Jan Shepard, a prominent television and film actress who starred alongside Elvis Presley and featured in over 30 Western television series, passed away on January 17, 2025. She died at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank, California, at the age of 96. Her son, Hollywood prop master Brandon Boyle, verified her cause of death as pneumonia, further complicated by respiratory failure.
Born as Josephine Angela Sorbello on March 19, 1928, in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, Shepard relocated to Los Angeles, California in 1949 to chase her acting dreams. Despite her initial doubts about Elvis Presley’s potential in show business, she became one of his trusted allies in Hollywood. Shepard’s early acting journey started at the Pasadena Playhouse, polishing her skills before making her television debut in 1952 on “Fireside Theatre.”
Shepard’s big break arrived in 1958 when she portrayed Mimi Fisher, Elvis Presley’s sister, in “King Creole,” a role she later referred to as “the break of her life.” The film was special for both actors, with Presley deeming it his favorite among his movies. She worked with Presley again in “Paradise, Hawaiian Style” (1966), playing Betty Kohana, a business partner’s spouse. Shepard said of Presley, “Once I met him, I just adored him.” Their professional relationship grew into a close friendship, with Presley treating her like a sister and surprising her at a birthday celebration organized by their common friend, actress Dolores Hart.
Shepard’s television career, which lasted for more than two decades, included notable roles in “I Married Joan,” “The Loretta Young Show,” “The Lone Ranger,” “Gunsmoke,” “Rawhide,” “The Virginian,” “Perry Mason,” “Bat Masterson,” “Dr. Christian,” “Waterfront,” and “Tales of the Texas Rangers.” Amid her collaborations with Presley, Shepard also starred as Betty Howard in the two-season daytime drama “The Clear Horizon.”
In 1959, she was featured in the cult classic “Attack of the Giant Leeches,” enhancing her varied filmography, which eventually consisted of 89 acting credits. Shepard made her final screen appearance in 1973 in the ABC police series “The Rookies,” marking the closure of a career that spanned over two decades in the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Shepard met actor Ray Boyle, known for his role as Wyatt Earp, in 1951 at the start of her career in Los Angeles, California. They tied the knot in 1954, and their journey in the entertainment industry lasted 67 years until Boyle’s demise in 2022 at the age of 98. Throughout their marriage, both remained active in Hollywood, with Shepard skillfully juggling her career between television and film while preserving her ties to the entertainment industry.
Shepard, of Sicilian descent, brought authenticity and depth to her roles, particularly in the numerous Western series that characterized much of her television career. Her son, Brandon Boyle, who pursued a career in the entertainment industry like his parents, paid tribute to his mother, describing her as “a good one” who will be “dearly missed.”
She is survived by her son Brandon, daughter-in-law Jenn, and grandchildren Riley and Hayley.