Tall, thin, wiry Sam Elliott is the classic picture of the American cowboy. Elliott began his acting career on the stage and his film debut was in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). Although his future wife, Katharine Ross co-starred in the film, the two did not meet until they filmed The Legacy (1978) Together. Over the years there would be few opportunities to act in feature westerns, but it would be television that gave him that opportunity, in The Sacketts (1979), The Shadow Riders (1982) and The Yellow Rose (1983), among others. He would also work in non-westerns, usually as a tough guy, as in Lifeguard (1976) and Road House (1989). In the 1990s, Elliott was back on the western trail, playing everyone from Brig. Gen. John Buford in the film Gettysburg (1993) to Wild Bill Hickok in the made-for-TV movie Buffalo Girls (1995). In 1991 he wrote the screenplay and co-starred with his wife in the made-for-TV western Conagher (1991).

Katharine Ross (1 May 1984 - present) ( 1 child)

Trivia

1976: Listed as one of 12 "Promising New Actors of 1976" in John Willis's Screen World, Vol. 28.
His bare-buns scene in The Legacy (1978) earned the highest rating (3 stars) from "The Bare Facts" -- a printed guide to nudity in movies.
In his book "Shirtless! The Hollywood Male Physique," Donald Reuter refers to Elliott as a "super bod" and gives him a full-page color photograph from his 1976 movie Lifeguard (1976).
9/17/84: Daughter with Katharine Ross, Cleo Rose Elliott, born.
Illness forced him to drop out of the 1982 TV movie The Ambush Murders (1982). He was replaced by James Brolin.
He is an alumnus of Clark College in Vancouver, Washington.
For his role on Tombstone (1993), he worked with renowned Hollywood gun coach Thell Reed, who has also trained such actors as Val Kilmer, Kurt Russell, Bill Paxton, Girard Swan, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Russell Crowe.
His character in Hulk (2003), Gen. Ross, wore a combat patch for the 1st Cavalry Division. In We Were Soldiers (2002), he played Sgt. Maj. Plumley of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, part of the 1st Cav Div.
Had not read any of the 'His Dark Materials' books before he was asked to take the role as Lee Scoresby in The Golden Compass (2007). He chose to first read the books by Philip Pullman, then read the film's script.
After portraying General Ross in Hulk (2003) he wanted to reprise the role in the reboot The Incredible Hulk (2008), but the part was given to William Hurt.

in the December 1976 issue of "Playgirl"] I don't want to be known as a sex symbol. There's a great stigma that goes with that tag. I want to be a Sam Elliott.
I've spent my entire career on horseback or on a motorcycle. It boxes you in, the way people perceive you. I read a lot of scripts. Most of 'em go to other actors.
I think I might have been a more interesting actor, had more of a career earlier on, if I had more formal preparation. When I see something ten years later that I was in I think, "Boy, would I love to do that over."
I was really happy that Ang Lee won the Best Director award, I got to know him very well on Hulk (2003). But I'm not the Brokeback Mountain (2005) crowd, what can I tell ya. I'm more of a purist. But at the same time, it's a new day.
I'm picky, very picky. I wanted to be an actor since I was nine years old and I figured that was only one way to ever have any longevity and that's to be careful about what kind of work you do. You can work for money, do a lot of whatever comes your way and not have any kind of a yardstick to measure quality by, and people, you know you'll make a lot of money if you're lucky, and people will get fed up and sick of seeing you and that's it onto the next one. - On his career choices.