Actor and Playwright Sam Shepard Dies at Age 73

Actor and Playwright Sam Shepard has died from complications due to ALS, as confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. He was 73.

Shepard had nearly 70 film and television credits to his name. Some of his best known roles included parts in "The Pelican Brief," "Steel Magnolias," and "August: Osage County." He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in 1983 for the film, "The Right Stuff." In that film, Shepard played Chuck Yeager, one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts.

He most recently appeared as Robert Rayburn in the Netflix Original Series, "Bloodline." In earlier television work, he was nominated for an Emmy for his leading role in the TV movie "Dash and Lilly."

In addition to his onscreen work, Shepard was also an accomplished playwright. He penned a number of plays over the course of his career and was nominated for several awards. In 1979 he won the Pulitzer Prize for his play "Buried Child." He was also nominated for two Tony Awards for Best Play. One nomination was for "Buried Child," the other for "True West."

Many actors and directors took to Twitter as soon as news broke. They all wanted to express their admiration for the man who worked among them for more than 40 years. Here are just a few:

R.I.P. Sam Shepard - cowboy poet dramatist of the American family shadow. A legend.

— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) July 31, 2017
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R.I.P. Sam Shepard, a giant to this Theatre Studies major.

— (((Joshua Malina))) (@JoshMalina) July 31, 2017
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Sam Shepard. Whenever he came on-screen, you knew you were in good hands. A frame from "Days of Heaven." May he rest in love. pic.twitter.com/DQc0fy7EqN

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) July 31, 2017
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Shepard is survived by his three children Jesse, Hannah, and Walker.

Tell us: What was your favorite performance by Sam Shepard?

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