Jack Shepherd was born in Leeds on October 29th, 1940, to a cabinet maker father and an infant school teacher mother. He attended Roundhay School, Leeds, and later studied fine art at Kings College, Newcastle, where he gained a BA in Fine Art.
He then studied acting at the Central School and the Drama Centre London, which he helped found. Shepherd worked at the Royal Court theatre from 1965 to 1969, where he was involved in the first production of "Saved" by Edward Bond, as well as "Narrow Road To the Deep North" and "Early Morning" by the same author.
He won the "Most promising actor of year" award in 1967 for his performance in David Storey's restoration of "Arnold Middleton". Throughout the 1970s, Shepherd appeared in numerous television dramas, including "Ready When You Are, Mr. McGill", "All Good Men", "Through the Night", and the series "Bill Brand".
In 1971, Shepherd teamed up with actor Richard Wilson to run a drama studio in north London, providing workshops for professional actors to develop their skills. During this time, Shepherd developed an interest in devising plays for theatre, writing "The Sleep of Reasons" and "Real Time", among others.
Shepherd was a member of the National Theatre from 1978 to 1986 and appeared in various productions, including "American Buffal" and "Glengarry Glen Ross", for which he won "best actor". He also appeared in "The Iceman Cometh" and biblical characters in the mysteries.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Shepherd continued to work in television, appearing in "Escape from Sobibor", "Blind Justice", and "Wycliffe", among others. He has also appeared in several films, including "The Virgin Soldiers", "Lights and Shadows", and "Wonderland".
Shepherd has also directed many stage plays, including "Two Gentlemen of Verona", "King Lear", and "A Midsummer Night's Dream". In recent years, he has appeared in the ITV comedy series "High Stakes" and the BBC drama "The Jury".
In addition to his acting and directing work, Shepherd is an accomplished jazz musician, playing the saxophone, piano, and flute.
