Just before the SAG Awards, Sam Elliott was on the WTF podcast with Marc Maron. Elliott is a longtime actor in and lover of cowboy movies and Westerns, and he had some inarticulate and offensive thoughts about The Power of the Dog. He complained about cowboys “running around in chaps and no shirts. There’s all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the movie.” He complained about how Benedict Cumberbatch’s character “never got out of his f–king chaps.” He complained about director Jane Campion, saying: “What the f–k does this woman from down there know about the American West? Why the f–k did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana? And say this is the way it was? That f–king rubbed me the wrong way.” Days later, Jane Campion called him a little bitch and Sam was widely slammed for his comments. Well, now he’s apologizing:
Sam Elliott on Sunday apologized for the comments he made last month about the film The Power of the Dog on Marc Maron’s WTF podcast and had a special message for Jane Campion, who won the Oscar for directing the Western drama starring Benedict Cumberbatch.
“I told the WTF podcaster that I thought Jane Campion was a brilliant director, and I want to apologize to the cast of The Power of the Dog, brilliant actors all,” Elliott said. “And in particular Benedict Cumberbatch. I can only say that I’m sorry and I am. I am.”
While speaking during Deadline’s Contenders TV event Sunday to promote 1883 on Paramount+, Elliott began his mea culpa with a semi-serious warning. “First, don’t do a podcast with the call letters WTF.” He then said the movie “struck a chord with me” and wanted to talk to Maron about “how I felt about the film.”
“I wasn’t very articulate about it. I didn’t articulate it very well,” Elliott said, in what were his first public comments since the March 1 podcast. “And I said some things that hurt people and I feel terrible about that. The gay community has been incredible to me my entire career. And I mean my entire career, from before I got started in this town. Friends on every level and every job description up until today. I’m sorry I hurt any of those friends and someone that I loved. And anyone else by the words that I used.”
Sam Elliott saying “The gay community has been incredible to me my entire career” was not on my 2022 bingo card, but here we are. Sam Elliott, appreciator of the gay community. His podcast comments really were inarticulate – people were sure he was being homophobic, but he didn’t spell it out. Instead, it felt like he spent five minutes venting about Phil’s chaps. I don’t know! It’s not for me to accept his apology, all I’ll say is that I do think he is genuinely remorseful and he regrets talking sh-t about the movie.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Netflix.
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- Actor Sam Elliott arrives at the Los Angeles Special Screening Of Netflix’s ‘All The Bright Places’ held at ArcLight Hollywood on February 24, 2020 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 563754369, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: WORLD RIGHTS – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251 Madrid: +34 91 533 4289 – Fee Payable Upon Reproduction – For queries contact Avalon.red – sales@avalon.red London: +44 (0) 20 7421 6000 Los Angeles: +1 (310) 822 0419 Berlin: +49 (0) 30 76 212 251, Model Release: no, Credit line: Xavier Collin / Image Press Agency / Avalon
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- Kodi Smit-McPhee,Jane Campion,Kirsten Dunst,Benedict Cumberbatch attends the official screening of Netflix’s “The Power Of The Dog” during 2021 AFI Fest at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 11, 2021 in Hollywood, California,Image: 642799573, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- Sam Elliott attends the world premiere of “1883” at the Encore Beach Club at Encore Las Vegas on December 11, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada,Image: 647644309, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Pictured: Sam Elliott, Credit line: – / JPI Studios / Avalon
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- Kanye West makes a statement to the media as he meets with United States President Donald J. Trump and Jim Brown in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC on Thursday, October 11, 2018. Credit: Ron Sachs / CNP | usage worldwide
He didn’t issue the “apology” until he had something to promote. He is sorry not because gay people exist and he invalidated that existence and made it sound like gay people are something to avoid….he is sorry because he gets support from the gay community. So, it seems rather self-serving on all fronts. His fragile masculinity is still showing.
Oh shut the f*** up, what would you know, living your life and filtering your no-account thoughts through a dead-end shit-site like this! F*** off and get a life, the lotta ya
Nevertheless, he made an apology, which some others do not do when they cause offense.
Yeah, it’s not for me to judge or accept his apology, but we all have gay family, friends or selves who would be hurt by his wee rant on WTF, if even aware. His words played into or fired up the culture war/homophobia people he says have always supported him have to fight every day, and that’s a damned shame. This fell in the middle of my bingeing “1883,” and took me out of what was really a classically fine performance by Elliott. Oh, well.
If the gay community has been incredible to him, he would never have said those things. Cause he would know of all the horror they face/faced.
No, he’s just an acquaintance to the gay community.
It’s good that he apologized, but I don’t know why he said “Don’t do a podcast with the call letters WTF.” WTF is a fantastic interview podcast and Marc Maron is a great conversationalist/interviewer. It’s not his fault what Sam Elliot said!
Yeah, I thought that part was unnecessary too and sounded like he (S. Elliott) was kind of blaming the show for being responsible for his statements.
Also, I didn’t know that one had to “have gay friends” as in, some of my best friends are gay, in order to NOT give offence to people.
Well, despite the fact it took him awhile to do it, that was what a genuine apology looks like & since it seems hard for many in this age to do that I appreciate that he did. His comments on POD were ridiculous.
It sounds like someone specifically in his life was really hurt by what he said. It’s good he apologized thoroughly.
That was my impression as well. Someone, someone gay, had a talking with him.
To our unnamed queer hero, we say thank you. Sorry you had to do it in the first place.
I think it seems sincere, and not like he’s doing it just to save face.
As far as apologies go, I appreciate that he centered the hurt he caused, not himself. Doesn’t matter what he meant to say, what he thinks, the issue is that he hurt people and a decent apology needs to talk about that.
Well, this Member of the Gay Community does not support you, Sam.
Well, then, f*** off and find a life where you matter the most in any one individual’s thought process. Yeah right