Jewel Shephard — Biography
Jewel Shepard has navigated a remarkable shift from the glare of movie lights to the focused glow of a computer screen. Her childhood ambition was to be a celebrated film actress, a dream she pursued to the extent of appearing in numerous B-movie productions, often relegated to late-night broadcasts for niche audiences. This career path, not always glamorous, involved challenging experiences. For instance, in the film Party Camp, she endured a scene involving actual pig waste. Later, Roger Corman dispatched her to the Philippines for Caged Heat 2, an assignment initially described as a tropical getaway that instead involved her being whipped, assaulted by an amazon-like group, and plagued by unusually large insects. These experiences led Shepard to pursue a writing career, acknowledging the significant challenge of gaining credibility given her past roles in films like Hollywood Hot Tubs and its sequel. She embarked on her literary journey by interviewing fellow actresses known for their B-movie work, alongside past and present Hollywood figures, to compile a comprehensive exploration of the genre titled Invasion of the B-Girls. This work delves into the compelling question of why individuals would choose to star in or even watch films such as Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-a-Rama. Her debut book achieved considerable success, maintaining strong sales and even catching the attention of Dick Clark, who envisioned it as the foundation for a future mainstream film. Beyond this, her first book sparked interest in a follow-up autobiography, If I'm So Famous, How Come Nobody’s Ever Heard of Me?, and led to opportunities writing for prominent magazines, including Premiere, Cosmopolitan, and Details. A memorable moment during this period involved her signing books at a trade show, positioned between political figures Ross Perot and Senator Paul Simon, both of whom sought a photograph with her. She also received correspondence from Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, which she approached with caution.
