The history of American entertainment is heavily influenced by westerns, both in film and on television. Fans of action and drama can’t get enough of this genre, which is known for its cowboys and gunslingers. Sam Elliott is a seasoned character actor who is most recognized for his work in the Western genre. He has starred in a number of films in this genre. Among his most well-known parts are those of The Stranger in “The Big Lebowski” and Virgil Earp in “Tombstone.” In addition to his mustache, the actor is renowned for his deep and booming voice as well as his towering stature.
Sam got his start in the entertainment industry by playing supporting roles in the films “The Way West” and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” In addition to “Gunsmoke,” he has also appeared in the television movies “Murder in Texas” and “The Shadow Riders.” The breakthrough performance for the actor came in the drama “Lifeguard,” which was released in 1976 and was one of the actor’s few films that were not in the Western genre.
Sam was nominated for and ultimately won a Critics’ Choice Television Award for his work as a guest performer on the television series “Justified” in the year 2015. In the year that followed, he started his role as a star on the Netflix comedy series “The Ranch.” In the movie “The Hero,” which was released in 2017, Elliott Ross appeared with his wife, Katharine Ross. The story revolves on an older Western actor who spends his time smoking and reminiscing about his glory days up to the point when he is told he has cancer. The film features Ross in the role of Sam’s ex-wife.
Sam and his wife had the opportunity to collaborate on several film projects before “The Hero,” but “The Hero” was the first one they worked on together. Sam was simply an extra in the film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,” therefore Ross and Sam did not have the opportunity to formally meet until 1978, when they were both cast in starring parts in the film “The Legacy.” The year 1984 was the year of the couple’s wedding, and they are now parents to a daughter. Continue reading to find out more information about Sam and Ross and their over forty year long marriage.
Sam’s parents, Glynn Mamie and Henry Nelson Elliott, brought him into the world on August 9, 1944 in the city of Sacramento, California. His mother was a high school teacher and a physical education instructor while he was growing up, while his father worked for the Department of the Interior as an expert in the management of predators. El Paso, Texas was Sam’s parents’ hometown, but they took their family and relocated to Oregon when Sam was 13 years old.
The actor graduated from David Douglas High School in 1962 after spending his teenage years growing up in the Southeast neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. He was born in 1940. Sam enrolled in a two-year program at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, after leaving the University of Oregon after just two semesters there. Clark College is located in Vancouver. While he was there, he tried out for one of the leading roles in a theater production of “Guys and Dolls.” He was successful.
Sam’s decision to pursue acting as a profession was influenced by the positive feedback he received for his performance as Big Jule in the production of “Guys and Dolls.” Unfortunately, his father did not see his following a career path that would eventually lead him to Hollywood. Sam said in an interview with CBS, “I heard him say the proverbial line about, ‘He’s got a snowball’s chance in Hell of havin’ a career in that town,’ one time to my mom.” Sam was referring to a common expression.
The completion of Sam’s education was something that his father had always desired for him, and it was something that Sam accomplished after his father died away from a heart attack. When asked about his father, he described him as a realist, saying, “He was my dad. He put forth a lot of effort every day. He had a work ethic that I’ve modeled mine after, and for that I owe him a debt of gratitude that I carry with me every day.
In the late 1960s, Sam made the journey out to Los Angeles. Before enlisting in the California Air National Guard, he pursued training in the performing arts and worked in the construction industry. Before his unit relocated to the Channel Islands Air National Guard Station, he was employed at the Van Nuys Airport.
Sam has been working in the entertainment industry for close to sixty years, and throughout that time he has seen the industry’s development, both for the better and for the worst. “There has been a complete shift in strategy. The motion picture industry has been nearly completely transformed as a result of the developments that have taken place in the field of technology. There are certain things that will never, ever change, and those are the constants. In contrast, from a purely technological perspective, it’s a whole other universe,” Sam said in an interview with The Guardian.
In addition to that, he said that despite his voice and appearance, he does not consider himself to be typecast as a cowboy. He remembered an incident that had taken place on the set and said, “I don’t think I’ve ever had problems with my voice in terms of what people have wanted out of me as an actor.” However, in 1976, I was a part of a movie titled “Lifeguard,” which was directed by Dan Petrie, who was responsible for a great deal of outstanding work. On occasion, he would say to me, “Let’s do it again, and this time, let’s be a little less south in the mouth.” (Let’s try it again, and this time, let’s be a little less south in the mouth.) That never fails to make me chuckle.
There is, however, a certain kind of part that Sam does not take pleasure in performing. “I played bad guys a couple of times, and I didn’t enjoy it,” the actor said in an interview with CBS. Simply said, I do not want to proceed there. There is already an excessive amount of that kind of unpleasant content in the world. “I’d rather make people feel good, or make ’em cry, or make ’em, you know, look inside themselves and know that they’re not alone.”
Sam first made the acquaintance of Ross in 1978 while working on the set of the gothic horror film “The Legacy.” The two had an instant connection and started dating not long after that. They tied the knot in 1984, just a few short months before the arrival of their first child, a girl named Cleo Rose Elliott.
Sam related to AARP that the first time he had became aware of Ross was on the production of a movie that came out before “The Legacy.” On the other hand, he was unable of mustering the bravery to approach her at that moment. “Katharine Ross, who is now my wife, and I both worked on ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,’ but I didn’t have the courage to attempt to speak to her at the time. She played the role of the main woman. A little speck in the background, I played the role of a glorified extra in a bar scene. It wasn’t until we worked together on ‘The Legacy’ that we ever really communicated with one another.
Sam related the experience of seeing Ross perform on “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Sam was a fan of both actors. He said the following to The Oklahoman:
“All I could do was watch Katharine come and go. That was all I could do. There was no communication between us at all. I had a good idea of who she was, but at that point in time, I was just another man working on the lot, so I saw her quite a bit. However, since I was a contract player with Fox as well as an extra on the program, I was able to get access behind the scenes and see the production of the movie, which was an amazing experience. During the time that Katharine and the others were in Los Angeles, I spent a lot of time hidden away in a secluded area watching them work.
Another opportunity for the pair to collaborate came along when they were cast in the television movie “Conagher,” which was based on the book written by Louis L’Amour. Sam was recognized for his work in this role by being nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film. During his conversation with The Oklahoman, he brought up the movie, saying, “Working with Katharine is incredible for me.” It has always been the case. I believe that working together on ‘Conagher’ was one of the most memorable experiences of my professional life. I have no doubt that this is how I will continue to feel.
Sam related to AARP that the first time he had became aware of Ross was on the production of a movie that came out before “The Legacy.” On the other hand, he was unable of mustering the bravery to approach her at that moment. “Katharine Ross, who is now my wife, and I both worked on ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,’ but I didn’t have the courage to attempt to speak to her at the time. She played the role of the main woman. A little speck in the background, I played the role of a glorified extra in a bar scene. It wasn’t until we worked together on ‘The Legacy’ that we ever really communicated with one another.
Sam related the experience of seeing Ross perform on “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” Sam was a fan of both actors. He said the following to The Oklahoman:
“All I could do was watch Katharine come and go. That was all I could do. There was no communication between us at all. I had a good idea of who she was, but at that point in time, I was just another man working on the lot, so I saw her quite a bit. However, since I was a contract player with Fox as well as an extra on the program, I was able to get access behind the scenes and see the production of the movie, which was an amazing experience. During the time that Katharine and the others were in Los Angeles, I spent a lot of time hidden away in a secluded area watching them work.
Another opportunity for the pair to collaborate came along when they were cast in the television movie “Conagher,” which was based on the book written by Louis L’Amour. Sam was recognized for his work in this role by being nominated for a Golden Globe in the category of Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film. During his conversation with The Oklahoman, he brought up the movie, saying, “Working with Katharine is incredible for me.” It has always been the case. I believe that working together on ‘Conagher’ was one of the most memorable experiences of my professional life. I have no doubt that this is how I will continue to feel.
Sam told the Los Angeles Times that a significant portion of their happiness together may be attributed to the fact that they both have a passion for performing. He made the following statement: “I think that we just like making movies, and having that creative experience together is the best.” It’s all in good humor. When you go home with someone who you are working with, as opposed to going home to someone who isn’t working, you bring a whole different type of vibe into the house. It’s been nothing but a good time all around.”
Sam gave the following response when he was questioned about the key to a successful and happy marriage:
“I believe the most important thing is that you need to have the desire to get married. You have to really care about the other person and be prepared to put in effort if you want the relationship to succeed; after all, it is unquestionably a two-way street. Once you have it figured out, the rest of it is really about riding out the storm.” After a brief pause, Ross continued with a chuckle and said, “You just ride the roller coaster – and hang on tight.”
She was born on January 29th, 1940 in the city of Hollywood, in the state of California. Her family ultimately made their home in Walnut Creek, California, where she attended Las Lomas High School and received her diploma in 1957. She liked to ride horses and was childhood friends with rodeo rider Casey Tibbs, who was also a friend of hers. After graduating from high school, Ross made the decision to go to San Francisco in order to pursue a career in acting. After moving there, she enrolled in The Actors Workshop, which provided her with several opportunities to act in theater shows.
The actress recently gave an interview to Variety in which she discussed her time spent working at The Actors Workshop as well as her involvement in the creation of “Twinkling of an Eye.” She made the statement, “I’m not even sure if we opened! It was then that I first realized I had an acting bug inside of me. However, I was able to pick up a lot of useful skills since we were all responsible for the whole of the production, from acting to collecting tickets to handling props.
Ross’s foray into the realm of television began while she was attending acting classes in San Francisco and made her first television appearance. I did hear there was a call for auditions for the upcoming television series ‘Sam Benedict.’ They were going to be filming in San Francisco, therefore they were looking for a local actor. “I had two very nice scenes with the star Edmond O’Brien, so that’s not too shabby,” Ross remarked. “I had two very nice scenes with the star Edmond O’Brien.”
During her conversation with The Oklahoman, the actress provided more insight into her professional life and career. Ross went on to explain:
“I kind of came into working in the ’60s, and there were a lot of television Westerns being done at that time, and I was fortunate enough to have parts in many of them,” he said. “… I was in many of them.” In addition to that, I was able to collaborate with a wide variety of excellent character performers.
In 2014, Ross was honored by the National Cowboy Museum by being inducted into their Hall of Great Western Performers. This was an honor that was also conferred to Ross’s spouse, seven years earlier. She said, “If I could ride a horse, I would do anything for it… I was born and raised in the West, and it’s an incredible pleasure to be included with the other performers who have been inducted into the Great Western Performers.
Ross was questioned by the Mercury News if it was Sam’s voice, mustache, or rugged good features that won her over, and the actress responded by gushing: “It was all of the above!”
“Most likely all of it and much more. While we were working together, many events eventually led to the current situation. And here is where we are!
The pair has maintained a healthy and happy marriage despite the fact that they have collaborated on a number of projects during the course of their relationship. The development of their love is like anything out of a classic Western fairytale; nonetheless, Sam maintains that they have to put in effort for their enjoyment to be a shared experience.
Sam celebrated his 79th birthday in 2023, and the actor has said that he is grateful to his wife for making a significant portion of those years the happiest of his life. Nevertheless, as is the case in many romantic partnerships, the couple has had their fair share of difficult times, but Sam will never consider ending their partnership. He said of Ross that:
“We share a sensibility, but we also make an effort to be in sync with one another. You don’t run away from the problem; instead, you work through it. That’s the secret to long-lasting partnerships.”
When Sam was interviewed by Vulture in 2015, the publication asked him about the key to the durability of his marriage. He replied that one component was avoiding the celebrity scene.
“We avoid the city, and we don’t get involved in anything too serious. We do not trust everything that is printed in the rags. And we put forth a lot of effort. We have a lot of similarities, Katharine and I. We are madly in love with our daughter Cleo, and despite the fact that she is now 30 years old, we are still really connected to her. It’s a nice life. Our home is in Malibu, and we have equines, canines, felines, and avian companions. We have to shovel s—, guy. “That will keep you humble,” was his response.
The cheerful pair is pleased with their uncomplicated and unhurried way of life. Sam notes that the simple activities he does with the people he cares about the most, such as going for strolls along the beach with his daughter, are what keep him fulfilled.
“I simply genuinely like spending time with Cleo. According to what he said, “it doesn’t really matter what we’re doing.”
He continued by saying, “We’re rock hounds.” Rock collecting runs in my family; my father was a rock hunter, and now my daughter is following in his footsteps. We collect each and every one of these stunning stones.