YORK COUNTY— Hampton Roads-based actor Robert Shepherd started his performing career 30 years ago, with an Army career in between.
Now, after starring in a few local movie productions and national commercials, Shepherd sat down with his wife and penned his memoir, “Delay is Not Denial.”
Shepherd, who grew up on a farm in Missouri, made his way to Hollywood in his late teens. After a stint on “The Dating Game,” in which he won the date, Shepherd met and fell in love with a school teacher, by the name of Marcia. The two joined the Army together.
Living in Los Angeles so Robert could pursue his acting career, Shepherd and Marcia married and welcomed their first child. However, Marcia suffered a brain aneurysm shortly after the birth which completely halted Robert’s plans.
“Thankfully, she was completely restored. But by that time, we were living on a shoestring budget, we had a little girl, and I felt like I needed to get back into a permanent income. It was at that point that I remember hearing very distinctly ‘delay is not denial,'” Shepherd said.
Living in Los Angeles was not conducive to raising his young family, so Shepherd rejoined the Army and was sent to Fort Monroe. While there, Shepherd served as a public affairs officer for the base and when time came for him to retire, he had enough credentials to start seriously pursuing his acting career.
“I absolutely loved being in public affairs. It really opened my eyes to so many things. I loved working with the media. That whole experience really helped equipped me for where I am today,” Shepherd said.
After his retirement from the Army, Shepherd made Hampton Roads his permanent home.
With over 100 acting credits to his name, America got to know Shepherd when he starred in a national commercial for Hearing Assist. He portrayed the father figure in the commercial that struggles with hearing loss. He has also starred in locally-produced films, including “That Summer the Wolf Came.”
With chapters on his life in Los Angeles, his time spent in the U.S. Army, acting tips and more, Shepherd says that the overarching theme is truly the title of the book — delay is not denial.
“Never give up. If you have something that you feel very strongly about, you need to just hold onto that. Not just even because you are getting up in years. I was never reluctant to try things. Not everything I did turned out the way we hoped. Our adventure in LA was not what we planned on. We had to regroup and start over. Don’t let circumstances ultimately keep you from going on and following your dream,” Shepherd said.
While in his memoir he shares his own personal life story and experiences, Shepherd hopes that it also helps inspire others to never give up on their own dreams, whatever they may be.
“I know not everybody wants to be an actor, that was my dream. But, so many people have a desire to do something and for whatever reason life has gone by and they haven’t done it yet. I thought this book would be a catalyst for other people,” Shepherd said.
“Delay is Not Denial” is available on Amazon.com.