Rob Lowe, Ava DuVernay, Ed Harris, and Gary Sinise are leading the tributes to actor and playwright Sam Shepard following the news of his passing.
The Oscar-nominated The Right Stuff star died on Thursday (27Jul17) at his home in Kentucky after suffering from complications relating to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the neurological condition also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neurone disease.
Tributes have been pouring in for the 73-year-old since his death was made public on Monday (31Jul17), with many of his famous friends and fans taking to social media to salute his legacy.
"Goodby (sic) to Sam Shepard, a true American icon of letters," wrote Lowe, while director DuVernay posted, "Sam Shepard. Whenever he came on-screen, you knew you were in good hands... May he rest in love."
His close friend Sinise shared a photo on Instagram of the pair from 1996, at the Broadway launch of Sam's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Buried Child, and recalled his memories of Shepard in the accompanying caption.
"Very sorry to hear the news of the passing of Sam Shepard," Sinise told fans. "Some of the best times for me in the theatre were working on plays written by this amazingly gifted playwright. Both True West and Buried Child are among my fondest memories of theatre work in 80's and 90's. He was truly a unique talent with a language all his own, an influence on actors and playwrights that resonates profoundly today. My condolences to his family. Thank you Sam. Rest In Peace my friend."
Meanwhile, Harris, who first worked with Shepard in the original 1983 production of his play Fool for Love, told People.com, "I loved Sam. He has been a huge part of my life, who I am, and he will remain so. I will let others talk about the importance and beauty of his work in theatre and film."
Other messages also poured in from actress Marlee Matlin, who hailed Shepard as "Brilliant and layered at his craft", while fellow playwright Beau Willimon tweeted, "Sam Shepard is one of the greats. These eyes saw so much, and he wrote of what he saw with fearless, timeless honesty. RIP maestro."
And Ashley Greene, who appeared alongside Shepard in one of his final acting projects, In Dubious Battle, posted, "The world lost a great talent today. I feel honored to have called him a costar. RIP Sam Shepard."
There were also tributes from stars including George Takei, Antonio Banderas, Alyssa Milano, John Leguizamo, Don Cheadle, Patton Oswalt, Ron Perlman, Emile Hirsch, Olivia Wilde, Octavia Spencer, and Cyndi Lauper.
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