Title: Actor and Producer
Company: 1) ROTAG Production Company; 2) Shoe String Productions
Location: Yorktown, Virginia, United States
Robert Shepherd, Actor and Producer at ROTAG Production Company and Shoe String Productions, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Artists for dedication, achievements, and leadership in the Film and Television Industry.
Mr. Shepherd has established a distinguished career in the entertainment industry, marked by over 30 years of dedication as both an actor and producer. In 2013, he launched ROTAG Production Company. In this capacity, Mr. Shepherd has played a pivotal role in the development and promotion of several feature films, including serving as a publicist for a movie that premiered in January 2025, engaging in podcast, television and radio interviews to promote its release. His responsibilities have also encompassed recording audiobooks, narrating documentaries, securing distribution deals for current projects and working as a casting director. Additionally, Mr. Shepherd actively reaches out to contacts and agents to encourage talent submissions.
Since 2010, Mr. Shepherd has also held the position of actor and producer with Shoe String Productions. Most notable was the production of “Push Came to Shove,” a feature-length movie, which became available for purchase at Reel Click and streaming through Mobile Filmworks.
Mr. Shepherd also garnered recognition for his work as a standardized patient and physical teaching associate at Eastern Virginia Medical School, where he role-played various cases for medical trainees and instructed students on performing physical examinations, thereby contributing to the education of future healthcare professionals. Mr. Shepherd’s earlier professional experience included several years as a teacher with Mountain View-Birch Tree R-III School District.
From 1973 to 1996, Mr. Shepherd served with distinction as a major in the U.S. Army. During his military tenure, he was assigned to Fort Monroe, Virginia, as a public affairs officer for the National Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program. It was during this period that Mr. Shepherd began pursuing acting professionally after securing an agent and joining the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA), which enabled him to take on various acting roles while on leave.
Mr. Shepherd’s academic background included earning a Bachelor of Science in elementary education from Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri, in 1967. Having since become widely regarded as an expert in acting and interpreting character roles, he remains a member of SAG-AFTRA. In addition to his professional pursuits, Mr. Shepherd is civically engaged as a volunteer at his church, where he is an active member under the leadership of his son, who serves as a pastor.
Making his national television debut in 1970 as bachelor number two on ABC’s “The Dating Game,” this opportunity marked the beginning of Mr. Shepherd’s long-standing presence in the entertainment industry. One of the highlights of his acting career was being cast as Dr. Joseph Barnes in Steven Spielberg’s “Lincoln” in 2012, where he had the opportunity to be directed by Steven Spielberg himself. Mr. Shepherd’s extensive experience has included acting in low-budget training films, student films and serving as an extra in at least 40 major motion pictures. Other notable works have included his appearance in a television commercial for Hearing Assist, acting in “That Summer the Wolf Came,” and portraying Tom Karkut in “Mardi Gras Man.” He also authored his first book, “Delay is Not Denial: My Story,” in 2021.
In light of his success, Mr. Shepherd received five nominations for either Best Actor or Best Supporting Actor, including a nomination for Best Actor for his portrayal of the father in the short film “Lucifer and the Father.” He attributes his success to perseverance, a steadfast belief in his calling for cinema and an unwavering commitment to teamwork on set.
Despite facing frequent rejection, which is inherent to the acting profession, Mr. Shepherd remains dedicated to his craft and continues to pursue new opportunities with determination. He also credits his agent for submitting him for key roles, such as “Lincoln.” Mr. Shepherd acknowledges that much of his early learning came through practical experience, including taking on student films, extra work, and mystery dinner theater engagements, which spanned over a decade before moving into principal roles. As his reputation grew within the industry, he secured representation from three agents and now receives about half of his work through previous collaborators.
Looking ahead, Mr. Shepherd intends to remain involved in storytelling through movies and television, whether working behind the scenes or in front of the camera. He continues to approach each new project with dedication and trust that doing his best will lead to continued fulfillment both personally and professionally.
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