Biography

Few women in the past three decades have lit up the American stage and screen like CYBILL SHEPHERD (Phyllis Kroll). From wholesome beauty queen to captivating cover girl; from heartbreaking movie star to one of television's most beloved comediennes' and from naïve sex kitten to liberated, political spokeswoman — Shepherd has imbued these roles with an indomitable spirit that has made her, at fifty, a female icon to an entire generation. In her hilarious, gutsy, and insightful memoir, "Cybill Disobedience: How I Survived Beauty Pageants, Elvis, Sex, Bruce Willis, Lies, Marriage, Motherhood, Hollywood, and the Irrepressible Urge to Say What I Think" (Harper Collins), she tells her remarkable story as only she can-with humor, pathos, and in insatiable lust for life.

Shepherd recently sold out a two-week run of her one woman show, "Cybill Disobedience... With Music" at the Soho Theatre in London. Prior to that. she finished lensing the thriller The Detective with Tom Berenger and Annabeth Gish. In 2003, she starred as the title character in "Martha Stewart, Inc." for NBC. She also captivated audiences with her guest-starring roles on the two-part season finale for "Eight Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" on ABC in 2003, as well as on NBC's "I'm With Her" in 2004. She also appeared in the feature film Marine Life in 2000, directed by Anne Wheeler and written by Robert Forsyth III and Lori Lansens. From 1995-1998, she starred as "Cybill Sheridan," in the CBS sitcom "Cybill" where she played a forty-something actress trying to keep her career afloat in an industry that worships youth. This groundbreaking show poked fun at topics such as plastic surgery, menopause, sex in your 40s, divorce and grandmother-hood. Serving as executive producer, she was also involved in the editing, casting and script development for the show.

Last year she hosted the one-hour television program "Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus," inspired by John Gray's best-selling book by the same name. Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Shepherd won 'Model of the Year' in 1968 from Stewart Models, and appeared on the covers of "Life", "Vogue", "Glamour" and "People", among others. She made her film debut in 1971 in the highly acclaimed The Last Picture Show, which led to starring roles in The Heartbreak Kid, Taxi Driver, Daisy Miller, Alice, Married To It, Once Upon a Crime, Texasville, and Chances Are. Shepherd's theatre experience includes starring roles in "Shot in the Dark," "The Seven Year Itch," "Last of the Red Hot Lovers," "Lunch Hour," "Vanities," and "Picnic."

For television, Shepherd has starred in the series "Yellow Rose," "Moonlighting," and has hosted the Emmy® and Golden Globe Awards. In addition to winning four Golden Globe Awards for best actress in a television comedy, she won four People's Choice Awards and was honored with Bruce Willis as "Woman and Man of the Year in Broadcasting" by the Hollywood Radio and Television Society.

Shepherd has appeared in numerous acclaimed television productions, including "Journey of the Heart," "While Justice Sleeps," "Baby Brokers," "There Was A Little Boy," "Stormy Weathers" (which she also executive produced) "Which Way Home for TNT," the mini-series "The Long Hot Summer" and "Telling Secrets." Additionally, Shepherd executive produced, co-wrote and starred in "Memphis," based on Shelby Foote's novel "September, September". She started singing with her church choir at age eight, and began studying voice at sixteen. She has performed sold- out concerts around the world blending rock, blues, ballad and standards, as well as her own compositions. She has recorded eleven albums, including "Cybill Getz Better" with Stan Getz, "Vanilla" with Phineas Newborn Jr., "Somewhere Down the Road" featuring a title cut with Peabo Bryson, "Cybill Does It To Cole Porter," "At Long Last Love," "Talk Memphis to Me," "Songs from the Cybill Show," and "Live at the Cinegrill" was released in 2001. Her latest CD, "At Home With Cybill," is available now on her website. Working with longtime collaborator and musical director Tom Adams, Shepherd delved deep into her jazz roots to unearth just over a dozen lively ballads and standards.