Happy Birthday Sam Elliott: Celebrating The Cowboy Icon’s Legendary Career On His 78th

Whether it’s The Legend, Tombstone, The Big Lebowski, A Star Is Born, or his.

And we say: Happy 78th Birthday, Sam Elliott! Celebrate his legendary career with us as we mark the man, myth, and mustache this August 9.

Born Samuel Pack Elliott on August 9, 1944, Sam Elliott is a Sacramento, California native. His parents are originally from El Paso, Texas. The Western icon. After the tragic death of his father, Elliott would become the iconic actor we know today.

1978: Sam Elliott Meets His ‘Legacy’ – And His Wife

The Legacy (1978) sees an American couple shack up in a British mansion – that also happens to be violently haunted. The horror classic was one of Elliott’s first headlining film roles and helped catapult him to fame. More importantly, however, it’s where he and his wife, Katharine Ross

Interestingly, Ross had starred in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid

1993: The Battle for Tombstone, Arizona

There’s little we can write about Tombst one that Outsiders don’t already know and love. Sam Elliott had already become a Western icon prior to this 1993 smash hit, but it always bares mentioning as it is one of the finest of its genre ever made. Elliott lends his unmatched gravitas to one of the best ensemble casts of all time, and Tombstone remains a classic to this day.

1998: ‘The Dude Abides’

Sure, we only see Elliott’s face for a small sliver of The Big Lebowski. But never forget: it is his voice that narrates the film. And more importantly – it is Sam Elliott himself who delivers the film’s most iconic line: “The Dude abides.”

Lebowski

2005: Sam Elliott, The Marlboro Man

If you haven’t seen Jason Reitman’s breakout film, Thank You For Smoking, allow this Outsider and Sam Elliott fan to recommend it immediately. It’s full of absolutely brilliant performances across the board, and sees Sam Elliott step into the shoes of the cancer-ridden, original Marlboro Man.

2018: A Star Is Re-Born

If anyone deserves the recognition that Bradley Cooper’s 2018 reimagining of A Star Is Born brought, it’s his co-star, Sam Elliott. His role as Bobby Maine, older brother to Cooper’s central Jackson Maine, showcases some of the best acting of his career. As such, it would earn him his first Oscar nomination – finally – after decades in the business.

Of the nomination, Elliott would joke to Deadline that “It’s about f*cking time!”