Jewel Shepard (born January 3, 1958[1]) is an American writer, photographer, and actress, best known for her roles in movies such as Party Camp (1987) and The Return of the Living Dead (1985).
[2] Shepard arrived in California in the early 1980s, where she supported herself by working as a stripper in various Los Angeles strip clubs and modeling for car shoots.
[3] Roles in over a dozen B movies followed; including 1985's The Return of the Living Dead, which was directed and written by O'Bannon.
[citation needed] Her autobiography, If I'm So Famous, How Come Nobody's Ever Heard of Me?,[5] detailing some of the less glamorous aspects of film making and her experiences working in adult entertainment, was published in 1996.
[6] Shepard has been struggling with invasive breast cancer since 2011, and has been treated with chemotherapy, lymph node removal and a double mastectomy.