Sam Elliott apologizes for slamming The Power of the Dog and its 'allusions of homosexuality'
Sam Elliott has some regrets about that controversial Power of the Dog rant.
The actor has apologized for remarks he made earlier this year criticizing the film The Power of the Dog and its "allusions of homosexuality." Speaking at a Deadline panel, Elliott said he "wasn't very articulate" in describing his feelings about the film.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On the WTF podcast in late February, Elliott criticized the Western from director Jane Campion, calling it a "piece of s--t." He said the characters in the movie, which centers around a repressed gay man, reminded him of Chippendales dancers. "They're all running around in chaps and no shirts," he said. "There's all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the f--king movie." He also asked of Campion, "What the f--k does this woman from New Zealand know about the American West?"
Elliott apologized to the "brilliant" cast of The Power of the Dog and especially its star, Benedict Cumberbatch. "I can only say that I'm sorry, and I am," he said.
Cumberbatch previously called Elliott's comments "very odd," criticizing the "denial that anybody could have anything other than a heteronormative existence because of what they do for a living or where they're born." Campion also dismissed the comments, saying Elliott is "not a cowboy, he's an actor." She added that he "was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H."
-
Antibiotic resistance: the hidden danger on Ukraine’s frontlinesUnder The Radar Threat is spreading beyond war zones to the ‘doorstep’ of western Europe
-
‘Capitalism: A Global History’ by Sven Beckert and ‘American Canto’ by Olivia NuzziFeature A consummate history of capitalism and a memoir from the journalist who fell in love with RFK Jr.
-
Who will the new limits on student loans affect?The Explainer The Trump administration is imposing new limits for federal student loans starting on July 1, 2026
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
