TMZ: Oscar-nominated actor Sam Shepard, dead at 73

Sam Shepard, the playwright who won a Pulitzer Prize and also was nominated for an Oscar, has died, according to TMZ. He was 73 years old.

Shepard had been battling with ALS and reportedly died Sunday peacefully in his Kentucky home. The website Broadway World reported he was surrounded by his children and sisters.

Shepard won the coveted Pulitzer Prize back in 1979 for the play "Buried Child." He penned 44 plays and was nominated for an Academy Award for best supporting actor for the 1983 film, "The Right Stuff."

PARK CITY, UT - JANUARY 18: Actor Sam Shepard poses for a portrait during the 2014 Sundance Film Festival at the Getty Images Portrait Studio at the Village At The Lift Presented By McDonald's McCafe on January 18, 2014 in Park City, Utah. (Photo by



New York Magazine hailed him as the greatest American playwright of his generation. Sam starred in a bunch of movies -- including "Black Hawk Down" and "Swordfish" -- and most recently starred in Netflix's "Bloodline."

Shepard was married to O-Lan Jones for 15 years and was Jessica Lange's longtime partner for over 2 decades. They had 2 kids together.