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.
The Big Lebowski
The narrator the classic movie The Big Lebowski was described in the script to be like this: “the voice-over sounds not unlike Sam Elliott”. And the on-screen role was described in the script this way: “like a drugstore cowboy, looking not unlike Sam Elliott”. This may seem odd, but you will never find bigger movie fans than writer-director pair the Coen brothers. So it may come as no surprise that the role in that ended up going to Sam was described in such a precise way.
If there’s one thing that Sam has proven over and over in his career, it’s that he can make even a minor supporting role memorable. That was certainly the case with his unforgettable performance in the Coen brothers’ memorable movie.
On To Another Big Role
The Big Lebowski was not only a significant role for Sam Elliott in its own right, but also directly led to yet another career high point. Writer/Director Rod Lurie had just completed the script for The Contender and had cast Jeff Bridges as the American president. Lurie had enjoyed the on-screen relationship between Bridges and Elliott in The Big Lebowski and wanted to recreate it in his movie by casting Sam as the president’s Chief of Staff.
The casting decision was a little controversial because of Sam’s association with westerns, whereas The Contender was a modern-day political drama. But that was exactly the reason Sam was eager to accept the role. It was a welcome chance to stretch his acting muscles. And after the fact, nobody had anything but praise for his performance.
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.
The Mustache Man
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.