New York Times reported Monday morning that the actor, screenwriter and playwright passed away peacefully in his Kentucky home last Thursday. A Shepard family spokesman told the Times that the cause of death was complications of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
Shepard's star never soared to blockbuster heights, but his career is certainly the envy of any actor and writer. Not only was he nominated for a Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar for his part in 1983 astronaut drama "The Right Stuff," he received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1979 for his play "Buried Child."
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View StoryYes, Ryan Gosling's "Notebook" dad was also one of the most accomplished playwrights of his generation, authoring 44 plays, plus 26 writing credits on IMDb, some of which were adaptations of his plays.
Most recently, Shepard played the patriarch of the complicated Rayburn family on the first season of critically acclaimed crime drama "Bloodline," which fizzled out with critics by its third and final season. He also had a small, but pivotal role in 2013 Julia Roberts-Meryl Streep drama "August: Osage County." Other film credits include "Midnight Special," "Mud" and "Out of the Furnace" and "Black Hawk Down."
Shepard had three children, two of which he shared with longtime partner Jessica Lange ("American Horror Story"), who he split with in 2009.
Hollywood stars immediately took to Twitter to mourn the loss.
