Sam Elliott: Why The Cowboy Icon Says Being A Father ‘Completes Him’

Advertisement

Sam Elliott is a national treasure. He has starred in some truly great westerns. At the same time, he has been in several other types of films and television shows. He only takes roles that he believes in because acting is his passion. So, you’ll never catch the cowboy icon phoning in a performance just for the paycheck.

Sam Elliott knew that he wanted to be a movie star when he was just a little boy. He worked hard to achieve that goal. By all accounts, he is incredibly proud of the work he has done in front of the camera. However, if you asked him what the most important role he ever took was, he would probably tell you that fatherhood is his most important work.

Sam Elliott on Fatherhood

Back in 2017, Sam Elliott talked to Parade about The Ranch. During that interview, the subject of fatherhood came up. That was when Elliott opened up about his most important work. Sam Elliott said that it was great to have his fifty-plus-year career.

After all, he’s living his childhood dream. He says that he feels fulfilled by his career. However, he said that fatherhood is much more important to him. “It completes me,” the actor said. “I’ve been married one time and I have one daughter, who I love more than anyone in the world. And that’s where my world is.”

Advertisement

Sam Elliott’s daughter’s name is Cleo Rose Elliott. Sam and his wife, actress Katherine Ross, raised their daughter to pursue a craft. They also taught her the importance of having a passion for her work. However, she did not follow in her parents’ footsteps. Instead of becoming an actress like her father and mother, Cleo blazed her own trail in the music world and worked as a model.

Sam Elliott’s daughter did, however, attend acting school after she graduated high school. She went to the Joanna Barron/D.W. Brown Acting Studio. That institution has produced talents such as Helle Berry, Dustin Hoffman, and others. But, her passion was in music.

So, in 2008 Cleo released her debut album No More Lies. You might think that because Sam Elliot is, at the same time, a cowboy icon and her father she would make a country album. However, No More Lies is a pop-rock album. Both of her parents are supportive of her work. In fact, they’re happy she decided to pursue music and modeling instead of acting. To be fair, Sam Elliott and Katherine Ross would probably be proud of Cleo regardless of her career path.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement