Sam Elliott

Tall, thin, wiry 'Sam Elliott' (qv) 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)_ (qv). Although his future wife, 'Katharine Ross' (qv) co-starred in the film, the two did not meet until they filmed _The Legacy (1978)_ (qv) 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)_ (qv), _The Shadow Riders (1982)_ (qv) and _The Yellow Rose (1983)_ (qv), among others. He would also work in non-westerns, usually as a tough guy, as in _Lifeguard (1976)_ (qv) and _Road House (1989)_ (qv). In the 1990s, Elliott was back on the western trail, playing everyone from Brig. Gen. John Buford in the film _Gettysburg (1993)_ (qv) to Wild Bill Hickok in the made-for-TV movie _Buffalo Girls (1995)_ (qv). In 1991 he wrote the screenplay and co-starred with his wife in the made-for-TV western _Conagher (1991)_ (qv).::Tony Fontana <[email protected]>