Sam Elliott Breaks Silence After Saying Controversial ‘Power of the Dog’ Comments
Sam Elliott is backtracking from his initial comments as he finally addressed the statement he made last month about the Academy Award-winning movie "The Power of the Dog."
According to Deadline, the actor appeared on Marc Maron's "WTF Podcast," and he claimed that he told them that the director of the film, Jane Campion, was "brilliant."
He then apologized to all actors, especially Benedict Cumberbatch.
"I can only say that I'm sorry and I am. I am," he added.
Over the weekend, Elliott spoke to Deadline's Contender's TV to promote the Paramount+ series "1883," where he also addressed his controversial comments, saying the film "struck a chord" with him and wanted to talk to the podcast host about his true feelings over the movie.
The "A Star Is Born" actor added that wasn't "very articulate" about his first comments and admitted that it "hurt people."
"I said some things that hurt people and I feel terrible about that. The gay community has been incredible to me my entire career. And I mean my entire career, from before I got started in this town," he added.
His co-star in the series, Faith Hill, chimed in and defended her good pal, saying Elliott is an "amazing character" on set and he would apologize to people he thought he'd offended.
The actor's recent apology comes a month after criticizing Campion's western film, saying it included "allusions to homosexuality" and other LGBTQIA+ themes.
In early reports, the 77-year-old actor expressed his opinions on the Netflix film, he told Marc Maron that the movie was a "piece of s***."
"They're all running around in chaps and no shirts. There's all these allusions to homosexuality throughout the f****** movie."
He also criticized Campion for directing the movie, saying what does she know about the American West when she's from New Zealand.
The director had addressed the matter while speaking to Variety ahead of the 74th DGA Awards last month, saying the actor was being a little bit of a "b****" about his comments.
She also spoke out about the sexism in the industry, explaining that she considers herself a creator, and Elliott sees her as a woman or something "lesser."
"The Power of the Dog" had a big impact in prestigious award-giving bodies like the Oscars where it won six out of 12 nominations including Best Achievement in Directing for Jane Campion.
