Sam Elliott

Samuel Pack Elliott, born on August 9, 1944, is an American actor renowned for his deep, rich voice. His career in film and television spans over five decades, and he's acclaimed for diverse roles across several genres, earning various accolades including a Screen Actors Guild Award and a National Board of Review Award. Notably, he has been nominated for an Academy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Elliot's career took off with minor roles, making his debut with the western The Way West in 1967. His leading role in the horror, Frogs in 1972, got him wide recognition. Despite initial success, his breakthrough was the drama Lifeguard in 1976. Subsequently, his portrayal of John Buford in the historical drama Gettysburg (1993), Virgil Earp in the western Tombstone (1993), and the Stranger in the crime comedy The Big Lebowski (1998) cemented his status as a versatile actor. In recent years, Elliot has continued to deliver critically acclaimed performances, earning a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role in the Paramount+ western miniseries 1883 (2021–2022).

Elliott was born in Sacramento, California to Glynn Mamie and Henry Nelson Elliott. He spent his teenage years in Portland, Oregon, post a brief period in California. After graduating high school, he attended the University of Oregon and later Clark College. Elliot's venture into acting was encouraged by The Vancouver Columbian newspaper, which happened while he concluded a two-year program at Clark College. Despite his father's demise causing a brief interruption in his educational journey, mentioned as a hard worker by Sam, he migrated to Los Angeles in the late 1960s to pursue an acting career. Parallel to his acting studies, he also served in the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing. Today, Elliot is recognized for the tremendous impact he's made in the film industry.