Jan Shepard

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Jan Shepard
File:Jan Shepard GE True Gertie the Great 1963.JPG
Jan Shepard in 1963
Born
Josephine Angela Sorbello

(1928-03-19)March 19, 1928
DiedJanuary 17, 2025(2025-01-17) (aged 96)
OccupationActress
Years active1954–2017
Spouse
(m. 1954; died. 2022)
[1]
Children1

Josephine Angela Sorbello (March 19, 1928 – January 17, 2025), known professionally as Jan Shepard, was an American actress.

Early years

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Josephine Angela Sorbello[2] was born in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, on March 19, 1928,[3][4] to parents of Sicilian descent, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Sorbello.[5][3] She was valedictorian of her class at Quakertown High School,[5] and acted in plays produced locally.[2]

Career

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Shepard honed her acting skills at the Pasadena Playhouse.[5] She appeared in the films Sabre Jet, as well as King Creole (1958) and Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966) with Elvis Presley, thus before and after his Army induction and his mother's death.[6] She played Nurse Betty in the syndicated television series Dr. Christian[7] and appeared in the television series Waterfront, Bat Masterson, The Man Behind the Badge, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Private Secretary, Dr. Christian, Rawhide, Laramie, Perry Mason, Highway Patrol, Gunsmoke, Tombstone Territory, The High Chaparral and The Virginian, among others.[3][8]

Personal life and death

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In 1951, Shepard met actor Ray Boyle. They married in 1954, and remained together until Boyle's death in 2022. Shepard died from pneumonia at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center, in Burbank, California, on January 17, 2025. She was 96.[4]

Filmography

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Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1959 Wanted Dead or Alive Lilith Preston Season 2 Episode 17 "Mental Lapse"
1964 Gunsmoke Marge Season 9 Episode 17 "Friend"
1965 Bonanza Sally Season 7 Episode 21 "The Code"

1964

 ‘ ‘ Perry Mason (TV series)
 Margaret Foster
 Season 8 Episode 2 “The Case of the
 Paper Bullets”

References

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  6. ^ "Interview with Jan Shepard, Elvis' co-star in 'King Creole' and 'Paradise, Hawaiian Style'". Retrieved June 20, 2018. https://www.elvis.com.au/presley/interview-with-jan-shepard.shtml
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