Josephine Angela Sorbello (March 19, 1928 – January 17, 2025), known professionally as Jan Shepard, was an American actress.
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]
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]
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]
| 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" |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
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