Elliott was just 18 years old and very far from stardom when his father died suddenly of a heart attack. So no real closure for the rift between father and son was ever possible. It’s a weight that the actor has carried with him ever since, though he has obviously not allowed it to emotionally cripple him. But the sudden death certainly made him rethink his priorities and he dropped out of college shortly after the event.
Regarding his father’s death and its effect on him, Elliott has been quoted as saying, “He died thinking, ‘Man, this kid is going to go down the wrong path.’ And I think on some level that was either hard on me or made me more focused in my resolve to have a career.”
Not Following Father’s Wishes
Elliott was born in the summer of 1944 in northern California. His father was a government employee who worked in the wilderness as an animal control specialist. His mother was a high school teacher and fitness instructor. Sam knew from a very young age that acting was to be his calling in life, but his father thought that it was an unrealistic goal and insisted that his son follow a traditional career path including a college degree.
The conflict between father and son over Sam’s life path and acting dreams would eventually result in a damaged relationship that never had a chance to completely heal. But he always credited his father with instilling in him a strong work ethic and never blamed him for wanting his son to choose a pragmatic path to a realistic career.
Off To A Good Start
You never know what a kind word or a bit of encouragement can do for a person if he hears it when its most needed. That’s exactly what happened to the young Sam Elliott who was attending college in Vancouver, while appearing in a local production of Guys and Dolls. In its review of the musical, the city newspaper singled out Elliott’s performance, writing that he should become a professional actor.
Sam took the words to heart, and within a few years he had relocated to Hollywood to chase his dream of stardom. Given how far he has come in the years since, this should be a lesson for all of us. The right word spoken to the right person at the right time can turn a person's life around forever. And, unfortunately, the opposite can also be true. So be kind!
Working For A Living
When you think of an unemployed actor taking a job to keep from going broke, the stereotypical choice is to become a waiter. But given Sam’s rugged outdoor upbringing, he was open to other possibilities. While studying acting and between auditions, he worked in construction to make ends meet. California was booming at the time, so if you were willing to do the work, construction jobs were there for the taking.
No doubt his employment choices at that time would affect the acting roles he would become famous for. Tough, strong, and more often than not outdoors. That’s Sam Elliott, alright.
Military Man
Among the roles Sam Elliott has played over the course of his career have been a number of military men. His tall imposing frame and commanding presence have certainly helped with that. If you were a casting agent, he would seem like a natural choice for a soldier (when he was young) or an officer (in his later years).
But there’s some reality behind the art, too. Around the same time he was in college and working construction, Sam also served a stint in the California Air National Guard. He considers his time in the military to be critical in developing his leadership skills and discipline.