Sam Elliott's Main TV Roles Show Character(s) Mission: Impossible (1966) Doug Robert Hawkins Luther Wilkes The Yellow Rose Chance McKe… Doc Elliot Lee Barrows The Manhunter Will Gantry

Main Movie Roles 2010 - Marmaduke 2009 - Up in the Air 2009 - Did You Hear About The Morgans 2007 - The Golden Compass 2007 - Ghost Rider 2006 - Barnyard 2006 - The Alibi 2005 - Thank You for Smoking 2003 - Hulk 2003 - Off the Map 2002 - We Were Soldiers 2000 - The Contender 1998 - The Hi-Lo Country 1998 - The Big Lebowski 1995 - The Final Cut 1993 - Tombstone 1993 - Gettysburg 1991 - Rush 1989 - Road House 1989 - Prancer 1988 - Shakedown 1987 - Fatal Beauty 1985 - Mask 1978 - The Legacy 1972 - Frogs 1969 - Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

BIOGRAPHY:

Tall, thin, wiry Sam Elliott is the classic picture of the American cowboy. Elliott began his acting career on the stage and his film debut was in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). Although his future wife, Katharine Ross co-starred in the film, the two did not meet until they filmed The Legacy (1978) Together. Over the years there would be few opportunities to act in feature westerns, but it would be television that gave him that opportunity, in The Sacketts (1979) (TV), The Shadow Riders (1982) (TV) and "The Yellow Rose" (1983), among others. He would also work in non-westerns, usually as a tough guy, as in Lifeguard (1976/I) and Road House (1989). In the 1990s, Elliott was back on the western trail, playing everyone from Brig. Gen. John Buford in the film Gettysburg (1993) to Wild Bill Hickok in the made-for-TV movie Buffalo Girls (1995) (TV). In 1991 he wrote the screenplay and co-starred with his wife in the made-for-TV western Conagher (1991) (TV).


TRIVIA:

• His character in _Hulk (2003)_ (qv), Gen. Ross, wore a combat patch for the 1st Cavalry Division. In _We Were Soldiers (2002)_ (qv), he played Sgt. Maj. Plumley of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, part of the 1st Cav Div.
• His bare-buns scene in _The Legacy (1978)_ (qv) earned the highest rating (3 stars) from "The Bare Facts" -- a printed guide to nudity in movies.
• 9/17/84: Daughter with 'Katharine Ross' (qv), Cleo Rose Elliott, born.
• Illness forced him to drop out of the 1982 TV-movie, _The Ambush Murders (1982) (TV)_ (qv). He was replaced by 'James Brolin' (qv).
• Shares birthday with 'Eric Bana (I)' (qv), 'Gillian Anderson (I)' (qv), 'Audrey Tautou' (qv) and 'McG' (qv).
• He is an alumnus of Clark College in Vancouver, WA.
• Had not read any of the 'His Dark Materials' books, before he was asked to take the role as Lee Scoresby, in _The Golden Compass (2007)_ (qv). He chose first to read the books by 'Philip Pullman' (qv), and then to read the film's script.
• 1976: Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1976" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 28.