1883 star Sam Elliott is facing a major backlash after criticising Oscar favourite The Power of the Dog.
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The 77-year-old actor, who starred as the beloved Shea Brennan in the Yellowstone prequel series, aired his grievances about the Netflix movie on the WTF with Marc Maron podcast earlier this week. He said that although he thinks New Zealand-born filmmaker Jane Campion is a “brilliant director”, he took personal offence to her depiction of the American West.
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“What the [expletive] does this woman from down there know about the American West?” he began his four-letter filled rant. “And why the [expletive] did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana? That [expletive] rubbed me the wrong way.”
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The actor, who has appeared in a large number of Westerns over his career, also compared the cowboys in the film to Chippendales dancers, stating: “That’s what all these [expletive] 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.”
© Paramount+Sam Elliott played Shea Brennan in the Yellowstone prequel series
As interviewer Marc pointed out in their discussion, viewers learn throughout the film that the main character, Phil Burbank, is a closeted gay man. The film is also based on a book by the same name by Thomas Savage, who has explicitly stated that the story is based on his own experiences as a gay man in the west.
The film, which is nominated for 12 Academy Awards, stars Benedict Cumberbatch as a brooding and menacing ranch owner who reacts with cruelty when his forward-thinking brother brings home his new bride and her teenage son to live with them.
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The movie also stars Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee, and all four stars have received nods for their performances.
Sam’s comments come after the Paramount+ aired the gut-wrenching season finale of 1883, which saw the demise of both his character and the eldest Dutton daughter Elsa. While Elsa sadly succumbed to her injuries from being shot with an arrow, Shea decided to end his own life after his duty to help the Duttons came to an end, unable to bear the thought of living any longer without his wife.
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