View source for Sam Elliott

{{Short description|American actor (born 1944)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Sam Elliott
| image              = TIFF 2018 Samuel Elliott (44592132581) (cropped).jpg
| caption            = Elliott at the [[2018 Toronto International Film Festival]]
| birth_name         = Samuel Pack Elliott
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|mf=yes|1944|08|09}}
| birth_place        = [[Sacramento, California]], U.S.
| death_date         = 
| death_place        = 
| resting_place      = 
| education          = {{plainlist|
* [[University of Oregon]]
* [[Clark College]]
}}
| occupation         = Actor
| works              = [[Sam Elliott filmography|Filmography]]
| awards             = [[List of awards and nominations received by Sam Elliott|Full list]]
| module             = {{Infobox military person |embed=yes
   | allegiance    = {{USA}}
   | branch        = {{air force|USA}}
*{{air force|California}}
   | serviceyears  = 
   | rank          = 
   | servicenumber = 
   | unit          = [[146th Airlift Wing]]
   | commands      = 
   | battles       =
   | awards        = 
   | relations     = 
   | signature     = 
   }}
| years_active       = 1967–present
| spouse             = {{marriage|[[Katharine Ross]]|1984}}
| children           = 1
}}
'''Samuel Pack Elliott''' (born August 9, 1944) is an American actor. With a career spanning over five decades of [[Sam Elliott filmography|film and television]], he is recognized for his deep [[wiktionary:sonorous|sonorous]] voice. Elliott has received [[List of awards and nominations received by Sam Elliott|various accolades]], including a [[Screen Actors Guild Awards|Screen Actors Guild Award]] and a [[National Board of Review|National Board of Review Award]], in addition to nominations for an [[Academy Award]], two [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] and two [[Golden Globe Awards]].

Elliott began his career with minor roles on screen, making his film debut in the western ''[[The Way West (film)|The Way West]]'' (1967). After his first leading film role in the horror ''[[Frogs (film)|Frogs]]'' (1972), Elliott gained wider attention with his [[breakthrough role]] in the drama ''[[Lifeguard (film)|Lifeguard]]'' (1976). He achieved commercial success with his role in the biopic ''[[Mask (1985 film)|Mask]]'' (1985) and received Golden Globe nominations for starring in [[Louis L'Amour]]'s adaptation of ''[[Conagher]]'' (1991) and the miniseries ''[[Buffalo Girls (miniseries)|Buffalo Girls]]'' (1995), the latter of which also earned him his first [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award]] nomination. Throughout the 1990s, he portrayed [[John Buford]] in the historical drama ''[[Gettysburg (1993 film)|Gettysburg]]'' (1993), [[Virgil Earp]] in the western ''[[Tombstone (film)|Tombstone]]'' (1993), [[Buckey O'Neill|Sgt. Buckey O'Neill]] in the epic adventure war miniseries ''[[Rough Riders (miniseries)|Rough Riders]]'' (1997), and the Stranger in the crime comedy ''[[The Big Lebowski]]'' (1998).

In ensuing decades, Elliott established himself as a [[character actor]], with supporting roles in a number of films, such as the drama ''[[We Were Soldiers]]'' (2002) and superhero films ''[[Hulk (film)|Hulk]]'' (2003) and ''[[Ghost Rider (2007 film)|Ghost Rider]]'' (2007). In the 2010s, he had guest starring roles in the [[FX (TV channel)|FX]] neo-western series ''[[Justified (TV series)|Justified]]'' (2015) and the [[Netflix]] comedy series ''[[Grace and Frankie]]'' (2016) and subsequently starred in the [[Netflix]] sitcom ''[[The Ranch]]'' (2016{{ndash}}2020). He went on to headline the comedy drama film ''[[The Hero (2017 film)|The Hero]]'' (2017) and star opposite [[Lady Gaga]] and [[Bradley Cooper]] in Cooper's [[A Star Is Born (2018 film)|2018 adaptation of ''A Star Is Born'']], for which he received critical acclaim and a nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]. His role in the [[Paramount+]] western miniseries ''[[1883 (TV series)|1883]]'' (2021{{ndash}}2022) earned him further praise and a [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie|SAG Award]].

==Early life==
[[File:Samuel Elliott 1962.jpg|thumb|Elliott's high school yearbook photo]] 
Samuel Pack Elliott was born August 9, 1944, at the [[Sutter Memorial Hospital]] in [[Sacramento, California]],<ref name=SElliottBorn-NYT>{{cite web|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/person/21648/Sam-Elliott/biography|title=Movies & TV: Sam Elliott Biography|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111127172928/https://movies.nytimes.com/person/21648/Sam-Elliott/biography|department=Movies & TV Dept.|work=[[The New York Times]]|author=Hal Erickson|author-link=Hal Erickson (author)|date=2011|archive-date=November 27, 2011}}
*<sup>a</sup> "Birthplace: Sacramento, California, USA"—¶ 1.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Lee |first=Elyssa |date=2019-01-23 |title=Q&A with Sam Elliott |url=https://www.sactownmag.com/sam-elliott/ |access-date=2022-03-27 |website=[[Sactown Magazine]] |language=en-US}}</ref> the son of Glynn Mamie ([[née]] Sparks), a Texas state diving champion in high school and later a physical-training instructor and high-school teacher, and Henry Nelson Elliott, who worked as a predator-control specialist for the [[United States Department of the Interior|Department of the Interior]].<ref name=baker>{{cite web|url=https://www.registerguard.com/news/20170713/at-home-in-oregon-critically-acclaimed-lead-role-for-actor-sam-elliott-raises-part-time-oregonians-profile-around-town|work=[[The Register-Guard]]|location=Eugene, Oregon|title=At home in Oregon: A critically acclaimed lead role for actor Sam Elliott raises the part-time Oregonian's profile around town|author=Baker, Mark|date=July 13, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181215051909/https://www.registerguard.com/news/20170713/at-home-in-oregon-critically-acclaimed-lead-role-for-actor-sam-elliott-raises-part-time-oregonians-profile-around-town|archive-date=December 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|work=[[The Oregonian]]|location=Portland, Oregon|page=102|title=Obituary: H. Nelson Elliott|date=February 13, 1966}}</ref> His parents were originally from [[El Paso, Texas]], and Elliott has an ancestor who served as a surgeon at the [[Battle of San Jacinto]].<ref name=Slate-HollywoodOldWest-2015>{{cite news|last1=Harris|first1=Aisha|title=Sam Elliott On Being the Hollywood Embodiment of the Old West|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA8bG0h1SXA| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/VA8bG0h1SXA| archive-date=2021-10-30|access-date=23 August 2015|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date= February 2, 2015}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://newsok.com/article/5591868/interviews-photos-and-video-sam-elliott-and-katharine-ross-talk-marriage-westerns-favorite-projects-and-more|work=[[The Oklahoman]]|location=Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|title=Interviews, photos and video: Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross talk marriage, Westerns, favorite projects and more|date=April 20, 2018|author=McDonnell, Brandy|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181215051846/https://newsok.com/article/5591868/interviews-photos-and-video-sam-elliott-and-katharine-ross-talk-marriage-westerns-favorite-projects-and-more|archive-date=December 15, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elpasoinc.com/lifestyle/local_features/sam-elliott-channels-dad-s-integrity-in-latest-character/article_764f75f2-9773-11e8-9328-e7088708e99f.html|work=El Paso Inc|location=El Paso, Texas|title=Sam Elliott channels dad's integrity in latest character|last=Cohen|first=Cindy Graff|date=August 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806170430/http://www.elpasoinc.com/lifestyle/local_features/sam-elliott-channels-dad-s-integrity-in-latest-character/article_764f75f2-9773-11e8-9328-e7088708e99f.html|archive-date=August 6, 2018}}</ref> He moved from California to [[Portland, Oregon]], with his family when he was 13 years old.<ref name=hewitt>{{cite news|work=[[The Columbian]]|location=Vancouver, Washington|url=http://www.columbian.com/news/2017/jun/23/clark-grad-sam-elliott-the-hero/|title=Clark College grad Sam Elliott, The Hero|last=Hewitt|first=Scott|date=June 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181006132623/http://www.columbian.com/news/2017/jun/23/clark-grad-sam-elliott-the-hero/|archive-date=October 6, 2018}}</ref><ref name=turnquist/>

Elliott spent his teenage years living in [[Neighborhoods of Portland, Oregon#Northeast|northeast Portland]],<ref name=hewitt/> and graduated from [[David Douglas High School]] in 1962.<ref name=turnquist>{{cite web|work=[[The Oregonian]]|location=Portland, Oregon|url=https://www.oregonlive.com/tv/2017/07/have_you_seen_sam_elliott_in_o.html|title=Have you spotted Sam Elliott in Oregon?|date=July 14, 2017|author=Turnquist, Kristi|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222235354/https://www.oregonlive.com/tv/2017/07/have_you_seen_sam_elliott_in_o.html|archive-date=December 22, 2017}}</ref> After graduating from high school, Elliott attended college at the [[University of Oregon]] as an English and psychology major<ref name=coen>{{cite book|title=The Coen Brothers Encyclopedia|author=King, Lynnea Chapman|page=60|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|location=Lanham, Maryland|isbn=978-0-810-88577-6|year=2014}}</ref> for two terms before dropping out.<ref name=baker/> He returned to [[Portland, Oregon|Portland]] and attended [[Clark College (Washington)|Clark College]] in nearby [[Vancouver, Washington]], where he completed a two-year program and was cast as Big Jule in a stage production of ''[[Guys and Dolls]]''.<ref name=hewitt/> The Vancouver ''[[The Columbian|Columbian]]'' newspaper suggested that Elliott should be a professional actor. After his graduation from Clark in 1965, Elliott re-enrolled at the University of Oregon and pledged at the [[Sigma Alpha Epsilon]] fraternity.<ref name=baker/> He dropped out again after his father died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]].<ref name=baker/>
[[File:Sam Elliott college yearbook photo.jpg|thumb|right|upright=.5|Elliott's 1965 college yearbook photo]]
In the late 1960s, Elliott relocated to [[Los Angeles]] to pursue a career in acting, which his father had dissuaded him from doing, instead urging him to obtain a college degree.<ref name=baker/> "He gave me that proverbial line, 'You've got a snowball's chance in hell of having a career in (Hollywood),'" Elliott recalled. "He was a realist, my dad. He was a hard worker. He had a work ethic that I've fashioned mine after, and I thank him for that every day."<ref name=baker/> Elliott worked in construction while studying acting and served in the [[California Air National Guard]]'s [[146th Airlift Wing]] (the Hollywood Guard) at [[Van Nuys Airport]] before the unit moved to Channel Islands Air National Guard Station.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/National+Guard+Association+of+the+United+States+Honors+Actor+Sam...-a090967765 |title=National Guard Association of the United States Honors Actor Sam Elliott |date=September 9, 2002 |website=Free Library.com |publisher=National Guard Association of the United States |location=Washington, DC |access-date=July 26, 2018 |archive-date=July 26, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180726234436/https://www.thefreelibrary.com/National+Guard+Association+of+the+United+States+Honors+Actor+Sam...-a090967765 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Career==
===Early work===
[[File:Juliet Mills and Sam Elliott - Once an Eagle.jpg|right|thumb|upright=.9|Elliott with [[Juliet Mills]] in ''[[Once an Eagle (miniseries)|Once an Eagle]]'' (1976)]]
[[File:Sam Elliott in Lifeguard.jpg|right|thumb|upright=.9|Elliott in his breakthrough role in ''[[Lifeguard (film)|Lifeguard]] (1976)]]

Elliott began his career as a [[character actor]]; his appearance, voice, and bearing were well-suited to [[Western (genre)|Westerns]]. In 1969, he earned his first television credit as Dan Kenyon in ''[[Judd for the Defense]]'' in the episode "The Crystal Maze".

That same year he appeared in the show ''[[Lancer (TV series)|Lancer]]'' in the episode "Death Bait", playing Renslo.<ref name=complete>{{cite book|title=The Complete Actors' Television Credits, 1948-1988: Actors|pages=170–171|publisher=Scarecrow Press|location=Lanham, Maryland|year=1990|isbn= 978-0-810-82204-7|author1=Parish, James Robert|author2=Terrace, Vincent|edition=2nd}}</ref> He went on to appear in two additional episodes of the series between 1970 and 1971.<ref name=complete/> One of his early film roles was as a [[card player]] who watches as the Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) demonstrates his shooting ability in the opening scene of ''[[Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid]]'' (1969).<ref name=tvg>{{cite web|work=[[TV Guide]]|url=https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/sam-elliott/credits/173643/|title=Sam Elliott Credits|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324015719/http://www.tvguide.com:80/celebrities/sam-elliott/credits/173643|archive-date=March 24, 2018}}</ref> In the 1970–1971 television season, Elliott starred as Doug Robert for several episodes in the hit series ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible]]''.<ref name=tvg/> Beginning in 1972, Elliott appeared as the cowboy Walker in a series of Falstaff Beer commercials.<ref>{{cite web |title=Messin' with Sasquatch and Sailin' with Captain Morgan: Some Thoughts on Television Advertising |url=https://chronicleillinois.com/news/woodford-county-news/messin-with-sasquatch-and-sailin-with-captain-morgan-some-thoughts-on-television-advertising/ |website=chronicleillinois.com |date=July 10, 2013 |publisher=Chronicle Media LLC |access-date=27 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Don |title=Falstaff Beer Commercial Gabe & Walker Coin Flip |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqhWgO2Tw7g |website=YouTube |date=January 14, 2014 |access-date=27 August 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Banik |first1=Jerry |title=Stories Behind The Giant Falstaff Beer Cans |url=https://www.wrhistoricalsociety.com/stories-behind-the-giant-falstaff-beer-cans |website=Whiting-Robertsdale Historical Society |access-date=27 August 2022}}</ref> In 1975, Elliott was cast in a lead role as [[Charles Erskine Scott Wood|Charles Wood]] in the television film ''[[I Will Fight No More Forever]]'', a dramatization of Chief Joseph's resistance to the U.S. government's forcible removal of his Nez Perce Indian tribe to a reservation in Idaho.<ref>{{cite web|work=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|title=''I Will Fight No More Forever''|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190210044641/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/i_will_fight_no_more_forever|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/i_will_fight_no_more_forever|archive-date=February 10, 2019}}</ref>

From 1976 to 1977, he played the lead character Sam Damon in the miniseries ''[[Once an Eagle (miniseries)|Once an Eagle]]'', an adaptation of the [[Anton Myrer]] [[Once An Eagle|novel of the same name]], opposite [[Amy Irving]], [[Kim Hunter]], [[Clu Gulager]], and [[Melanie Griffith]].<ref>{{cite web|work=[[TV Guide]]|url=https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/once-an-eagle/cast/203564/|title=''Once an Eagle''|archive-url=https://archive.today/20190210044122/https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/once-an-eagle/cast/203564/|archive-date=February 10, 2019}}</ref> He also had a starring role as Rick Carlson in the summer sleeper hit ''[[Lifeguard (film)|Lifeguard]]'' (1976), which marked his feature film breakthrough.<ref name=davis>{{cite web|url=https://newsok.com/article/2267682/dont-take-film-too-seriously-road-house-star-elliott-says|work=[[The Oklahoman]]|location=Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|title=Don't Take Film Too Seriously, "Road House' Star Elliott Says|last=Davis|first=Chuck|date=May 28, 1989|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181215072518/https://newsok.com/article/2267682/dont-take-film-too-seriously-road-house-star-elliott-says|archive-date=December 15, 2018}}</ref> He portrayed a lifeguard in Southern California who reevaluates his life choices after being invited to a reunion.<ref name=lgv>{{cite web|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|url=https://variety.com/1975/film/reviews/lifeguard-1200423696/|title=''Lifeguard''|date=December 31, 1975|author=''Variety'' Staff|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202002623/https://variety.com/1975/film/reviews/lifeguard-1200423696/|archive-date=February 2, 2017}}</ref> ''Variety'' deemed the film "unsatisfying," adding: "Elliott, who has some beefcake value, projects a character who is mostly a passive reactor rather than a person in sure command of his fate."<ref name=lgv/>

===Recognition as a character actor===
[[File:Sam Elliott - Aspen still.jpg|thumb|upright=.9|right|Elliott in ''Aspen'' (1977)]]
Elliott played Tom Keating in the miniseries ''Aspen'' in 1977. He later played an abusive wife-killer in the miniseries ''Murder in Texas'' (1981) opposite [[Farrah Fawcett]] and his future wife [[Katharine Ross]],<ref>{{cite book|title=Totally Awesome 80s: A Lexicon of the Music, Videos, Movies, TV Shows, Stars, and Trends of that Decadent Decade|page=141|last=Rettenmund|first=Matthew|year=1995|publisher=Macmillan|location=New York|isbn=978-0-312-14436-4}}</ref> and starred with [[Cheryl Ladd]] in ''A Death in California'' (1985).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-05-11-8501290728-story.html|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|title='Death in California': A Gritty Psychological Drama|date=May 11, 1985|author=Anderson, Jon|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181215062847/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1985-05-11-8501290728-story.html|archive-date=December 15, 2018}}</ref> In 1979, he co-starred with [[Tom Selleck]] in the popular miniseries adaptation of [[Louis L'Amour]]'s ''[[The Sacketts]]''. Elliott and Selleck were a team again in 1982 in ''[[The Shadow Riders (film)|The Shadow Riders]]'', another Louis L'Amour adaption.<ref name=match>{{cite news|work=[[The Oklahoman]]|location=Oklahoma City, Oklahoma|url=https://newsok.com/article/5591507/match-made-in-hollywood-longtime-married-actors-sam-elliott-and-katharine-ross-shine-in-oklahoma-city-visit|title=Match made in Hollywood: Longtime married actors Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross shine in Oklahoma City visit|last=McDonnell|first=Brandy|date=April 20, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181215063007/https://newsok.com/article/5591507/match-made-in-hollywood-longtime-married-actors-sam-elliott-and-katharine-ross-shine-in-oklahoma-city-visit|archive-date=December 15, 2018}}</ref>

Elliott had a supporting role in ''[[Mask (1985 film)|Mask]]'' (1985) opposite [[Cher]]. He played a hard-nosed, rough-around-the-edges but ultimately sympathetic father figure in the Christmas film ''[[Prancer (film)|Prancer]]'' (1989). He has made guest appearances on shows including ''[[Felony Squad]]'', ''[[Gunsmoke]]'', ''[[Lancer (TV series)|Lancer]]'', and ''[[Hawaii Five-O (1968 TV series)|Hawaii Five-O]]'', and has been featured in many TV movies, including ''[[Buffalo Girls]]'' (1995), in which he played [[Wild Bill Hickok]].

In 1986, he starred in the TV movie ''[[Gone to Texas (film)|Gone to Texas]]'', based on a biography of [[Sam Houston]]. The role allowed him to play Houston as both fighter and a man who grew into a skillful political leader; the film depicted his disgrace as governor of Tennessee, his return to his [[Cherokee Nation]] friends, and his pivotal role in the liberation of Texas from Mexico in 1836. Elliott appeared with [[Patrick Swayze]] in {{film show year|Road House|1989}} as Wade Garrett, a bouncer, mentor and friend of Swayze's character. In 1991, Elliott and his wife Katharine Ross starred in the adaptation of the [[Louis L'Amour]] novel ''[[Conagher]]'' (1991).<ref>{{cite web|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-06-30-tv-2666-story.html|date=June 30, 1991|title=Sam Elliott, On The 'Conagher' Trail|last=Mills|first=Bart|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150914181620/http://articles.latimes.com/1991-06-30/news/tv-2666_1_sam-elliott|archive-date=September 14, 2015}}</ref>

He portrayed [[Brigadier general (United States)|Brigadier General]] [[John Buford]] in the 1993 historical drama ''[[Gettysburg (1993 film)|Gettysburg]]'', and the same year played [[Virgil Earp]] in the Western ''[[Tombstone (film)|Tombstone]]'' (1993).<ref name=afi/>  Elliott played The Stranger, a character narrating the story of ''[[The Big Lebowski]]'' (1998).<ref name=afi>{{cite web|work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|location=Los Angeles, California|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|title=Sam Elliott Filmography|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Person/137850-Sam-Elliott|archive-date=December 15, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181215055840/https://catalog.afi.com/Person/137850-Sam-Elliott}}</ref> He co-starred in ''[[We Were Soldiers]]'' (2002), an adaptation of ''[[We Were Soldiers Once… And Young]]'', in which he portrayed [[Command Sergeant Major]] [[Basil L. Plumley]]. He played General [[Thunderbolt Ross|Thaddeus Ross]] in the 2003 action film ''[[Hulk (film)|Hulk]]''.

===Later career===
In 2005, he appeared in ''[[Thank You for Smoking (film)|Thank You for Smoking]]'' as a former [[Marlboro Man]] advertisement cowboy who has developed lung cancer. In 2006 he provided the voice for the character Ben the Cow in the animated film ''[[Barnyard (film)|Barnyard]]''.

In 2007, Elliott joined the comic book adaptation ''[[Ghost Rider (2007 film)|Ghost Rider]]''. He played the character [[Carter Slade]]. The same year, Elliott appeared in ''[[The Golden Compass (film)|The Golden Compass]]'' as the character Lee Scoresby. The film is based on ''[[Northern Lights (Pullman novel)|Northern Lights]]'' in [[Philip Pullman]]'s trilogy ''[[His Dark Materials]]''. Also appearing in the film are [[Nicole Kidman]], [[Christopher Lee]], and [[Daniel Craig]].

In 2009, Elliott had a small role in ''[[Up in the Air (2009 film)|Up In The Air]]'' in which he portrayed the chief pilot of American Airlines. He appeared three times on ''[[Parks and Recreation]]'' as Ron Dunn, the Eagleton equivalent of [[Ron Swanson]]; Dunn is a hippie, compared to Swanson's staunch [[survivalist]] and [[Libertarian]] personality. He then provided the voice of Buster (a.k.a. Chupadogra) in the animated film ''[[Marmaduke (2010 film)|Marmaduke]]'' (2010). He had a supporting role in the thriller film ''[[The Company You Keep (film)|The Company You Keep]]'' and played a college football coach in 2014's drama film ''[[Draft Day]]''.

[[File:Sam Elliott and Jon Hamm (Sundance 2017).jpg|thumb|right|Elliott and [[Jon Hamm]] at the 2017 [[Sundance Film Festival]]]]
In 2015, Elliott appeared opposite [[Lily Tomlin]] as a former love interest of a grandmother (Tomlin) attempting to help her pregnant granddaughter in [[Paul Weitz (filmmaker)|Paul Weitz]]'s comedy ''[[Grandma (2015 film)|Grandma]]''.<ref name=NYTimes-Gma-AnatomyScene-2015>{{cite news|last1=Murphy|first1=Mekado|title='Grandma' (With Movie Trailer): Paul Weitz Narrates a Scene|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/21/movies/grandma-with-movie-trailer-paul-weitz-narrates-a-scene.html|access-date=23 August 2015|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 19, 2015}}</ref> In the same year he appeared in the romance ''[[I'll See You in My Dreams (2015 film)|I'll See You in My Dreams]]'', and had a role in the independent film ''[[Digging for Fire]]''.<ref name=NYTimes-SamElliott-LeadingMan-2015>{{cite news|last1=Buckley|first1=Cara|title=Sam Elliott, a Leading Man Again at 71, No Cowboy Hat Required|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/movies/sam-elliott-a-leading-man-again-at-71-no-cowboy-hat-required.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161128180639/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/16/movies/sam-elliott-a-leading-man-again-at-71-no-cowboy-hat-required.html|archive-date=November 28, 2016|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=August 13, 2015}}</ref> In 2015, he won the [[Critics' Choice Television Award]] for best guest performer in a drama for his role in the [[FX Network]]'s show ''[[Justified (TV series)|Justified]]''.<ref name="NYTimes-SamElliott-LeadingMan-2015" />

===Career resurgence and critical acclaim===
In 2015, Elliott began appearing as a series regular in the [[Netflix]] series ''[[The Ranch (TV series)|The Ranch]]'', opposite [[Ashton Kutcher]] and [[Danny Masterson]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/09/elisha-cuthbert-cast-ashton-kutcher-netflix-comedy-series-the-ranch-1201558925/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180810041926/https://deadline.com/2015/09/elisha-cuthbert-cast-ashton-kutcher-netflix-comedy-series-the-ranch-1201558925/|archive-date=August 10, 2018|title=Elisha Cuthbert Joins Ashton Kutcher's Netflix Comedy Series 'The Ranch'|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=September 30, 2015|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]}}</ref> He also had a recurring role as Phil Millstein in the second season of ''[[Grace and Frankie]]''. In film, he supplied the voice of Butch in the animated film ''[[The Good Dinosaur]]'' (2015).<ref name="TGD-Recast">{{cite web|url=http://blogs.disney.com/insider/2015/06/12/meet-the-new-cast-of-disneypixars-the-good-dinosaur/|title=Meet the New Cast of Disney•Pixar's The Good Dinosaur |publisher=The Walt Disney Company|date= June 12, 2015|access-date=June 12, 2015}}</ref>

In 2017, Elliott starred in ''[[The Hero (2017 film)|The Hero]]'', as Lee Hayden, an aging Western icon with a golden voice, whose best performances are decades behind him.<ref>{{cite web|title={Exclusive} Sam Elliott Will Lead Cast That Includes Laura Prepon Krysten Ritter Nick Offerman in "The Hero"|url=http://www.tracking-board.com/exclusive-sam-elliott-will-lead-cast-that-includes-laura-prepon-krysten-ritter-nick-offerman-in-the-hero/|date=April 20, 2016|work=The Tracking Board|access-date=January 17, 2017|first=Josh|last=Lyons}}</ref> His work in the film received much critical acclaim with Joey Magidson, writing for ''AwardsCircuit'', proclaiming that "Elliott is perfect here. ''The Hero'' encapsulates everything you love about him into one package."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20170611050853/http://www.awardscircuit.com/2017/06/05/film-review-sam-elliott-oscar-worthy-hero/ Film Review: Sam Elliott Is Oscar Worthy in 'The Hero']</ref> Later that year, Elliott starred in ''[[The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Busch|first1=Anita|title=Sam Elliott, John Sayles On 'The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot'|url=https://deadline.com/2017/04/john-sayles-sam-elliott-the-man-who-killed-hitler-and-then-the-bigfoot-1202068721/|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=April 13, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181126125245/https://deadline.com/2017/04/john-sayles-sam-elliott-the-man-who-killed-hitler-and-then-the-bigfoot-1202068721/|archive-date=November 26, 2018}}</ref>

The following year, Elliott costarred in ''[[A Star Is Born (2018 film)|A Star Is Born]]'' (2018), in which he plays Bobby Maine, the elder half-brother of [[Bradley Cooper]]'s lead character.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2018/09/25/star-born-bradley-cooper-voice-sam-elliott/1418221002/|work=[[USA Today]]|date=September 25, 2018|title='A Star is Born': Bradley Cooper's deep Sam Elliott-inspired voice impressed even Elliott|last=Mallenbaum|first=Carly|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181008103814/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2018/09/25/star-born-bradley-cooper-voice-sam-elliott/1418221002/|archive-date=October 8, 2018}}</ref> Elliott received critical acclaim for his performance, winning the [[National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor]].<ref name=nbr>{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2018/11/27/national-board-review-green-book-lady-gaga-top-winners/2128386002/|work=[[USA Today]]|title='Green Book,' 'A Star Is Born,' Lady Gaga top National Board of Review winners|last=Coyle|first=Jake|date=November 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209061805/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2018/11/27/national-board-review-green-book-lady-gaga-top-winners/2128386002/|archive-date=December 9, 2018}}</ref> He was also nominated for the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role]], as well as the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]],  his career-first nomination.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/oscars/2019/01/22/sam-elliott-oscars-best-supporting-actor-nomination/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|title=Sam Elliott lands his first Oscar nomination for ''A Star Is Born''|date=January 22, 2019|author=Stack, Tim}}</ref> Commenting on his Academy Award nomination, Elliott declared: "I think the thing off the top of my head might be, 'It's about fucking time!'"<ref>{{cite news|last=Blyth|first=Antonia|date=January 22, 2019|title='A Star Is Born's Sam Elliott Gets First Oscar Nomination In 50-Year Career, Jokes "It's About [Bleeping] Time"|url=https://deadline.com/2019/01/sam-elliott-a-star-is-born-oscar-nomination-interview-1202539369/|url-status=live|work=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610140109/https://deadline.com/2019/01/sam-elliott-a-star-is-born-oscar-nomination-interview-1202539369/|archive-date=June 10, 2023|access-date=December 9, 2023}}</ref> From 2019 to 2025, he played Wild West, new Mayor of Quahog, in 21 episodes of the animated series Family Guy. Wild West is a parody of Western film characters.

In 2022, Elliott starred as Shea Brennan on the [[Paramount+]] miniseries ''[[1883 (TV series)|1883]]'', a prequel to the ''[[Yellowstone (American TV series)|Yellowstone]]'' series. The show's story involves Brennan as he leads a group of immigrants from [[Fort Worth, Texas]] into the untamed western areas of the plains, and its connection to the Dutton family and its migration to Montana. The show's first season was aired from late 2021 until February 2022. For his performance he won the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie]].

==Other ventures==
In 1998, Elliott was named the grand marshal of the [[Calgary Stampede]] parade and rode in the [[procession]] before an estimated 300,000 spectators.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.calgarystampede.com/heritage/parade-marshals |title= Parade Marshalls|work=[[Calgary Stampede]]|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181215072415/https://www.calgarystampede.com/heritage/parade-marshals|archive-date=December 15, 2018}}</ref>

===Voice work and political endorsements===
Elliott has performed voice-over narration for various commercials. He has lent his voice to campaigns for [[Dodge]], [[IBM]], [[Kinney Drugs]], [[Union Pacific]], and most notably the [[American Beef Council]], succeeding [[Robert Mitchum]] in the latter. Since late 2007 Elliott has done voice-overs for [[Coors Brewing Company|Coors]] beer, bringing his deep, rich voice and "western" appeal to the brand brewed in Colorado. In 2010, [[Ram Trucks]] hired Elliott to do the voice-over for their Ram Heavy Duty truck commercial; he has been voicing their commercials since. Starting in 2008, he has voiced [[Smokey Bear]], and shares the mascot's birth date (August 9, 1944). He also narrated the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] and [[Green Bay Packers]] team introductions to [[Super Bowl XLV]], played at [[Cowboys Stadium]] in [[Arlington, Texas]] at the conclusion of the [[2010 NFL season]] for ''[[NFL on Fox]]''. On September 9, 2020, it was announced that Elliott would begin recurring on ''[[Family Guy]]'' as the new mayor of [[Quahog, Rhode Island|Quahog]], the late [[Adam West (Family Guy)|Mayor Adam West]]'s cousin, Wild Wild West.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/tv/family-guy-sam-elliott-mayor/|title=''Family Guy'' taps Sam Elliott to succeed Adam West as Mayor: See the first photos|first=Dan|last=Snierson|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 25, 2020}}</ref> Also in 2020, he voiced [[Joe Biden|Joe Biden's]] "Go From There" [[campaign ad]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Henderson |first=Cydney |date=2020-10-22 |title=Sam Elliott lends his distinctive voice to $4 million political ad for Joe Biden |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/10/22/sam-elliott-narrates-4-million-dollar-joe-biden-ad-during-world-series/3720987001/ |access-date=2023-11-20 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US}}</ref> He did another ad for [[The Lincoln Project]], in support of [[Kamala Harris]]' [[Kamala Harris 2024 presidential campaign|2024 presidential campaign]], where he said "It's time to be a man and vote for a woman."

==Personal life==
Elliott married actress [[Katharine Ross]] in 1984, becoming her fifth husband.<ref name=carvajal>{{cite web|work=Amo Mama|url=https://amomama.us/58536-sam-elliott-katharine-rosss-love-story-a.html |title=Story of love between Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross, who had 4 husbands before|date=October 26, 2018|author=Carvajal, Edduin|url-status=live|archive-date=April 25, 2020|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200425045552/https://news.amomama.com/58536-sam-elliott-katharine-rosss-love-story-a.html}}</ref> They have a daughter, Cleo,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20112574,00.html|title=Katharine Ross|author=''People'' Staff|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181215070109/https://people.com/archive/katharine-ross-vol-37-no-17/|archive-date=December 15, 2018|date=May 4, 1992|work=[[People (magazine)|People]]}}</ref> who is a musician in [[Malibu, California]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.malibutimes.com/articles/2008/12/31/malibu_life/art3.txt|title=Straight from her heart|last=Magruder|first=Melonie|date=December 31, 2008|work=Malibu Times|location=Malibu, California|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130128183052/http://www.malibutimes.com/malibu_life/article_1cd47ff3-3de5-565d-9620-c56edfa43e29.html|archive-date=January 28, 2013}}</ref> Ross and Elliott live on a seaside ranch in Malibu, which they purchased in the 1970s.<ref name=baker/> Elliott also maintains a property in the [[Willamette Valley]] in Oregon.<ref name=baker/> Following his mother's death in 2011 at the age of 96, he also took ownership of his childhood home in northeast Portland.<ref name=baker/>
<!--References re recent homophobic incident
<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-01 |title=Sam Elliott Goes On Homophobic Rant Over 'Power of the Dog' |url=https://www.advocate.com/arts-entertainment/2022/3/01/sam-elliott-goes-homophobic-rant-over-power-dog |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=www.advocate.com |language=en}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bolies |first=Corbin |date=2022-03-01 |title=Sam Elliott Goes on Homophobic Tirade About 'Power of the Dog' and Its Shirtless Cowboys |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/sam-elliott-goes-on-homophobic-tirade-about-jane-campions-the-power-of-the-dog-and-its-shirtless-cowboys |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=The Daily Beast |language=en}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-02 |title=Sam Elliott echoes John Wayne with homophobic rant against 'Power of the Dog' |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/03/02/sam-elliott-echoes-john-wayne-with-homophobic-rant-against-power-of-the-dog |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=The Mercury News |language=en-US}}</ref>
<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dry |first=Jude |date=2022-03-02 |title=Sam Elliott's Homophobic Rant Proves 'The Power of the Dog' Has Real Bite |url=https://www.indiewire.com/2022/03/sam-elliott-power-of-the-dog-homophobic-1234703782/ |access-date=2022-03-03 |website=IndieWire |language=en}}</ref>
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==Filmography and accolades==
{{Main|Sam Elliott filmography|List of awards and nominations received by Sam Elliott}}

Elliott has received [[List of awards and nominations received by Sam Elliott|a number of awards and nominations]] for [[Sam Elliott filmography|his numerous screen performances]]. These include a [[Screen Actors Guild Award]], a [[National Board of Review Awards|National Board of Review Award]] and nominations for an [[Academy Award]], two [[Primetime Emmy Awards]] and two [[Golden Globe Awards]].

After gaining early recognitions in [[western films]] in the late 1960s and continuing into the 1970s and 1980s, Elliott received two [[Golden Globe Award]] nominations{{emdash}}for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Miniseries or Television Film|Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film]] and [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Series, Miniseries or Television Film|Supporting Actor in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film]]{{emdash}}for his respective roles in the television film ''[[Conagher]]'' (1991) and miniseries ''[[Buffalo Girls (miniseries)|Buffalo Girls]]'' (1995), the latter of which also earned him a nomination for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie|Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special]]. His [[voice-over]] performance in ''[[Robot Chicken]]'' (2012{{ndash}}2020) earned him a nomination for the [[Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Voice-Over Performance]]. Elliott's guest role in ''[[Justified (TV series)|Justified]]'' (2015) earned him a [[Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series]].

As a member of the [[ensemble cast]] of ''[[Up in the Air (2009 film)|Up in the Air]]'' (2009), Elliott was nominated for the [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Acting Ensemble]]. For starring opposite [[Lady Gaga]] and [[Bradley Cooper]] in [[A Star Is Born (2018 film)|Cooper's 2018 adaptation of ''A Star Is Born'']], Elliott won the [[National Board of Review Award for Best Supporting Actor|National Board of Review Award]] and received nominations for the [[AACTA International Award for Best Supporting Actor|AACTA International]], [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Academy Award]], [[Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actor|Critics' Choice]] and [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role|SAG Award for Best Supporting Actor]], as well as another nomination for the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture|SAG Award for Outstanding Cast]]. His role in the [[Paramount+]] miniseries ''[[1883 (TV series)|1883]]'' (2021{{ndash}}2022) won him the [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie|SAG Award for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Movie]].

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{commons}}
* {{IMDb name|385}}
* {{tcmdb name|id=56969|name=Sam Elliott}}
* {{Cite news |first=Daniel |last=Hajek |date=September 6, 2015 |title=Typecast as a Cowboy, Sam Elliott Came to Embrace That 'Western Box' |url=https://www.npr.org/2015/09/06/438084436/typecast-as-a-cowboy-sam-elliott-came-to-embrace-that-western-box |work=[[All Things Considered]] |publisher=[[NPR]] |department=My Big Break (story series) |access-date=September 7, 2015}}

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[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:21st-century American male actors]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male stage actors]]
[[Category:American male television actors]]
[[Category:American male voice actors]]
[[Category:American people of English descent]]
[[Category:American people of Scottish descent]]
[[Category:United States Air Force airmen]]
[[Category:David Douglas High School alumni]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Male actors from Portland, Oregon]]
[[Category:Male actors from Sacramento, California]]
[[Category:Male Western (genre) film actors]]
[[Category:University of Oregon alumni]]
[[Category:Clark College alumni]]
[[Category:Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie Screen Actors Guild Award winners]]
[[Category:Sigma Alpha Epsilon members]]