There’s no question that one of Sam Elliott’s most distinguishing features — maybe even the most! — is his mustache. Sure, he’s been clean shaven in a few movies, especially back in the 1960s and 70s, but for the past 30 or 40 years, he’s virtually never seen without the thick impressive ‘stache. He was even an inaugural inductee into the International Mustache Hall of Fame back in 2015!
Oh the horror of being judged by your physical appearance! Poor Sam Elliott. Isn’t it what’s inside that counts? But I’m sure he has a good personality.
Serious Family Drama
A sad but inescapable part of reality is that all the professional success in the world will not shield you from family troubles. And Sam Elliott has had his share. In 2011 his wife Katharine was stabbed with a pair of scissors by Cleo, their 26 year old daughter, who had also threatened to kill her mother at that time. Katharine was forced to file a restraining order against her daughter, and the court agreed to order Cleo to remain a minimum of 100 yards from her mother.
Lots of families go through crises like this, and most pass through them unscathed in the long term. It’s one of the disadvantages fame that such events have to take place in the public eye.
Making Amends
Like many family crises, this too was temporary, including the restraining order. Mother Katharine and daughter Cleo both chose not to show up at court on the appointed extension date, so it was automatically thrown out. Ever since, the two of them alongside husband/daddy Sam have been working to build a family relationship that is both stronger and healthier than ever before.
Today Cleo resides in California where she is a professional musician and model. She writes songs, sings, and plays guitar.
Family Heritage
Anyone who knows anything about Sam Elliott sees that his Hollywood career is inextricably linked with Westerns. Obviously, it has a lot to do with his impressive physique and bold attitude that lend themselves to that tough-guy genre. But there’s more to it than that. There is also some significant and poignant family history behind Sam’s love of the Old West.
“My family had a relative in the Alamo,” Elliott has been quoted as saying. “I’ve got history in Texas.” The Battle of the Alamo, though it was a defeat, was a pivotal event in the Texas Revolution that resulted in The Republic of Texas gaining independence from Mexico.
He Can Do It All
There is no doubting that professionally Sam Elliott is an actor above all else. And a fine one too. But that is by no means the whole story of his Hollywood career. He has, at times, dabbled in production, writing, and even, on at least one memorable occasion, singing. Sam is a true Renaissance man!
Elliott produced 18 episodes of the Netflix series The Ranch, in which he also stars. He also sang a cover of the Tom Petty song “I Won’t Back Down” for the 2006 hit animated feature Barnyard, a film which prominently featured his voice work.