Outside of his stage work, he has achieved fame as an actor, writer, and director in the film industry. With a career that now spans nearly 40 years, Sam Shepard has gained the critical regard, media attention, and iconic status enjoyed by only a rare few in American theatre. Throughout his career Shepard has amassed numerous grants, prizes, fellowships, and awards, including the Cannes Palme d'Or and the Pulitzer Prize.
The U.S. government has acknowledged that the official retirement age will to increase from 66 years. But doubts about the solvency of Social Security and the need for funding beyond the government entitlement is making the official age obsolete.
As a result of these various factors, the average retirement age for men has increased from 62 to 64 over the last 20 years (see Figure 2 on the next page). The average retirement age is defined as the age (in years and months) at which the labor force participation rate drops below 50 percent.15. The Case of Women.