed Rust Belt, when a cruel twist of fate lands one in prison. His brother is then lured into one of the m...

Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction
2013
as Self
An impressionistic portrait of the iconic actor Harry Dean Stanton comprised of intimate moments, film clips from some of his 250 films and his rendit...

Mud
2013
as Tom
Two teenage boys find a fugitive hiding out on an island in the Mississippi River and help him reunite with his lover and escape an avenging family an...

Savannah
2013
as Mr. Stubbs
Savannah is the true story of Ward Allen, a romantic and bombastic character who rejects his plantation heritage for the freedom of life on a river. W...

Shepard & Dark
2012
as Self
An indelible portrait of the complex relationship between playwright and actor Sam Shepard and his close friend Johnny Dark as they prepare forty year...

Killing Them Softly
2012
as Dillon
Jackie Cogan is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse...

Darling Companion
2012
as Sheriff Morris
The story of a woman who loves her dog more than her husband. And then her husband loses the dog.

Safe House
2012
as Harlan Whitford
A dangerous CIA renegade resurfaces after a decade on the run. When the safe house he's remanded to is attacked by mercenaries, a rookie operative esc...

Blackthorn
2011
as James Blackthorn
In Bolivia, Butch Cassidy (now calling himself James Blackthorn) pines for one last sight of home, an adventure that aligns him with a young robber an...

Inhale
2010
as James Harrison
A couple goes to dangerous lengths to find a lung donor for their daughter.

Fair Game
2010
as Sam Plame
A devoted wife and mother leads a secret life as a CIA agent until her husband’s article exposes a scandal, putting her identity and loved ones at ris...

Brothers
2009
as Hank Cahill
When his helicopter goes down during his fourth tour of duty in Afghanistan, Marine Sam Cahill is presumed dead. Back home, brother Tommy steps in to ...

Felon
2008
as Gordon
A family man convicted of killing an intruder must cope with life afterward in the violent penal system.

Patti Smith: Dream of Life
2008
as Self
An intimate portrait of poet, painter, musician and singer Patti Smith that mirrors the essence of the artist herself.

The Accidental Husband
2008
as Wilder
Emma, a radio host, is about to be married to Richard, her perfect match. But right before her wedding, she learns she's already married to Patrick, a...

The Holy Modal Rounders: Bound to Lose
2007
as Self
A look back on the weird and wasted career of the Holy Modal Rounders.

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
2007
as Frank James
Outlaw Jesse James is rumored to be the 'fastest gun in the West'. An eager recruit into James' notorious gang, Robert Ford eventually grows jealous o...

Ruffian
2007
as Frank Whiteley
Ruffian is an American made-for-television movie that tells the story of the U.S. Racing Hall of Fame Champion thoroughbred filly Ruffian who went und...

Charlotte's Web
2006
as Narrator (voice)
Wilbur the pig is scared of the end of the season, because he knows that come that time, he will end up on the dinner table. He hatches a plan with Ch...

The Return
2006
as Ed Mills
Joanna Mills has a successful career but feels her personal life is spinning out of control. She has few friends, an estranged father, and a crazy ex-...

Walker Payne
2006
as Syrus
A small-town father is forced to make difficult, heartbreaking decisions in order to save his two daughters.

Bandidas
2006
as Bill Buck
When a ruthless robber baron takes away everything they cherish, a rough-and-tumble, idealistic peasant and a sophisticated heiress embark on a quest ...

Don't Come Knocking
2005
as Howard
Howard Spence has seen better days. Once a big Western movie star, he now drowns his disgust for his selfish and failed life with alcohol, drugs and y...

Don't Come Knocking
2005
Writer
Howard Spence has seen better days. Once a big Western movie star, he now drowns his disgust for his selfish and failed life with alcohol, drugs and y...

Stealth
2005
as George Cummings
Deeply ensconced in a top-secret military program, three pilots struggle to bring an artificial intelligence program under control ... before it initi...

Trudell
2005
as Self - Playwright, Actor (Thunderheart)
A chronicle of legendary Native American poet/activist John Trudell's travels, spoken word performances and politics.

See You in My Dreams
2004
Short Story, Writer
Joe, an overwrought rancher is striving from his harsh upbringing, trying make a better life for his family. When his business falters, Joe fears his ...

The Notebook
2004
as Frank Calhoun
An epic love story centered around an older man who reads aloud to a woman with Alzheimer's. From a faded notebook, the old man's words bring to life ...

Blind Horizon
2003
as Sheriff Jack Kolb
Left for dead in the remote Southwest, Frank is found clinging to life and in a state of amnesia. As he recovers, ominous memories begin to flash back...

This So-Called Disaster
2003
as Self
Director Michael Almereyda's documentary on the weeks just prior to Sam Shepard's stage production of his play "The Late Henry Moss."

Rosy-Fingered Dawn: A Film on Terrence Malick
2002
as Self
Rosy-Fingered Dawn is a film on Terrence Malick. It is about the making of BADLANDS, DAYS OF HEAVEN, THE THIN RED LINE and the personal involvement of...

True West
2002
Writer
Filmed play about two very different brothers, one a criminal and the other a screen-writing family man who becomes appalled by his wayward brother's ...

Leo
2002
as Vic
A young mother is plagued by a tragic mistake and alienates her little boy. A brilliant writer is released from prison after serving a 15-year sentenc...

Black Hawk Down
2001
as MG William F. Garrison
When U.S. Rangers and an elite Delta Force team attempt to kidnap two underlings of a Somali warlord, their Black Hawk helicopters are shot down, and ...

Shot in the Heart
2001
as Frank Gilmore, Sr.
The story of a man coming to terms with the sins and secrets of his notorious brother and, in the process, exploring the legacy of violence in his own...

Swordfish
2001
as Senator Reisman
Rogue agent Gabriel Shear is determined to get his mitts on $9 billion stashed in a secret Drug Enforcement Administration account. He wants the cash ...

After the Harvest
2001
as Caleb Gare
Caleb Gare (Sam Shepard) is a farmer obsessed with owning as much land as he can and controlling his entire family. This becomes more complicated when...

The Pledge
2001
as Eric Pollack
A police chief about to retire pledges to help a woman find her daughter's killer.

Kurosawa
2000
as Narrator (voice)
Documentary on film maker Akira Kurosawa

All the Pretty Horses
2000
as J.C. Franklin
The year is 1949. A young Texan named John Grady finds himself without a home after his mother sells the ranch where he has spent his entire life. Lur...

One Kill
2000
as Maj. Nelson Gray
A divorced female marine officer with two small children begins an affair with a senior officer.

Hamlet
2000
as Ghost
Modern day adaptation of Shakespeare's immortal story about Hamlet's plight to avenge his father's murder in New York City.

Snow Falling on Cedars
1999
as Arthur Chambers
In the 1950s, a Japanese-American fisherman is suspected of killing his neighbour at sea. For Ishmael, a local reporter, the trial strikes a deep emot...

Simpatico
1999
Theatre Play
As youths in Azusa, Vinnie, Carter, and Rosie pull off a racing scam, substituting winners for plodders and winning big bucks on long odds. When an of...

Dash and Lilly
1999
as Dashiell Hammett
Biographical look at the bombastic love affair that writers Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman shared in 1940 and 50's Hollywood. Refusing to marry,...

Purgatory
1999
as Sheriff Forrest / Wild Bill Hickock
An outlaw band flees a posse and rides into Refuge, a small town where no one carries a gun, drinks, or swears. The town is actually Purgatory, and th...

Curtain Call
1998
as Will Dodge
A bachelor afraid of marriage angers his long-time girlfriend by buying a splendid townhouse just for himself, only to find it haunted by the ghosts o...

The Only Thrill
1997
as Reece McHenry
A small-town store owner with a comatose wife shares a long-term relationship with his seamstress.

Lily Dale
1996
as Pete Davenport
In 1910, 19-year-old Horace Robedaux, still bitter toward his stepfather, goes to Houston to be reunited with his mother, Corella, and his sister, Lil...

The Good Old Boys
1995
as Tarnell
An aging cowboy must choose between his desire to remain free and the responsibilities of maintaining a family.

Dear Antonioni
1995
as Self
A documentary portrait of Michangelo Antonioni based on Roland Barthes' essay.

Safe Passage
1994
as Patrick
Recently estranged from her husband, and mother of seven sons, Mag Singer stands poised to pursue a whole new way of life. But when one of her childre...

Curse of the Starving Class
1994
Writer
Curse of the Starving Class is a play by Sam Shepard, considered the first of a series on family tragedies. Drama about a dirt-poor 1950's-era farm fa...

Made in the USA
1993
as Self
A Paul Joyce documentary on the American independent film scene.

The Pelican Brief
1993
as Thomas Callahan
A law student's theory about the recent deaths of two Supreme Court justices embroils her in a far-reaching web of murder, corruption, and greed.

Silent Tongue
1993
Director, Writer
Mad with grief after the death of his Kiowa wife, Roe awaits death under a tree with her body beside him. She begins to haunt him because he won't bur...

Thunderheart
1992
as Frank Coutelle
A young mixed-blood FBI agent is assigned to work with a cynical veteran investigator on a murder on a poverty-stricken Sioux reservation.

Defenseless
1991
as Det. Beutel
A Los Angeles lawyer defends her former college roommate, whose husband — her lover — has been slain.

Voyager
1991
as Walter Faber
Walter Faber has survived a crash with an airplane. His next trip is by ship. On board this ship he meets the enchanting Sabeth and they have a passio...

Bright Angel
1990
as Jack Russell
In Montana, naive teenager George longs to escape from his broken home before his dysfunctional parents push him over the edge. When George meets pret...

Steel Magnolias
1989
as Spud Jones
A young beautician, newly arrived in a small Louisiana town, finds work at the local salon, where a small group of women share a close bond of friends...

Far North
1988
Director, Writer
After generations of being apart, an accident brings a family back together and they begin to cope with their original issues.

MaMa's Pushcart
1988
With virtually no financial resources, Ellen Stewart created the La Mama theater in New York in 1961, where writers and actors such as Sam Shepard, El...

Baby Boom
1987
as Dr. Jeff Cooper
J.C. Wiatt is a talented and ambitious New York City career woman who is married to her job and working towards partner at her firm. She has a live-in...

Crimes of the Heart
1986
as Doc Porter
Three sisters try to come to grips with the meaning of their mother's suicide.

Fool for Love
1985
as Eddie
A woman is waiting in a motel for her boyfriend, when an old flame turns up and tries to take her back to the life she is trying to leave behind.

Fool for Love
1985
Theatre Play, Screenplay
A woman is waiting in a motel for her boyfriend, when an old flame turns up and tries to take her back to the life she is trying to leave behind.

Country
1984
as Gil Ivy
Jewell and Gil are farmers. They seem to be working against the odds, producing no financial surplus. Gil has lost hope of ever becoming prosperous, b...

Paris, Texas
1984
Writer
A man wanders out of the desert not knowing who he is. His brother finds him, and helps to pull his memory back of the life he led before he walked ou...

True West
1984
Writer
A screenwriter gets conned out of selling a script to a Hollywood producer by his brother, who pitches his own idea for a movie. This video recording ...

The Right Stuff
1983
as Chuck Yeager
As the Space Race ensues, seven pilots set off on a path to become the first American astronauts to enter space. However, the road to making history b...

Frances
1982
as Harry York
The true story of Frances Farmer's meteoric rise to fame in Hollywood and the tragic turn her life took when she was blacklisted.

Tongues
1982
Music, Writer
A performance piece written by Sam Shepard, enacted by Joseph Chaikin and directed by Shirley Clarke, a dying man reflects on his life while deliverin...

Raggedy Man
1981
as Bailey
Nita, a divorced mother of two boys, is stuck working as a telephone operator in a small Texas town in World War II. Her friendship with a sailor on l...

Savage/Love
1981
Writer
A prelude to Tongues (1982) which languishes over love and its effect on people.

Resurrection
1980
as Cal
The story of a woman who survives the car accident which kills her husband, but discovers that she has the power to heal other people. She becomes an ...

Days of Heaven
1978
as The Farmer
In 1916, a Chicago steel worker accidentally kills his supervisor and flees to the Texas panhandle with his girlfriend and little sister to work harve...

Renaldo and Clara
1978
as Rodeo
Filmed in the autumn of 1975 prior to and during Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour – featuring appearances and performances by Ronee Blakley, T-B...

Renaldo and Clara
1978
Writer
Filmed in the autumn of 1975 prior to and during Bob Dylan's Rolling Thunder Revue tour – featuring appearances and performances by Ronee Blakley, T-B...

Oh! Calcutta!
1972
Writer
Based on the controversial off-Broadway musical comedy revue, "Oh! Calcutta!" is a series of musical numbers about sex and sexual mores. Most of the s...

Brand X
1970
In 1969, Taylor Mead complained to his friend artist Wynn Chamberlain that Andy Warhol had never paid him for any of the work he had done for him and ...

Zabriskie Point
1970
Screenplay
Anthropology student Daria, who's helping a property developer build a village in the Los Angeles desert, and dropout Mark, who's wanted by the author...

Me and My Brother
1969
Writer
Julius Orlovsky, after spending years in a New York mental hospital, emerges catatonic and must rely on his brother Peter, who lives with poet Allen G...
Ages of the Moon
N/A
Theatre Play
A movie adaptation of the Sam Shepard play Ages Of The Moon.