Born:
August 09, 1944
in
Sacramento, California
Early-life:
Samuel Pack Elliott was born in Sacramento, California, on August 9, 1944. As a teenager, he moved with his family to Oregon. He studied at Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, where he was cast as one of the leads in a production of Guys and Dolls. A local newspaper review suggested he should consider becoming a professional actor.
Best Known For:
A number of films.
Career:
Elliott started out as a character actor and was often cast in Westerns. His first film was as a card player in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). In the early 1970s, he had a recurring role on the TV series Mission: Impossible. In 1976, he played the lead roles in miniseries Once An Eagle and the film Lifeguard. He made guest appearances in the likes of Gunsmoke, The Streets of San Francisco, and Hawaii Five-O. His film credits include Mask (1985), Road House (1989), Sibling Rivalry (1990), Tombstone (1993), The Big Lebowski (1998), We Were Soldiers (2002), Hulk (2003), Thank You for Smoking (2005), The Golden Compass (2007), Up in the Air (2009) and Draft Day (2014).
Quote:
"I think anytime you can affect people in general, in a positive way, then you're a lucky individual."
Trivia:
Elliott was nominated for Golden Globes for Buffalo Girls (1995) and the TV movie Conagher (1991), in which he starred alongside his wife, Katharine Ross.