Editing Alan Shepard (section)

==In popular culture==
As he was a key figure in the American space program, Shepard's life has been depicted in many biographical and historical works of fiction. In film, Shepard's selection for the Mercury program was covered in 1983's ''[[The Right Stuff (film)|The Right Stuff]]'' (where he was played by [[Scott Glenn]]),<ref>{{cite news |last=Benson |first=Sheila |date=December 8, 2016 |title=From the Archives Our original film review of 'The Right Stuff' holds clues for John Glenn's path to senator |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-archives-the-right-stuff-review-john-glenn-20161208-story.html |url-status=live |access-date=September 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170813144845/http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-archives-the-right-stuff-review-john-glenn-20161208-story.html |archive-date=August 13, 2017}}</ref> while 2002's ''[[Race to Space]]'' and 2016's ''[[Hidden Figures]]'' feature him in a minor role, played by [[Mark Moses]],<ref>{{cite web |title=Mark Moses &#124; 1958 |url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/mark-moses-57253830/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912012027/http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/mark-moses-57253830/ |archive-date=September 12, 2017 |access-date=September 12, 2017 |website=Hollywood.com|date=February 7, 2015 }}</ref> and Dane Davenport, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dane Davenport &#124; Biography and Filmography |url=http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/dane-davenport-57805825/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170912055152/http://www.hollywood.com/celebrities/dane-davenport-57805825/ |archive-date=September 12, 2017 |access-date=September 12, 2017 |website=Hollywood.com}}</ref> The [[HBO]] [[miniseries]] ''[[From the Earth to the Moon (miniseries)|From the Earth to the Moon]]''  starred [[Ted Levine]] as Shepard and covered not only his Mercury training but also his involvement in the Apollo missions.<ref>{{cite news |last=Richmond |first=Ray |date=March 31, 1998 |title=Review: 'From the Earth to the Moon' |newspaper=Variety |url=https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/from-the-earth-to-the-moon-2-1200453500/ |url-status=live |access-date=September 12, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825002419/https://variety.com/1998/film/reviews/from-the-earth-to-the-moon-2-1200453500/ |archive-date=August 25, 2018}}</ref> [[Jake McDorman]] played Shepard in the 2020 TV adaptation of ''[[The Right Stuff (TV series)|The Right Stuff]]'',<ref>{{cite news |last=Iannucci |first=Rebecca |date=June 14, 2019 |title=The Right Stuff: Jake McDorman, GoT Alum Board Nat Geo's NASA Series |newspaper=TV Line |url=https://tvline.com/2019/06/14/the-right-stuff-jake-mcdorman-joe-dempsie-nat-geo-series-cast/ |url-status=live |access-date=June 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115205206/https://tvline.com/2019/06/14/the-right-stuff-jake-mcdorman-joe-dempsie-nat-geo-series-cast/ |archive-date=November 15, 2020}}</ref> while [[Desmond Harrington]] played him in the 2015 period drama ''[[The Astronaut Wives Club]]''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Ausiello |first=Michael |date=March 19, 2014 |title=ABC's Astronaut Wives Club Casts Dexter's Desmond Harrington as Alan Shepherd |newspaper=TV Line |url=http://tvline.com/2014/03/19/the-astronaut-wives-club-cast-desmond-harrington-abc-series/ |url-status=live |access-date=March 24, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140323091441/http://tvline.com/2014/03/19/the-astronaut-wives-club-cast-desmond-harrington-abc-series/ |archive-date=March 23, 2014}}</ref>

Archive footage of Shepard is used in the opening credits montage of ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'',as part of a sequence displaying the history of human exploration,{{sfn|Geraghty|2007|p=140}}  while other science fiction works have named characters in a tribute to Shepard – including both the character of [[Alan Tracy]], in the 1960s British series ''[[Thunderbirds (TV series)|Thunderbirds]]'',{{sfn|Marriott|1992|p=23}} and [[Commander Shepard]], the main protagonist of the 2007–2012 [[BioWare]] video game series ''[[Mass Effect]]''.<ref name="Hudson Interview">{{cite magazine |author=Hanson |first=Ben |date=April 27, 2011 |title=Casey Hudson Interview: Mass Effect's Feedback Loop |url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/04/27/casey-hudson-interview-mass-effect-s-feedback-loop.aspx |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120731070232/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/04/27/casey-hudson-interview-mass-effect-s-feedback-loop.aspx |archive-date=July 31, 2012 |access-date=May 1, 2013 |magazine=[[Game Informer]]}}</ref>

British singer-songwriter [[Darren Hayman]]'s [[concept album]] ''12 Astronauts'' includes a song for each man who has walked on the Moon. The lyrics of ''Don't Clip My Wings (Alan Shepard)'', sung in the first person, reflect on how Shepard "feared he would never fly again" after his Ménière's diagnosis.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Don't Clip My Wings (Alan Sheppard), by Darren Hayman |url=https://wiaiwya.bandcamp.com/track/dont-clip-my-wings-alan-sheppard |access-date=September 5, 2023 |website=wiaiwya |archive-date=September 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230905120153/https://wiaiwya.bandcamp.com/track/dont-clip-my-wings-alan-sheppard |url-status=live }}</ref>

"Shepard's Prayer" is attributed to Shepard, with the phrase supposed to have been uttered by him while he awaited liftoff aboard the ''Freedom 7''. It is usually quoted as "Dear Lord, please don't let me fuck up", although Shepard claimed the words to be "Don't fuck up, Shepard".<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.com/2011/05/50-years-of-americans-in-space-remembering-alan-shepard/ |access-date=November 6, 2018 |title=50 Years of Americans in Space: Remembering Alan Shepard |magazine=WIRED |first=Jason |last=Cranford Teague |date=May 5, 2011 |archive-date=May 19, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230519012537/https://www.wired.com/2011/05/50-years-of-americans-in-space-remembering-alan-shepard/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Alan Shepard was featured in the 1982 EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration to celebrate the opening of [[EPCOT Center]] in the Walt Disney World Resort. He was a guest alongside [[Danny Kaye]] and [[Drew Barrymore]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Scrimgeour |first=Francesca |date=October 1, 2022 |title=We've Just Begun to Dream! |url=https://d23.com/weve-just-begun-to-dream/ |access-date=22 August 2024 |publisher=Walt Disney Archives}}</ref>