Sam Elliott Apologises For Hurtful Comments About Jane Campion's Power Of The Dog: "I Feel Terrible About That"

Sam Elliott has apologised for calling The Power of the Dog a "piece of s***".

Last month, Elliott, 77, made headlines when he expressed his disdain for Jane Campion's Oscar-winning Netflix drama, starring Benedict Cumberbatch as a closeted ranch owner in the 1920s alongside Kodi Smit-McPhee and Kirsten Dunst, on the WTF Podcast with Marc Maron.

On the show, an unimpressed Elliot ranted, "You wanna talk about that piece of s***. I didn't like it. This is is the guy who has done Westerns forever. It was the evisceration of the American West. Remember those guys from back in the day? They wear bow ties and not much else.[The Chippendales] That’s what all these f****** cowboys in that movie looked like. They’re running around in chaps and no shirts. There’s all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the movie."

Speaking Sunday (Apr 1), on a panel at Deadline's Contenders TV event to promote his Paramount+ series 1883, Elliott expressed remorse for making those expletive-laden comments.

“I wasn’t very articulate about it. I didn’t articulate it very well,” Elliott said. “I said some things that hurt people and I feel terrible about that… I [said] that I thought Jane Campion was a brilliant director. I want to apologise to the cast of The Power of the Dog — brilliant actors all, in particular Benedict Cumberbatch… I can only say that I’m sorry and I am. I am.”

He also apologised to the LGBTQ community.

Elliot added: "The gay community has been incredible to me my entire career. And I mean by entire career, from before I got started in this town.

"Friends on every level, in every job description — up until today, with my agent, my dear friend of a number of years.

"I'm sorry that I hurt any of those friends and someone I loved and anyone else by the words that I used."

Responding to Elliott's initial comments, Campion, who won Best Director at the Oscars, said, “I think it’s really unfortunate and sad for him because he’s really hit the trifecta of misogyny and xenophobia and homophobia.

“I don’t like that. I think he was being a little bit of a b-i-t-c-h. Plus he’s not a cowboy, he’s an actor.” — BANG SHOWBIZ

Photos: TPG News/Click Photos