After generating a lot of controversy with his take onThe Power of the Dog, actorSam Elliotthas offered a public apology to director Jane Campion along with the film’s cast and anyone else who felt “hurt” by his words. Last month, Elliott made headlines after appearing as a guest on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast where he sounded off onThe Power of the Dog. The1883star criticized the acclaimed film for its homoerotic undertones while suggesting Campion couldn’t make a convincing Western based on her choice to shoot the movie in New Zealand.
Elliott has now offered a formal apology, perDeadline. He admits that he “wasn’t very articulate” with how he worded his opinion and that he feels “terrible” that it wound up hurting people. Elliott stresses how supportive the gay community has been to him all throughout his career, making him feel especially bad to have offended anyone in the community. The actor also apologizes to Campion andThe Power of the Dog’s cast, insisting that he’s sorry for what he said.
“That movie struck a chord with me, and in trying to tell the guy, the ‘WTF’ guy how I felt about the film, I wasn’t very articulate about it. I didn’t articulate it very well, and 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, before I got started when I was in this town. Friends on every level, in every job description, up until today, my agent, my dear friend, my agent for a number of years. I’m sorry that I hurt any of those friends, and someone that I loved, and anyone else, by the words that I used. I also told this ‘WTF’ podcaster that I thought Jane Campion was a brilliant director. And I want to apologize to the cast ofThe Power of the Dog, brilliant actors all, in particular Benedict Cumberbatch. I can only say that I’m sorry, and I am. I am.”
Related:Oscars 2022: Jane Campion Wins Best Director for The Power of the Dog
Jane Campion Clapped Back at Sam Elliott For His Comments
Previously, Campion responded to Elliott’s criticism, and she wasn’t taking it lightly. The Oscar-winning director says Elliott is no more of an expert than she is on the Wild West, as he’s merely an actor and not a genuine cowboy from the era. Campion also thought that it was misogynistic for Elliott to blast her for shootingThe Power of the Dogoutside of the U.S., as it didn’t seem to be a problem for Sergio Leone to shoot iconic Westerns in Italy. As champion toldVariety:
“I think Sam… Look, what can I say? I’m sorry, he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H. I’m sorry to say it, but he’s not a cowboy; he’s an actor. The West is a mythic space and there’s a lot of room on the range. You know, I think it’s a little bit sexist, because you think about the number of amazing Westerns that were made in Spain by Sergio Leone. I consider myself a creator, and I think he sees me as a woman, or something less at first, and I don’t appreciate that.”
