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.
However, a country's tax laws and/or state old-age pension rules usually mean that in a given country a certain age is thought of as the standard retirement age. The standard retirement age varies from country to country but it is generally between 50 and 70 (according to latest statistics, 2011).