The Way They Were - Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard

The year was 1983. "Every Breathe You Take" by The Police was the #1 song of the year. The top grossing movie was "Star Wars - Return of the Jedi." Karen Carpenter died that year at age 32 from complications from anorexia and Ronald Regan was president. The average cost of a home in 1983 ranged from $72,500 to $81,000. And that same year a romance started that would span 27 years.

Sam Shepard and Jessica Lange started a relationship in 1983 that lasted until 2010. They met in 1982 while filming "Frances", a film about 1940's actress Frances Farmer. Sam Shepard was still legally married to actress O-Lan Jones. While filming "Frances", they fell in love. Jessica Lange was just ending a six year relationship with dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. They moved in together in 1983, which marked the beginning of a love story that would span almost three decades.

He was born November 05,1943 in Illinois, had started his career as a playwright in the late sixties and had been in just one movie, Days of Heaven, opposite Richard Gere in 1978 before staring in Frances. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1979 for Drama for writing play "Buried Child" and has been dubbed one of the greatest American Playwrights of his time. In 1994, he was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. He married O-Lan Jones in 1969, had son Jesse in 1970, had an affair with musician Patti Smith from 1970 - 1971. He divorced O-Lan in 1984 after meeting Jessica Lange.

Jessica Phyllis Lange was born April 20, 1949 in Cloquet, Minnesota. She attended the University of Minnesota in 1967 after graduating from High School. It was there that she met photographer Francisco "Paco" Grande. The two were married in 1970, she dropped out of college and they traveled throughout the United States and France. Grande and Lange split while living in France and were legally divorced in 1981. After returning to the states in 1973, she modeled until being discovered by film producer, Dino De Laurentiis. She made her film debut in 1976 in the box office success "King Kong." Lange did not act for three years after her debut. She worked as a waitress while taking acting lessons during this time. In 1979 she starred in "All That Jazz", where she met director, Bob Fosse. The two had a brief affair until she met Russian ballet dancer, Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1976. In 1981, Alexandra (Shura) Baryshnikov was born. Lange and Baryshnikov split in 1982 during the filming of "Francis."

Shepard and Lange's love story started in 1983. Two years later, their first child, Hannah was born, followed by son Samuel in 1987. During their time together the two starred in four movies together, "Frances", "Don't Come Knocking", "Crimes of the Heart" and "Country." Lange starred in "Far North" in which Shepard directed. They raised their children for the most part in Minnesota. Throughout they're time together, they both won Academy Awards (Oscars), he won several awards for his plays, she was nominated and won Golden Globe Awards. But after 27 years of building a life together, at an age when most couples are enjoying their senior times together as grandparents, they chose to go their separate ways.

After raising they're children in Minnesota, they sold the home and moved back to New York. Recently, Jessica relocated to California with a commitment for one season for American Horror Story. There was no word of where Shepard was living, until mid December. Lange disclosed that she and Shepard had decided to part ways, two years ago with no explanation why. Some of the most private celebrities to grace Hollywood, it is doubtful the public will ever know the true story about their split. The only news about the couple within the last three years is about Sam Shepard's DUI. January 03, 2009 Shepard was arrested in Normal, Illinois on drunk driving charges. Shepard told police he was passing through Bloomington-Normal on his way from Minnesota to Kentucky, where he listed his home address. The 2007 Chevy Tahoe was registered in Kentucky. In 2009, Lange was living in New York, why does Shepard have a Kentucky address? Perhaps their break up was in 2009 or before?

Whatever time frame, it is a sad testament that a celebrity couple that had stood the test of time, against the odds of stardom have gone separate ways. Another long term Hollywood couple of 23 years called it quits in 2009, Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. What is next? Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell? Katherine Ross and Sam Elliott? Where are the Paul Newmans and Joanne Woodwards, who lasted 50 years, until death did they part.