I didn't go out of my way to get into this movie stuff. I think of myself as a writer. Sam Shepard moviestuffwriter Change image and share on social
There's no way to escape the fact that we've grown up in a violent culture, we just can't get away from it, it's part of our heritage. I think part of it is that we've always felt somewhat helpless in the face of this vast continent. Helplessness is answered in many ways, but one of them is violence. Sam Shepard answercontinentculture share on social
When you write a play, you work out like a musician on a piece of music. You find all the rhythms and the melody and the harmonies and take them as they come. Sam Shepard findharmonymelody Change image and share on social
My old man tried to force on me a notion of what it was to be a 'man.' And it destroyed my dad. Sam Shepard daddestroyforce Change image and share on social
It's funny, in a way the actor is a writer. It's not like the two things are so separate as to be like apples and oranges. The writer and the actor are one. Sam Shepard actorapplefunny Change image and share on social
My son, Walker, has a band called The Dust Busters. You know, he plays banjo, fiddle, guitar, and mandolin, so a lot of my interest in that kind of music comes from him constantly listening to this stuff. He's taught me the history of it. It's remarkable how these young kids are now turned on to more traditional old-time music. Sam Shepard bandbanjobuster share on social
I think without writing I would feel completely useless. Sam Shepard completelyfeeluseless Change image and share on social
I don't get offered leading parts. I suppose I've become a kind of character actor or sideman. I think it had to do with probably in the '90s, I refused so many leading roles that they gave up on me, or I just became unpopular, or I became old. All those reasons. Sam Shepard 90sactorcharacter share on social
In real life we don't know what's going to happen next. So how can you be that way on a stage? Being alive to the possibility of not knowing exactly how everything is going to happen next - if you can find places to have that happen onstage, it can resonate with an experience of living. Sam Shepard aliveexperiencefind share on social
I feel very lucky and privileged to be a writer. I feel lucky in the sense that I can branch out into prose and tell different kinds of stories and stuff. But being a writer is so great because you're literally not dependent on anybody. Sam Shepard branchdependentfeel share on social