He’s known for his roles in Tombstone, Gettysburg, and A Star is Born, but Sam Elliott has a soft spot for one of his underrated films.
During an interview with Sarasota Scene, Sam Elliott discusses his 1985 film Mask. “Watching Peter Bogdanovich work, as well as his cinematographer, Laszlo Kovacs. That was, right off the top, the most impressive thing for me,” Sam Elliott states. He also says doesn’t get any better than working with Eric Stoltz and singing icon Cher.
Sam Elliott also reveals that he is the proudest of his 1991 film Conagher. “It was Katharine [Ross] and I, and it was a labor of love,” he describes. “It was based on a Louis L’Amour novel. For a lot of personal reasons, that’s my favorite. It may not be the best film, but it’s one of my favorite experiences.”
Sam Elliott Talks His Film ‘THE HERO’ and Working with Jimmy Stewart
Also during his interview, Sam Elliott shares details about his 2017 film The Hero. “Well, I never had anyone write an entire screenplay for me,” he states. “And I’m an actor. It’s pretty simple, I think on that level.”
Sam Elliott also says that it was a chance to do something he has never done before. “To me, there are a lot of similarities in that part, there’s no question about that.”
The actor then talks about working with It’s a Wonderful Life star, Jimmy Stewart. “Incredible. Just incredible,” Sam states. Elliott also recalls that Stewart was working on a TV show called Hawkins during that time. “It was right at the end of his career, and I was lucky to spend any time around him.”
Sam Elliott calls Jimmy Stewart “a great America,” just not a great actor. He also says that his The HERO co-star Brett Haley has got it all ahead of him. “I think he’s brilliant right now. It think he was brilliant when we rocked on Dreams,” Elliott remarks. He explains he got to know Brett when he was on the film and while promoting.
“He and I went out together and spent a lot of time together and got to each other really well,” Elliott adds. “He just loves film. He understands film and he loves film.”
Sam Reveals His Great-Great Grandfather Fought in the Battle of San Jacinto
Sam Elliott also reveals in the interview that his great-great-grandfather fought in the Battle of San Jacinto. “I think his last name was Pope and I think he was a surgeon. That’s what I recall. I’ll tell you, the word hero to me is so overused,” Elliott explains. He also shares that “heroic people” to him means they are clearly the ones that have made the sacrifice for their country.