We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
Through it all, Shepherd also carved our a parallel career as a singer.
It’s been an amazing journey, and it’s far from over.
She continued singing throughout her childhood, and her talent shone through.
At 9 years old, she auditioned for her church’s choir and became a featured soloist.
She began to pursue music more seriously when she formed her own folk group, Cybill and Friends.
In the decades that have passed since then, singing has remained a touchstone for Shepherd.
In addition to recording several albums, she’s also headlined cabaret-style musical revues.
“Music is my first love,” she wrote.
In 1966, she competed in the Miss Memphis pageant and wound up winning.
Shepherd went on to compete in a national pageant, representing her hometown as Miss Memphis.
She wasn’t nearly as successful in that competition but was awarded the title of Miss Congeniality.
She was named the winner, and her modeling career exploded.
“I was much more of an abject beginner than Jeff,” she said.
“He’d done one film before.
… And I never acted before.”
The film ultimately received eight Oscar nominations, winning two.
In fact, it came just after “At Long Last Love” was savaged by film critics.
Shepherd, who considered herself to be more of a singer than an actor, was understandably miffed.
She responded by returning to Memphis.
“He said, ‘Do theater anywhere but L.A. and New York,” Shepherd told theTelevision Academy.
Shepherd starred in traveling productions, performing the same play in city after city.
“You learn to be not selfish, is my experience,” she explained.
Those plays included a run in “Lunch Hour” with “Hawaii Five-O” star James MacArthur.
As Welles predicted, Shepherd’s experience in regional theater was a transformative one.
“Cybill, you’ve been in Memphis for four years.
You might as well be dead,” Shepherd recalled Mengers telling her.
In 1985, Shepherd was cast oppositethen-unknown actor Bruce Willisin “Moonlighting.”
The show led Cybill to win two Golden Globes, in addition to two Emmy nominations.
As the show’s ratings soared, tabloid reports detailed abitter feud between Shepherd and Willis.
As it turned out, the tabloids were right on the money.
Confirmation also came from Shepherd, although she insisted the behind-the-scenes rancor was a form of method acting.
“Yes, we had fights all the time,” Shepherd told theTelevision Academy.
“That was part of the preparation … so it was real.”
Ultimately, Shepherd has come to see the series as her professional high point in her career.
In 1995, she was tapped for “Cybill,” her first-ever TV sitcom.
As she told theTelevision Academy, the premise intrigued her.
Years later,Shepherd made a shocking claim about the cancellation of her sitcom.
When she rebuffed him, he retaliated by canceling her show.
“This isn’t the Cybill Shepherd show,” the source said.
“The show isn’t solely dependent on her as talent.
This is a format-driven show where someone is carrying the format.”
Shepherd didn’t last long as host.
Just a few months after the series’ debut, she was replaced by five other hosts.
Cybill Shepherd played Martha Stewart twice!
“This woman’s been through a hell of a lot.”
Stewart herself was thoroughly unimpressed with Shepherd’s portrayal.
Of course, they sat there so long, through two intermissions."
When she became pregnant, they got married.
The two ended up divorcing in 1982, amicably, after four years of marriage.
Shepherd found love again, getting engaged to psychologist Andrei Nikolajevic in 2012.
However, they broke off the engagement and parted ways in 2015.
That honor held special significance for Shepherd.
“Comedy is everything to me,” she toldUs Weeklyof being honored by the PSICF.
“It’s great to be getting a Comedy Award.”
