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"It may be that the race is not always to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but that is the way to bet." Cybill Lynne Shepherd has been a fixture in the entertainment world seemingly forever. She has done pretty much everything that there is to do in the industry, from dating Elvis Presley to adding numerous Golden Globe wins to her mantle.

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As a prominent artist with work dating back to the '70s, much of what made Cybill Shepherd such an icon is being lost on the younger generation. In order to more fully appreciate Cybill's work, it might behoove you to see where the Moonlighting and Cybill star got her start. In order to really enjoy your next Cybill Shepherd film, keep on reading.

A Girl From Tennessee

Cybill Shepherd has humble beginnings. She was born on February 18, 1950, in Memphis, Tennessee. Shepherd was born to Patty Shepherd, a stay-at-home mom, and William Jennings Shepherd, the manager of a local home appliance company. Cybill was given her interesting name in honor of her grandpa, Cy, and her father, Bill. You probably didn't know that, so you're learning something new, already!

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As a child, Cybill wanted to be an entertainer. What's more, Cybill also wanted to gain recognition as a model. Cybill would compete in the Miss Teenage Memphis pageant in 1966 at the tender age of 16, and she would win the whole thing. At 18-years-old, Cybill would earn the Model of the Year Award Cybill would spend her teenage years traveling the country in order to perform in various photo shoots. Her career as a model would eventually lead Cybill toward her work as an actress. Cybill was actually discovered by Peter Bogdanovic and his wife, director of The Last Picture Show (1971) when they saw her on the cover of a magazine while grocery shopping. They both knew that Cybill had to be cast in the role of Jacy, and she was.

From Glam to Golden Globe

After landing her first role in The Last Picture Show alongside Timothy Bottoms and Jeff Bridges, Shepherd was quick to spread her wings and fly. The Last Picture Show was both a commercial and critical success, landing several major awards and nominations. Shepherd would rack up her first Golden Globe nomination in the category of Most Promising Newcomer. Cybill wouldn't let that momentum go to waste as she immediately got back to work in The Heartbreak Kid (1972) and Daisy Miller (1974). While both films failed to live up to her debut performance, they gave Cybill the chance to add some work to her resume.

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During the early days of her acting career, Shepherd made a concentrated effort to launch her singing career. She released her first record in 1974 with the title, Cybill Does it to Cole Porter under MCA Records. The record was critically panned despite compliments to Cybill's singing voice. Cybill wasn't done with music, however, as she landed a lead role in the musical, At Long Last Love (1975).  Shepherd would go on to land a role in Martin Scorsese's masterpiece, Taxi Driver (1975) and she would receive compliments from critics and fans alike. After hitting this new high, Cybill would be told by her acting coach, Stella Adler, to seek out experience on stage. So, Cybill took a break from Hollywood to work in the theater back home in Memphis.

In 1983, Cybill would return to Hollywood with a role in the drama series, The Yellow Rose (1983). The show featured Sam Elliott and was released to rave reviews. Still, the program folded after a single season. Fortunately for Cybill, the best was yet to come for her. Cybill landed the lead role in Moonlighting (1985) on ABC. Shepherd would end up being defined by her work on the program, and she would land a bevy of Golden Globe nominations and awards. Her charismatic energy with Bruce Willis would end up getting the future action star cast in his role.

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Now experiencing new levels of success, Cybill would continue to climb up the entertainment ladder. She would work with Robert Downey Jr. on Chances Are (1989) before taking on the role of Jacy again in the film, Texasville (1990). Shepherd would work with Eugene Levy in Once Upon a Time (1992) and Woody Allen in Alice (1990).  Shepherd would continue to find supporting or starring roles in middling films until she had another breakthrough in 1995 when Cybill was brought to the air on CBS. In the show, Cybill played a struggling actress who was stuck working on terrible soap operas and corny B-movies. The film was loosely modeled on Cybill's own life, and she would end up winning a Golden Globe award for her work. This would eventually lead Shepherd to star in The L Word (2007) before making her debut on Broadway in 2012's The Best Man.

While Cybill was Shepherds last career-defining project, she has stayed plenty busy over the years. Shepherd has appeared in 71 credits throughout her career with numerous projects being released every single year. Cybill most recently appeared in the film The Lunch (2019) alongside Rita Wilson and Rosanna Arquette.

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While Cybill's fanbase is largely focused on her work as television, Cybill hasn't stopped herself from speaking about what matters to her. Cybill is a noted political activist, and she has marched and rallied for both gay rights and abortion rights. Cybill was on hand for the grand opening of the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, and she donated toward supporting the non-profit.

Shepherd is also a published author with several works to her name, including an autobiography. Her autobiography details her romance with Elvis Presley, her potential fling with Jack Nicholson, and how she snubbed Robert De Niro during Taxi Driver. Shepherd has been married twice in her life, to Bruce Oppenheim and David Ford, and she has three children. She's a devout Christian and has also appeared in Christian-themed movies like God's Not Dead.