Actor and Playwright Sam Shepard Dies at 73

The worlds of theater and film took an enormous hit on Monday morning, as actor, director and playwright Sam Shepard passed away at the age of 73.

At this time, his cause of death has not been released, though the actor is said to have dealt with ALS. Broadway World was first to report his passing.

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The Oscar-nominated actor had memorable roles in Steel Magnolias, Black Hawk Down, The Right Stuff, Bloodline, The Pelican Brief and many more.

He also won the Pulitzer Prize for writing the 1979 play, The Buried Child.

Shepard was born on November 5, 1943, and went on to write 45 plays in all. He also wrote several short stories and books.

The actor married O-Lan Jones in 1969, and the couple had one child, Jesse Mojo Shepard. The two were divorced in 1984.

Shepard began a relationship with actress Jessica Lange in 1982, and they stayed together until they separated in 2009. The duo had two children together, Hannah Jane and Samuel Walker.

After a vital stint on Netflix‘s original series Bloodline, Shepard recently appeared in the film, Never Here.

Photo Credit: Getty / Brian Ach