Acting legend Sam Shepard was one among the many that could get you on his side or turn you firmly against him when he was on screen. He was just that good but he was also underrated all too often. He could hit his mark unlike a lot of actors and didn’t seem to need much prompting to hand in a very decisive and convincing performance. There were periods of time in which you wouldn’t hear from him all often, and then he would come surging back in a new set of movies or TV appearances, and you were glad to see him. His loss will be another hard one to take in the movie industry, as more and more actors like him are growing old and passing on these days.
Here are a few of his best roles that many might remember from the past few decades.
5. Stealth – Capt. George Cummings
Remember what I said about being able to hate his characters? He could play the type of bad guy that you just wanted to see go down no matter that he wasn’t the worst person in the world. The machine intelligence in this film was at least acting according to its programming, which eventually got screwed up, but Cummings was all about results and what would make his team that much better, no matter if it wound destroying his team in the process.
4. Swordfish – Senator Reisman
Reisman was just slime, there’s no other way to say it. It took someone of Shepard’s caliber to really put some effort into it and make sure that people thought the character was just an arrogant and power-hungry monster. Gabriel wasn’t much better but he was at least a man on a mission with a purpose, despite that purpose being slightly off kilter at times. Reisman was just the movie politician that cared about no one but himself.
3. Purgatory – Wild Bill Hickock
This was one of those unique films that didn’t get enough credit for the premise that it played out. Wild Bill Hicock definitely made some mistakes in his life, as did the other outlaws. But they weren’t so horrible that they went straight for the big burn, finding themselves in Purgatory where they could at least atone for their sins. In the end though, Wild Bill, Doc Holiday, Jesse James, and Billy the Kid figured the right thing would be to go right back to what they knew to do. At least it was for a good reason this time.
2. Steel Magnolias – Spud Jones
He’s not a slime or an outstanding guy, which is what makes Jones a little more realistic. He’s a guy that unfortunately takes his woman for granted up until he sees one of her friends lose her daughter. That gets him to thinking that doesn’t really know what he would do if his wife passed away. This makes him a real person, and the realization of what she’s really worth to him makes him a better man.
1. Brothers – Frank Cahill
He definitely does not play a nice guy in this film. He’s not the worst character ever but there’s some definite favoritism between Shepard’s character and that of Toby Maguire’s. One son goes in the military and the other doesn’t. For a hardcore military man the choice of who to respect and defend is fairly simple, and the other son is just kind of left out in the cold when it comes to affection.
Sam Shepard was one of the best even if no one else saw it. You will be missed sir, rest in peace.
Follow Us
