James Jordan is no stranger to Taylor Sheridan shows or his A-list casts. However, Landman hits different. The actor, who plays Dale Bradley on the Paramount+ series, made that clear too as he explained how he reacted when he got to work with Billy Bob Thornton and Sam Elliott. However, while his feelings about all this are A+, it’s Elliott’s response to said reaction that makes it even better.

For reference, Jordan has worked on a handful of Sheridan shows, including Mayor of Kingstown, 1883, Yellowstone and Lioness alongside Landman. So, that means he’s collaborated with actors like Jeremy Renner, Kevin Costner, Nicole Kidman and Zoe Saldaña. Those are some major names. However, sharing a scene with both Thornton and Elliott in the season of Landman that’s airing on the 2025 TV schedule packed the biggest punch, as he explained in a video for Paramount+:

Sam Elliott joining the Landman cast was a very big deal. Even Billy Bob Thornton was emotional when he found out that the 1883 star would be playing his father. The TL actor just has an essence about him and the filmography to back it up that brings out this reaction, I’m learning. And I love it!

What makes it even better is that Sam Elliott had the best response to James Jordan’s confession about working with him and the Tommy actor. Recalling how the Tombstone star replied to his excitement, the Dale actor said:

Well, that’s incredibly sweet, and it makes me adore this cast even more. However, Jordan’s story didn’t end there. After recalling how Elliott responded to his being a fanboy about collaborating with the two actors, he explained what it was like to act alongside them, noting:

Overall, this story goes along with other things the cast has said about acting alongside Elliott and Thornton. When I interviewed both men and Jacob Lofland, who plays Cooper, they spoke about working together, with Lofland specifically telling me that it was a “magical time” and he felt “privileged” to perform alongside “those legends.”

So, this feeling that James Jordan had seems to be mutual, and it makes me excited to keep watching Landman. Meanwhile, to find out what happens with the characters these men play, Season 2 will continue airing every Sunday for those with a Paramount+ subscription through the first part of the 2026 TV schedule. Then, it will return for a Season 3 (which means these guys, who clearly love each other, will probably get to keep working together).

Though the Landman story below does focus on a phone conversation between Tommy and his father T.L. in “The Pirate Dinner”, there are no actual plot spoilers discussed, so it’s safe to keep reading even if you haven’t yet streamed the ep via Paramount+ subscription.

Taylor Sheridan is the kind of TV creator who sets his various characters up as mouthpieces for a litany of his own viewpoints. He’s hardly alone in that respect, but he is one of relatively few creatives who maintains a sole writing credit across multiple series, so there’s little doubt where the opinionated comments come from. Pop culture usually doesn’t inspire such discussions amongst the blue-collar characters, but Landman’s latest episode surprisingly lobbed a shot at Whoopi Goldberg and the women of The View, and I can't wait for their responses.

In the middle of Season 2’s fifth installment, “The Pirate Dinner,” Billy Bob Thornton’s Tommy is in the midst of a hectic day and a long drive when Sam Elliott’s T.L. calls him up to complain about being bored, not to mention being locked outside of the house. (It’s hard to tell where T.L.’s arc is going, and this scene didn’t exactly lay out a wealth of potential futures, beyond possibly doing voiceover work for Tommy’s neighbor.)

Tommy’s advice points to The View as a source of semi-ironic daytime amusement, but T.L. somehow has no knowledge of a series that’s been on the air in a near-daily capacity since 1997. Here’s how their convo went down:

• TOMMY: Watch one of them daytime talk shows, you know, like The View or something.
• T.L.: What's The View?
• TOMMY: A bunch of pissed-off millionaires bitching about how much they hate millionaires and Trump and men and you and me and everybody else they got a bee up their ass about. It’s pretty funny.
• T.L.: Don’t sound funny.
• TOMMY: Well, it ain’t ‘joke’ funny, it’s like ‘fart in church’ funny, you know what I mean?
• T.L.: That don’t sound funny, either.
• TOMMY: Well, it depends on your proximity to the fart.

Strangely not the most insulting barb that Taylor Sheridan is capable of, and it's nowhere near as pointedly blunt as so many other comments made by Billy Bob Thornton's Tommy. Don't get me wrong, it's an obvious knock against the that T.L. has remained blind to the show's Hot Topics for nearly three decades, and it's not like Tommy is saying The View is worth watching for its genius insights and personalities. He's more or less calling it a wreck that one can't help but stare at. So not complimentary in the slightest.

As a viewer, it’s both interesting and amusing to see Tommy’s casual criticism of The View’s female hosts falling back into the same repeated behavior patterns and topics, since it’s in a show that has itself been criticized by critics and fans themselves about how its female characters are depicted, from Angela to Ainsley to Rebecca and beyond.

Even if Taylor Sheridan himself absolutely adores The View, I'd have still expected him to write Tommy as if he thought the talk show was a waste of time. Especially since Tommy doesn't seem to ever want to get into any political arguments with anyone, you'd think he'd tire of the show's subject matter immediately. But just as there are plenty of different ways to fart in church, The View doesn't always fall back on the same old Washington D.C. talking points.

Given the mildly genial shot taken by Billy Bob Thornton's character, I'm interested to see, first, whether or not any of the women are aware of what Landman is. (Just kidding: Thornton appeared on the show in 2024 to promote the streaming western's first season.) More sincerely, I can't wait to see whether Whoopi & Co. choose to take offense and strike back out, or if all involved will view it as the light-hearted insult it came across as.

That said, CBS News' newest boss Bari Weiss has supposedly held a grudge against The View's team after she was passed over to fill a vacated spot at the table years ago, and she's rumored to be starting up a direct daytime competitor for CBS's daytime fare. Given when Landman filmed its Season 2 episodes, however, it doesn't appear as if Tommy's comments were directly sparked by Paramount's post-merger leadership regime.

Check out the trailer for Episode 6 below!

Will Landman next call out other daytime staples like the recently concluded The Kitchen, or The Price Is Right? Find out as the rest of Season 2 plays out every Sunday on Paramount+, and take comfort in Season 3 already being confirmed, with production hopefully starting earlier enough for episodes to still debut during the 2026 TV schedule.

Landman is all about conflict. It’s mostly Tommy (Billy Bob Thornton) getting into fights and arguments with other characters. It’s also my favorite show that I watch with my Paramount+ subscription. In Season 2, we’ve been introduced to a new character, Tommy’s father, T. L. Norris, played by the great Sam Elliott. I would never, ever complain about Sam Elliott joining a cast, but I do really wonder where this character is headed and how (not if) he will cause more chaos and conflict.

So Far, T.L. Has Been Pretty Mellow

T.L. is aging and, with the recent passing of Tommy’s mother, and T.L.’s estranged wife (were they actually divorced? I’m not sure we know), he’s clearly gotten very depressed. His only motivation thus far seems to be watching the sun set in peace and quiet. He’s also in a wheelchair most of the time. Everything about T. L. is breaking down. He’s ornery and beaten down by a hard life in the West Texas oil fields.

T. L. also seems to be resigned to "whatever happens, happens," and he can’t change much. This often makes him either bemused or passive. There isn’t a character anywhere else in Landman that seems to have stopped giving all Fs about life, as T. L. Norris has. Often, an aging character like this is full of sage advice or passionate opinions formed over a lifetime, but, at least thus far, T. L. doesn’t seem to care about sharing either of those types of thoughts unless it’s about Tommy’s mother.

So, Where Does That Leave T.L.?

In the fourth episode of Season 2, Angela (Ali Lauter) invites T.L. to move in with them and live out his life with the rest of the family. Sounds great! Again, I’m all for Elliott playing a bigger role in anything and everything. I’m worried that the character just won’t have much to do. I’ve already written about how frustrated I’ve been with Angela and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph) not doing much that is all that interesting, and I don’t want another passive character just bumming around the house.

As I said in the beginning, conflict is core to Landman, so really, every character has to provide some. Even Ariana (Paulina Chávez) is providing some of it in her relationship with Cooper (which is beginning to mirror Tommy and Angela’s relationship, albeit not quite as combustible). Where does T.L. fit in here? He’ll need to find some motivation in life to start kicking up dust.

Landman will certainly continue to be one of my favorite shows on the 2025 TV schedule, and I’m excited it’s already been renewed for a third season. I hope I don’t get frustrated with another character who doesn’t have much to do and whose storyline isn’t fully fleshed out, like Ainsley and Angela’s stories don’t seem to be.

I remember watching 1883 for the first time and being absolutely gobsmacked by Sam Elliott’s performance. In it, he plays Civil War veteran and caravan leader Shea, and his tragic and heroic tale sees him lead a group of people west as they try to find new homes. It was a remarkable show, and a stellar performance from Elliott. So, you can imagine how incredible it was to hear the actor talk about that experience and returning to Taylor Sheridan’s universe of shows for Landman.

Like Billy Bob Thornton, I was pumped about Sam Elliott joining Landman. He’s outstanding in 1883, and the idea of him pairing up with Thornton for this project on the 2025 TV schedule was extra exciting. So, during my interview with the two actors, I asked about the 1883 star joining Season 2. Here’s what Elliott told CinemaBlend about being on this drama after his time on the Yellowstone prequel:

I'd imagine that filming a show that does not require you to travel by horse and wagon at all times and takes place in the modern day is far easier. So, I get why Elliott was quick to note that Landman has been easier than 1883.

Meanwhile, “these guys” he’s referring to are the A-list cast members Taylor Sheridan and his team assembled for Landman. That includes Billy Bob Thornton, who leads the show as Tommy Norris, as well as Demi Moore, Ali Larter, Andy Garcia, Michelle Randolph and more.

However, the actor he spoke the most about working with was Thornton, which makes sense considering Elliott plays Tommy’s dad, TL, in the show. Along with them playing close characters on Landman, the two men’s history together played into this as well, as the A Star is Born actor told me:

It is pretty special! Both Elliott and Thornton were in 1993’s Tombstone, and while Elliott played a major role in 1883, Thornton had a small cameo in it. So, they’ve known each other for a long time, and they have worked together before, but Landman is different because of how close their characters are.

So, I understand why it’s so “special” to Elliott, and Thornton too, who told me he cried when he found out who was playing TL. Plus, after seeing Tommy and TL’s emotional reunion in Episode 2 of Landman’s second season, I’m very excited to see the actors share even more scenes as the season goes on. It seems like the father-son duo's relationship is fractured, and the upcoming episodes will deeply impact it as they come back together for the first time in what seems to be years.

Now, to see just that and to watch Sam Elliott perform alongside Billy Bob Thornton and the Landman cast, you can stream new episodes every Sunday with a Paramount+ subscription.

Spoilers for Season 2, Episode 2 of Landman are ahead! Read with caution, and watch the show with a Paramount+ subscription.

After the audience met Sam Elliott’s TL in the Season 2 premiere of Landman, he was reunited with his son, Billy Bob Thornton’s Tommy, and his grandson, Jacob Lofland’s Cooper, in Episode 2. It happened during a very moving scene, too, and the story behind filming it, which Thornton told me, makes it even more emotional.

When I watched the second episode of Landman that aired on the 2025 TV schedule, I knew I had to ask Thornton, Elliott and Lofland about filming it. It was a very emotional reunion for the father-son duo, as TL waxed poetic about the tragic reason why sunsets are so beautiful while sitting in a wheelchair. The Sling Blade actor told me that this scene felt really real as they were filming it, too, which almost made him forget that they were making a TV show. He explained during an interview for CinemaBlend:

Being in the moment with Sam Elliott has to be so special, and it’s clear that it was to Billy Bob Thornton. He explained to me that when they filmed this scene, both he and Lofland “listened” to what the TL actor was saying, and everyone had “a lot of room to breathe” as they created this candid moment.

He then told me that the culmination of all that “made it so heavy” for them. It gets even heavier, though, as the actor recalled how he reacted to seeing his on-screen dad in costume and in his wheelchair for the first time:

As a fan of Sam Elliott, I’m used to seeing him play epic and strong men, like Shae in 1883. However, in Landman, TL is down on his luck, he’s in a home, he’s just lost his wife, and he says that all he’s got left is “wondering.” In short, he’s miserable, and seeing Tommy and Cooper realize that is devastating.

Overall, it’s a moving scene that brings three generations of the Norris family together, and it brutally introduces us to how the oil industry has impacted all of them. As TL says, a sunset is beautiful because of what makes living in Texas so unbearable, which is the lack of water and dust, and that parallels the fact that while oil has given this family a lot, it’s also ruined them in a lot of ways.

I found this scene to be a sucker punch to the gut as we were brutally introduced to more of the family and their history. It was also emotional and incredible to watch because it featured so many legends. When I asked Jacob Lofland, who plays Cooper, about filming this sequence with Elliott and Thornton, he highlighted that point too, explaining:

There have been many A-listers in Taylor Sheridan’s shows, but pairing Billy Bob Thornton and Sam Elliott together has been exciting on a new level. This scene confirmed why they’re a great duo, and it made me very excited to see how Tommy, TL and Cooper’s relationships evolve as Season 2 goes on and they all grapple with the death of TL’s wife.

So, to see what happens next between these characters, you can watch new episodes of Landman every Sunday on Paramount+.

The second Sam Elliott was cast in Landman, I was elated. The actor, who had previously starred in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone prequel 1883, is such a legend, and I was hoping he’d be in another Paramount+ show from the super producer. So, considering that and as Season 2 of Landman gets going on the 2025 TV schedule, I decided to ask the drama’s co-creator which actors from the Sheridan-verse he’d like to cast next. He responded with an idea that needs to become a reality.

Landman, like all of Sheridan’s shows, features an A-list cast that is led by Billy Bob Thornton. He’s supported by Demi Moore (who has a bigger role in Season 2), Ali Larter, Andy Garcia and many more. However, the ensemble also features Sheridan-verse vets, like 1883’s Sam Elliott and Michelle Randolph, who was in 1923. So, when I spoke with the project’s co-creator, Christian Wallace, I asked about who from another one of Sheridan’s shows would be a good addition to his ensemble. In response, he said:

Yes, yes, 1,000 times yes! This needs to happen. The connections are just too good to pass up. As Wallace noted, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are remarkable in 1883 as James and Margaret Dutton (which you can stream with a Paramount+ subscription), and they led that show with Sam Elliott, who played Shea Brennan. So, that reunion would be great. On top of that, it’d be even better because Billy Bob Thornton also had a small cameo in the Yellowstone prequel, so the Dutton actors doing the same thing in Landman would be very full circle.

Plus, with 1883 not getting a second season, this would serve as a great way to get the cast back together in a new (and modern) way.

However, it wouldn’t just be an 1883 reunion on Landman. It’d also be a Friday Night Lights reunion, as Wallace pointed out. In the 2004 movie, Billy Bob Thornton played Coach Gary Gaines, while McGraw portrayed Charles Billingsley. So, to get them back together, and to do it in Texas, no less, would be pretty amazing.

Along with this idea being a wonderful opportunity for a reunion, it’s also simply a fantastic proposal without the connections. Tim McGraw and Faith Hill are great actors – as proven by 1883 – and I’d love to see them back on my screen. They fit perfectly into that Western, and I think they’d also be a great match for Landman.

While I have no idea who they’d realistically play, I could picture them playing a couple who have a history with the Norris family, and it’d be fun to watch them butt heads. Along with work on-screen, it’d also be pretty cool if Tim McGraw and Faith Hill made music for the show too, considering it’s set in the modern day and they’re both renowned country singers.

All around, this feels like a perfect idea, and I really hope it happens someday. However, for now, you can watch the newest episodes of Landman, which already features a stacked cast, every Sunday on Paramount+.

Minor spoilers for the first episode of Landman Season 2 are ahead. You can stream it now with a Paramount+ subscription and then catch new episodes every Sunday after that.

Season 2 of Landman started with the death of Tommy’s mom, and it seems like it’s bound to bring Billy Bob Thornton’s character back together with his father, TL, who is played by Sam Elliott. Now, we already knew Thornton was very excited to have Elliott in Season 2. However, I wanted to know how he reacted when he found out the 1883 actor would be playing his father, so I asked him.

When I posed the question to Thornton, who was sitting right next to Elliott, he didn’t hesitate to say that the casting was “perfect.” Then, he dove into how he reacted when he got the call that the A-lister was joining another Taylor Sheridan show, explaining:

Before saying this, Thornton had told me that he didn’t know at all that Elliott was going to play his father. In fact, he didn’t even know the character would be part of the story at first. However, when he found out about it and who would be taking on the role of TL, he couldn’t help but get emotional.

While he calls it “embarrassing,” I think it’s incredibly sweet and important. The two were both in one of the great Westerns, Tombstone, and Thornton had a small cameo in 1883, which Elliott played a major role in. However, Landman will give them a chance to play father and son and get close on screen in a way we haven’t seen before.

At this point in Landman’s run on the 2025 TV schedule, Tommy and TL have not interacted. However, Season 2’s premiere revealed that Tommy’s mom and TL’s wife had died. So, it stands to reason that the loss will bring the two back together. I, for one, cannot wait to see how they interact and how TL fits into the Norris family. I am also so excited to watch this great cast interact with the legend, Sam Elliott.

Clearly, it meant a lot to the Friday Night Lights actor that the A Star is Born actor had joined their cast as Tommy’s dad. Now, I’m looking forward to seeing how their dynamic evolves on screen, as their characters reunite in the wake of a major loss. Clearly, the two actors mean a lot to each other in real life, so it will be exciting to see how that translates on Landman.

Now, to watch Landman and see how this relationship between father and son develops, you can catch new episodes of the show every Sunday on Paramount+.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe introduced an entire generation of superhero movie fans to some of the comic book publishing giant’s most iconic characters, such as Iron Man and Thor. However, many of the heroes and villains we know from those Marvel movies in order have found their way to the big or small screen. Let’s honor some of the actors who brought them to life before they were inducted into the MCU.

Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man)

Some Marvel Comics fans have criticized the casting of Tobey Maguire in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, considering he was far older than when Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive arachnid at the time. While Tom Holland certainly fit the bill of a teenage vigilante better years later, Maguire is still remembered today as one of the best to play the role. Not to mention, he wore, arguably, the best cinematic Spidey outfit of all time.

Jessica Alba (Invisible Woman)

Following her Golden Globe-nominated breakthrough role on Dark Angel, Jessica Alba could be seen just about everywhere in the early 2000s. Ironically, she made her comic book movie debut in Tim Story's Fantastic Four as a superhero known for being unseen: Sue "Invisible Woman" Storm, who would be inducted into the MCU with Vanessa Kirby's portrayal.

Ben Affleck (Daredevil)

Ben Affleck would make an amusing, if not polarizing, impression when he joined a long line of live-action Batman actors for Zack Snyder's short-lived DC Extended Universe. More than a decade earlier, the Oscar winner cut his teeth in the world of superhero acting by playing the title role of 2003's Daredevil before Charlie Cox took over the role for the MCU in his own hit series.

Djimon Hounsou (Black Panther)

Djimon Hounsou has a small role in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy as Korath the Pursuer, but had voiced the Black Panther in a BET original animated series four years earlier. The Academy Award nominee would later share the screen as Korath with the MCU's T'Challa, Chadwick Boseman, for an episode of the animated anthology series, What If...?

Wesley Snipes (Blade)

Marvel's popular vampire hunter character would, technically, make his MCU debut when Mahershala Ali made a vocal cameo as Blade in the post-credit sequence of 2021's Eternals. However, the first actor to play the Daywalker in his own trilogy of Blade movies, Wesley Snipes, beat him to the punch by making a full, live MCU appearance in Deadpool & Wolverine.

Dolph Lundgren (The Punisher)

It is hard to imagine Rocky IV star Dolph Lundgren with jet black hair, but he donned it to play Frank Castle in a straight-to-video feature adaptation of The Punisher in 1989. The role of the vengeful vigilante would be passed down a couple more times before Jon Bernthal took over as the MCU's official iteration, but the Swedish actor would later return to comic book movie acting as King Nereus in the Jason Momoa-led Aquaman movies.

David Hasselhoff (Nick Fury)

Samuel L. Jackson's performance as Nick Fury has become so definitive that Marvel would use his likeness in the Ultimate universe comics. However, the eye-patched secret agent's main iteration better resembles David Hasselhoff, who would, indeed, play him in 1998's Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D., a made-for-TV movie that was intended to be a pilot for an original series on Fox.

Jennifer Garner (Elektra Natchios)

Jennifer Garner played a lighter interpretation of Matt Murdock's assassin lover, Elektra Natchios, in 2003's Daredevil and in her own spin-off film from two years later. While the Alias star would also reprise the role in Deadpool & Wolverine, the official MCU iteration, introduced in Season 2 of the Daredevil series, is played by Élodie Yung.

Chris Evans (Human Torch)

Chris Evans is one of the few MCU actors who can say he previously played a superhero from a different corner of the Marvel Multiverse. Years before he was cast as Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger, he starred in the 2000s Fantastic Four movies as the Human Torch, which he referenced to hilarious effect in Deadpool & Wolverine. The MCU later introduced its own official iteration of Johnny Storm, played by Joseph Quinn.

Lou Ferrigno (Hulk)

Before Bruce Banner's mean, green alter ego became the product of putting Mark Ruffalo in a performance capture suit, he was brought to life in live-action on the hit TV show, The Incredible Hulk, by Lou Ferrigno, standing in for David Banner actor Bill Bixby whenever he would get angry. The legendary bodybuilder also lent his voice to the role in the Incredible Hulk animated series and made a cameo as a security guard in both 2003's Hulk and the Edward Norton-led MCU debut.

J.K. Simmons (J. Jonah Jameson)

One of the few actors known for playing the same Marvel character both in and outside of the MCU is J.K. Simmons. The Academy Award winner stole the show as the editor-in-chief of the Daily Bugle in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies before reimagining the role as a conspiracy theorist and podcast host in the Tom Holland-led films.

Doug Jones (Silver Surfer)

The MCU would introduce a unique version of the Silver Surfer played by Emmy winner Julia Garner in The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Doug Jones, a master of roles requiring performance capture and heavy makeup transformations, shares credit for portraying the first "live-action" iteration of the metallic-skinned alien from 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer with Laurence Fishburne, who provided the voice.

Robert Hays (Iron Man)

It is hard to imagine anyone else in the role of Tony Stark other than Academy Award winner Robert Downey Jr., but Iron Man was the star of his own animated series years earlier in the mid-1990s. Voicing the wealthy vigilante was Robert Hays, who is best known for starring in the classic spoof movie, Airplane!, as Ted Striker.

Neil Patrick Harris (Spider-Man)

In 2003, MTV aired a TV show very loosely connected to Sam Raimi's Marvel movies called Spider-Man: The New Animated Series. Instead of Tobey Maguire, the actor providing the voice of Peter Parker was none other than future How I Met Your Mother cast member Neil Patrick Harris, who later contributed to the 2010 video game, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions.

Eric Allan Kramer (Thor)

Years before Chris Hemsworth's definitive performance as Thor in the MCU made him a household name, Eric Allan Kramer of Robin Hood: Men in Tights and Good Luck Charlie fame became the first actor the play the role in live-action in the 1988 TV movie, The Incredible Hulk Returns. However, I feel obligated to mention that Vincent D'Onofrio's role in Adventures in Babysitting as Dawson, who bears a striking resemblance to the God of Thunder, predates Kramer's portrayal by a year.

Rosemary Harris (Aunt May)

With all due respect and admiration for Marisa Tomei, the Oscar winner is certainly not the first person you would picture to play Peter Parker's Aunt May, as she does in the MCU. However, Rosemary Harris is not only the spitting image of the comic book character, but also gives a moving, iconic performance as May opposite Tobey Maguire's Peter in Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy.

Matt Salinger (Captain America)

One of the most notable screen iterations of Steve Rogers that pre-dates Chris Evans' portrayal comes from 1990's infamous straight-to-video feature, Captain America. Playing the title role is Matt Salinger, who, believe it or not, is the son of The Catcher in the Rye author J.D. Salinger, as the actor discussed with The Guardian.

James Avery (War Machine)

Most people know actor James Avery best from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air cast as Philip Banks. Around that same time, however, the actor lent his voice to the animated Iron Man series as James "Rhodey" Rhodes, a.k.a. War Machine, years before Tony Stark's buddy was portrayed in the MCU by Don Cheadle... and Terrence Howard, of course.

Nicholas Hammond (Spider-Man)

Before the role was brought to life by Tobey Maguire, Andrew Garfield, and Tom Holland, the first actor to play Peter Parker in live-action was Nicholas Hammond. The Sound of Music star led CBS' Spider-Man series and its two made-for-TV companion films in the late 1970s.

Jennifer Connelly (Betty Ross)

Liv Tyler appeared in 2008's The Incredible Hulk as Betty Ross, the colleague and love interest of Edward Norton's Bruce Banner. Years earlier, in 2003's Hulk, she was played by Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly, who was also subtly inducted into the MCU as the voice of Karen, the AI built into Peter Parker's high-tech suit in Spider-Man: Homecoming.

Thomas Jane (The Punisher)

Three actors were brought in to play Frank Castle before Jon Bernthal was cast in the role for the MCU. The second, after Dolph Lundgren and before Ray Stevenson, and first to bring the vigilante into the 21st Century, was Thomas Jane in 2004's The Punisher, which sees the anti-hero take on a corrupt businessman responsible for his family's tragic deaths.

Cree Summer (She-Hulk)

Cree Summer is the prolific voice actor behind many well-known animated roles, such as Susie Carmichael from Nickelodeon's Rugrats. She was also the second person to voice Bruce Banner's cousin, Jennifer Walters, on the animated Incredible Hulk TV show almost a couple of decades before Tatiana Maslany was cast in the lead role of Disney+'s She-Hulk: Attorney at Law.

Michael Chiklis (The Thing)

Jamie Bell and Emmy winner Ebon Moss-Bachrach (who also appeared on Jon Bernthal's The Punisher series) both played CGI versions of Ben "The Thing" Grimm in their respective cinematic adaptations of the Fantastic Four comics. However, Michael Chiklis admirably went the old-fashioned route and donned a heavy amount of prosthetics to play the orange, rock-skinned superhero in Tim Story's movies from 2004 and 2007.

Sam Elliott (Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross)

Following William Hurt's passing, Harrison Ford stepped in to play Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross for the MCU in Captain America: Brave New World, in which the military general-turned-U.S. president becomes the Red Hulk. However, you could argue that the most intimidating portrayal of the character is still that of Sam Elliott in 2003's Hulk.

Peter Hooten (Dr. Strange)

With the title's otherworldly, psychedelic imagery, it is not very surprising to learn that Marvel's Doctor Strange comics were first adapted for live-action in the 1970s. CBS attempted to launch a series focused on the Sorcerer Supreme with a pilot led by actor Peter Hooten, who was, of course, succeeded decades later by Benedict Cumberbatch as the MCU's official iteration.

Lisa Rinna (Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine)

While better known today as a star of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Lisa Rinna also has the honor of being the first actor to portray Contessa Valentina Allegra de Fontaine in live-action in 1998's Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. In the MCU, the Italian-American noblewoman and CIA director is played by Seinfeld cast member Julia-Louis Dreyfus.

Conan Stevens (Man-Thing)

In 2005, SyFy aired a scary "movie of the week" inspired by the Marvel comic book character Man-Thing, played by Conan Stevens, who is essentially the publisher's equivalent to DC's Swamp Thing. The humanoid plant creature was painted in a far more sympathetic light in the Disney+ original Halloween special, Werewolf by Night, in which he was portrayed in motion capture by Carey Jones.

Ed Asner (J. Jonah Jameson)

Emmy winner Ed Asner's definitive TV role for years was cantankerous journalist Lou Grant on beloved TV sitcom The Mary Tyler Moore Show and the character's more earnest self-titled spin-off. In other words, he was a perfect choice to voice J. Jonah Jameson in Spider-Man: The Animated Series in the 1990s.

Eric Bana (Bruce Banner)

The first live-action, theatrically released feature film adaptation of Marvel's The Incredible Hulk comics, director Ang Lee's Hulk, cast Australian actor Eric Bana as Bruce Banner. The brilliant physicist would later return to the big screen as part of the MCU, first portrayed by Edward Norton in his 2008 solo flick before Mark Ruffalo took over the role in subsequent installments.

Ed Gale (Howard The Duck)

Howard the Duck, one of the most bizarre characters in Marvel Comics' history, exists in the MCU, having first appeared in the post-credit sequence for Guardians of the Galaxy, voiced by Seth Green. The fowl extraterrestrial crimefighter made his feature debut, however, in a self-titled film from producer George Lucas, in which Ed Gale, a little person also known for playing Chucky in Child's Play, wore a duck costume on set while Chip Zien provided the voice.

Ioan Gruffudd (Mr. Fantastic)

Before Pedro Pascal added the MCU to his ongoing list of franchises by playing Reed Richards in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, English actor Ioan Gruffudd played the stretchy superhero otherwise known as Mr. Fantastic in Tim Story's Fantastic Four movies.

Sticky Fingaz (Blade)

Mahershala Ali is actually not Wesley Snipes' direct successor to the role of Blade. Rap artist Sticky Fingaz played the vampire hunter in a short-lived TV series from 2006.

One of the biggest TV debuts in 2024 wasn’t about superheroes, medical professionals, government agents, or media mogul billionaires, but rather the world of Texas oilfields. (Landman does feature several non-media billionaires, and Jerry Jones did pop in for a guest spot, but I digress.) The latest of Taylor Sheridan’s streaming dramas was a massive hit for viewers with Paramount+ subscriptions, with Emmy nomination hopes also on the table, and the cast members shared a few thoughts about the currently filming Season 2.

Billy Bob Thornton On Sam Elliott And Andy Garcia In Season 2

To be expected, Thornton wasn't able to talk willy nilly about everything fans can expect to see. In fact, he seemingly didn't address any story elements when talking to THR. However, he did confirm that production for Season 2 kicked off in April, and the actor believes filming will be concluding in August. As well, he addressed what I think is the biggest addition to Season 2, Sam Elliott, who already starred in a Taylor Sheridan series, 1883. According to Thornton:

To be sure, Billy Bob Thornton himself guest-starred in 1883 as Marshal Jim Courtright for a pretty hectic episode. As far as I can tell, though, he and Sam Elliott first co-starred in 1992's highly quotable western Tombstone, while apparently knowing each other behind the scenes even before that. It's impossible to guess what to expect from the above comment, but I think we can at least infer that they've been working together, and that Sam won't be held for a last-minute arrival the way Andy Garcia's cartel boss Galino was before his Season 1 finale arrival.

Speaking of Garcia, Billy Bob Thornton made sure to confirm that Garcia's character will have a bigger role in Season 2, while also speaking to their personal history together.

The two actors did share a scene in Landman's finale, during which Thornton's Tommy was tied up and beaten. But it'll be interesting to see if the Season 2 story plays out in a way where Galino and Tommy will be in close poximity on a regular basis. I can't imagine that would be the case, but I wouldn't want either Galino or Sam Elliott's character to show up mostly in scenes away from the main characters.

Landman's Jacob Lofland On Filming In The Texas Heat

For all that the cast and crew members are happy about being around each other while Season 2 is coming together, Cooper Norris portrayer Jacob Lofland brought up a specific downside to filming this series in Texas during the spring and summer months. As he put it:

As someone who has lived in either Louisiana or Texas for my entire life, I can speak at length about how awful it is to have to be outside for any amount of time ahead of and during the dreary summer months. Texas isn't always as humid and muggy, but those details hardly matter once one has sweat through multiple layers of clothing. So I'm glad to hear that precautions are being taken, since heat strokes are no joke.

Thankfully, it doesn't sound like the heat is so miserable that it's affecting anyone's opinions about the scripts that were crafted for Season 2. Lofland paid them especially high praise in saying:

Hopefully those "amazing" scripts will also feature a big uptick in scenes featuring Demi Moore's Cami, who was underutilized in the first season as the wife of Jon Hamm's Monty. He's gone now, though, so the door should be open for Cami to walk through and shine. Just hopefully not as bright as the Texas sun, lest production be shut down early.

There is no question that Tombstone is one of the best Westerns ever made, and as this list proves, it's easily the most quotable. If we're honest here, almost every line in the movie is quotable. While we can't just reproduce the script here, we can offer many of the lines we love the most. So, without further ado, our list of quotes that make Tombstone the most quotable Western ever.

"I'm your huckleberry"

You know this one had to be on the list. Doc Holliday in Tombstone is arguably Val Kilmer's best role, and his most famous line has to be when he is facing down Johnny Ringo (Michael Biehn) towards the very end of the movie. It certainly scares Ringo.

"You gonna do somethin' or just stand there and bleed?"

Almost as soon as Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his brothers get to the town of Tombstone, Wyatt takes over the faro game at one of the saloons. The man he takes it over for, Johnny Tyler, played wonderfully by Billy Bob Thornton, has a lot to say, but nothing to back it up.

"All right, Clanton... you called down the thunder, well now you've got it!"

Wyatt Earp's revenge ride, at least how it's portrayed in the movie, starts with Wyatt taking out his first few Cowboys on a train platform after his brother leaves town. He leaves one man alive, Ike Clanton (Stephen Lang), so he can carry Wyatt's message back to the rest of the Cowboys.

"Listen, Mr. Kansas Law Dog. Law don't go around here. Savvy?"

Ike Clanton is one of the most memorable characters in Tombstone, and easily his most iconic line comes when the Cowboys first introduce themselves to Wyatt as the former lawman deals cards in the saloon. After Curly Bill (Powers Boothe) explains the situation in Tombstone, Ike backs up the words succinctly. There isn't much law in the mining town.

"Already got a guilty conscience. Might as well have the money, too."

It only takes a few moments for the movie to set the stage. Wyatt and the other Earps arrive by train into Tucson on their way to strike it rich in Tombstone. Wyatt's reputation as a legendary lawman precedes him, but he's not interested in becoming a sheriff again. That much, he makes clear.

"If we're gonna have a future in this town, it's gotta have some law and order!"

Virgil Earp (Sam Elliott) is as no-nonsense as his brother, Wyatt, and his reputation as a lawman was just as legendary at the time. Though he joined his brothers in Tombstone to strike it rich, it doesn't take long before he returns to fighting crime. Wyatt is upset, but Virgil has his reasons.

"I have nothing left, nothing to give you, I have no pride, no dignity, no money, I don't even know how we'll make a living, but I promise I'll love you the rest of your life"

It's easy to forget, among all the machismo in Tombstone, that there is also a pretty love story between Wyatt and Josephine (Dana Delaney) in the movie as well. Wyatt delivers some classic lines in that regard, including laying his cards on the table about how he envisions their life together. Luckily, she's rich.

"I have two guns, one for each of ya."

The real-life Doc Holliday was a legendary gunman and a legendary drunk. In this one life, he pretty much sums up just how confident he is in both those skills. When he's accused of seeing double, he retorts with a classic line that has become one of the most quoted in the movie.

"That's not what he said, you ignorant wretch. Your Spanish is worse than your English."

Johnny Ringo is a stylish bad guy and an associate of the Cowboys. He's also the smartest of the bunch, and in the beginning, after a priest condemns a group of Cowboys after they murder a wedding party, Johnny cuts down when his fellow Cowboys and explains what the priest was saying before Ringo shot him dead.

"I don't think I'll let you arrest us today, Behan."

Johnny Behan, played by The Closer's Jon Tenney, is the corrupt sheriff of Tombstone who aligns himself with the Cowboys. After the most famous moment in the movie, the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, takes place, the sharp-dressed sheriff tries to arrest the Earps. Wyatt disagrees.

"All right, 'lunger'. Let's do it."

Tombstone is filled with great language from a bygone era. "Lunger" is one of those terms you hear and might not understand the context at first. When Ringo calls Holliday a lunger at their showdown, he's making fun of Holliday's health, as Holliday is dying of tuberculosis.

"You're a daisy if you do."

Val Kilmer had a lot of amazing lines to deliver in one of his best roles, and this one is right up near the top. It happens right at the end of the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, when it appears Doc Holliday is out of bullets. As a cowboy takes aim, Doc dares the man to shoot. Of course, that was a bad idea, and the Cowboy should've just let things be.

"Go ahead, skin it! Skin that smokewagon and see what happens!"

"Smokewagon" has to be one of the best ways to say "gun" in the history of the English language. In that amazing confrontation between Johnny Tyler and Wyatt, Tyler starts to draw, then thinks better of it. Wyatt dares him to pull out the pistol, but Tyler relents.

"Remember what I said about people seein' a bright light before they die? It ain't true. I can't see a damn thing."

Morgan Earp, played by the late Bill Paxton, is the youngest and most naive Earp brother. Unlike his older brothers, he's got a more philosophical outlook on life, and, it turns out, death. After he's fatally shot by the Cowboys, he reminisces with Wyatt about what he believed happened when someone died, but tragically, it's not how it turns out to be for him.

"No need to go heeled to get the bulge on a tub like you."

Many people find themselves rewinding over and over to figure out exactly what Wyatt says to Johnny Tyler as their confrontation begins at the faro table. Wyatt immediately insults Tyler, and it only gets worse from that for Billy Bob Thornton's character.

"Why Ed does this mean we're not friends anymore? You know Ed, if I thought you weren't my friend... I just don't think I could bear it!"

The introduction of one of Val Kilmer's best characters comes near the beginning of the movie, and he's playing cards. After being accused of cheating, he takes offense and wonders why his opponent is so upset. All while tickling the ivory handle of one of his pistols. It's hard to believe Kilmer wasn't always the first choice for the role of Doc; originally, Willem Dafoe was who the producers wanted.

"Why Johnny Ringo, you look like somebody just walked over your grave."

The final confrontation between Doc and Ringo is classic Western stuff. Ringo wasn't ready for Doc, but Doc was more than ready for Ringo.

"Look at all the stars. You look up and you think, "God made all this and He remembered to make a little speck like me." It's kind of flattering, really."

There are some moments of sweet levity in Tombstone, and often they come from Morgan Earp, and his philosophical pondering.

"I'm gettin' tired of your gas. Now jerk that pistol and go to work!"

Finally, Wyatt has had enough of Johnny Tyler's "gas" and tells him the fight is on. Tyler is far too scared to draw his pistol, though, and eventually Wyatt hauls him out of the saloon by his ear like a petulant child.

"I'm an oak alright."

This classic line is a throwback to earlier in the movie when Wyatt first sees Josephine in the saloon. He tries to explain to Doc that he's a married man and will stand by his vows. Doc calls him an "oak" when Wyatt rebuffs Josephine. Later, Wyatt sarcastically thinks back to that as he chases Josephine on horseback.

"My dear, you've set your gaze upon the quintessential frontier type. Note the lean silhouette... eyes closed by the sun, though sharp as a hawk. He's got the look of both predator and prey."

Billy Zane has one of the more under-appreciated roles in the movie as a traveling actor alongside Josephine. He does have one glowing moment, however, when he sums up Josephine's type of man by describing Wyatt.

"From now on I see a red sash, I kill the man wearing it. So run you cur. And tell the other curs the law is coming. You tell 'em I'm coming! And Hell's coming with me you hear! Hell's coming with me!"

Wyatt Earp's revenge ride is pretty much the whole third act of the movie, and it all starts when he lays down his threat to Ike Clanton and the rest of the Cowboys after taking some of them out after they killed Morgan and shot Virgil.

"Very cosmopolitan."

One of the funniest lines comes, unsurprisingly, from Doc Holliday. It's subtle, but after listening to Behan prattle on about how sophisticated Tombstone has become, four gunfighters spill into the street and duel it out in front of them all. Very cosmopolitan.

"Oh. Johnny, I apologize; I forgot you were there. You may go now."

Poor Johnny Tyler just can't get any respect. When he returns to confront Wyatt after losing his faro game, Doc dismisses him without giving him any respect.

"Fight's commenced! Get to fightin' or get away!"

Ike Clanton is a despicable character in Tombstone, and he's at his worst when he begs to get out of the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Wyatt tells him exactly what to do.

"It's like I'm sittin' here playin' cards with my brother's kids or somethin'."

Though he has a pretty small role, Tombstone is still one of Billy Bob Thornton's best movies, and that's because the few lines he does have are priceless. Like when we, as an audience, first meet his character and he's annoyed with literally everything around him, especially the guy smoking next to him.

"You die first, get it? Your friends might get me in a rush, but not before I make your head into a canoe, you understand me?"

The first time Wyatt has a direct confrontation with Ike, Wyatt is outnumbered. Luckily, Ike's cooler head prevails (surprisingly), and when he figures out Wyatt is serious, he backs off with his men.

"Come on boys. We don't want any trouble in here. Not in any language."

Another local lawman, Marshal Fred White, played by legendary Western actor Harry Carey Jr., tries to keep things cool when they get heated between Doc and Ringo. It works at first, but the water between them keeps boiling.

"Why Kate, you're not wearing a bustle. How lewd."

"Big Nose" Kate (Joanna Pacuła) was Doc Holliday's long-time companion, and she was known to be just as tough as Doc, and just as ready for a fight, which is why she wasn't wearing a bustle.

"Forgive me if I don't shake hands."

When Doc first meets Behan, he makes it clear he wants nothing to do with the corrupt sheriff.

"Sure you do. Say goodbye to me. Go grab that spirited actress and make her your own. Take that beauty from it, don't look back. Live every second. Live right on to the end. Live Wyatt. Live for me. Wyatt, if you were ever my friend - if ya ever had even the slightest of feelin' for me, leave now. Leave now... Please."

If ever there was proof that Val Kilmer should have won an Oscar in his career, it's his final scene with Kurt Russell, as he lies dying of tuberculosis. It's masterful.

"Well... bye."

Powers Boothe plays Curly Bill, the de facto leader of the Cowboys, and when he thinks he's finally run the Earps out of town, he only has two words for them. Those two words, "Well, bye," have since become a meme that is useful for so many things. It, like all the rest of the lines on this list, is a true classic.

Despite being one of TV’s most-watched scripted shows yearly for the bulk of its 14-season run, CBS’ Blue Bloods is one of many shows ending this year, with its series finale hitting the 2024 TV premiere schedule soon. Fans and cast members have spoken out against the financially motivated decision, but now that hopes for a surprise renewal are dwindling, let’s shift our focus over to where cast members such as Tom Selleck are heading next.

Selleck has been as outspoken with his frustrations over the cancellation as anyone else, as he doesn’t understand why CBS would conclude a project that had yet to fall from primetime grace. But it sounds like he’s looking ahead and weighing his options for where to bring his talents next, and he seems inclined to return to the western genre, particularly the lucrative ranch lands that Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan calls his TV home.

Speaking with Parade about saying farewell to Blue Bloods and Frank Reagan, Selleck was asked about his next gig, and whether or not he’d be interested in playing cowboy again for Sheriday. Here’s how the Magnum P.I. vet answered:

This idea would have seemed exciting years ago when Yellowstone was just starting up, but now it seems like it could be legitimately possible, considering how many big stars Sheridan's series have cast. That shortlist includes Harrison Ford, Helen Mirren, Sylvester Stallone, Billy Bob Thornton, Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Jeremy Renner, Kevin Costner and many more. (Let's not forget that Tom Hanks cameo in 1883.)

One can only hope that someone in Taylor Sheridan's camp catches wind of Tom Selleck's desire to hop back on a horse. The mega-producer bought up the historic Four Sixes ranch in Texas, which he's already utilized quite a bit for filming purposes, given his passion for horses and all that comes with them. Anyone who actually wants to get back in the saddle would seemingly be welcomed with open arms.

Selleck also addressed his fandom and longtime friendship with 1883 vet Sam Elliott, saying he'd be down to team up with the Big Lebowski vet if possible. In his words:

How amazing would it be to see Hollywood's two most impressive mustaches on the screen at the same time on the 2025 TV premiere schedule? The pair shared the screen several times in the past, such as in the 1978 TV miniseries The Sacketts and the 1982 TV movie The Shadow Riders. So that would be a huge plus for both fans and the creative team putting it together.

With hopes for a Sheridan-enhanced announcement to come soon, Blue Bloods series finale is set to air on CBS on Friday, December 13, at 10:00 p.m. ET, and can be streamed the next day with a Paramount+ subscription.

The list of Taylor Sheridan’s shows feels like it's neverending, and the so the Rolodex of famous actors he’s also gotten into said series also feels infinite. From Kevin Costner’s role as John Dutton in the game-changing Yellowstone to Zoë Saldaña and Jeremy Renner’s turns in shows from Sheridan that aren’t about the Dutton family, the group of actors he’s gathered for these projects is staggering. 

Kevin Costner - Yellowstone 

Kevin Costner is kind of the man who started it all. At the time, he was the most famous person in the Yellowstone cast, and for five seasons he played the patriarch of the modern Dutton family, John Dutton. While he did leave Taylor Sheridan’s flagship western after the first half of Season 5, there’s no denying how much this character gave to the show and his career. 

Sam Elliott - 1883 

Some of Sam Elliott’s best movies, like Tombstone, are Westerns. And while Elliott has dabbled in television, there’s no doubt 1883 is a standout moment in his career. He joined Sheridan’s show as Shea Brennan, a Union Civil War veteran who agrees to take a group of immigrants West. He leads the group of pioneers on a journey from Texas to Montana, and Elliott gives a standout performance as the no-nonsense yet emotionally complex leader of the caravan. 

Harrison Ford - 1923 

Harrison Ford had never led a TV show until 2022 when he starred in 1923 as Jacob Dutton. While he’s known and beloved for playing Indiana Jones and Han Solo in film franchises, the Yellowstone prequel series was a fantastic turn in his career as he reunited with Helen Mirren, and led the spectacular cast of 1923. 

Zoë Saldaña - Lioness 

There are so many actors on this list who we likely never thought we’d see leading a TV series because they’re big movie stars. Well, if you’ve seen the Avatar movies or the Marvel movies in order, you’re aware that Zoë Saldaña has been busy for years between those and other projects. However, she joined the cast of Lioness in 2023 Joe, a CIA operative. 

Helen Mirren -1923 

Cara Dutton is one of the leaders of the Dutton household, and Helen Mirren plays her perfectly. She’s a confident Irish woman who knows how to run her household, and she and her husband Jacob are a perfect pair. Part of the reason why is Mirren and Harrison Ford are an excellent couple is they came back together for this project after working together on The Mosquito Coast in 1986. 

Tim McGraw - 1883 

When you think of Tim McGraw, country music is likely the first thing that comes to mind. However, he’s also a great actor, and 1883 proved that as he led the series as James Dutton, the man who moved his family from Tennessee to Montana to the ranch that is known today as The Yellowstone. McGraw played the character – alongside his wife Faith Hill who plays Margaret Dutton – for the first time in Yellowstone, and then after that, he signed on to make this miniseries about the Dutton’s big move. 

Kelly Reilly -Yellowstone 

Kelly Reilly was an established character actor before this, but Yellowstone made her a star. Her turn as Beth Dutton is magnificent, and watching her spar with Wes Bentley’s Jamie Dutton and fall in love with Cole Hauser’s Rip Wheeler are two of the reasons why she’s one of the major highlights of Taylor Sheridan’s flagship series. 

Billy Bob Thornton- 1883 

If you want to see the power of Taylor Sheridan and his casts, look no further than the fact that he got Billy Bob Thornton to make a cameo as Marshal Jim Courtright in Episode 2 of 1883. After that, he went on to sign up to lead Sheridan’s show Landman. However, the television journey within this Paramount universe began on the Yellowstone prequel.  

Jeremy Renner - Mayor Of Kingstown 

After starring in Taylor Sheridan’s film Wind River, Jeremy Renner collaborated with him again by joining the cast of his and Hugh Dillon’s show Mayor of Kingstown. The Avengers actor plays the titular Mayor, Mike McLusky, and he helps broker power between law enforcement, the prison and the power players in the town.  

Cole Hauser - Yellowstone 

Rip Wheeler was branded with the Y when he was young, and he’s given it to many ranch hands who live and work on the Yellowstone. While he’s not a Dutton by blood (though he is by law since he married Beth), he’s arguably one of the most loyal members of the family. Cole Hauser is the man behind this beloved character. While he had roles in big movies like Good Will Hunting, Dazed and Confused and 2 Fast 2 Furious, this part is arguably what made him a star.  

Faith Hill - 1883 

Faith Hill and Tim McGraw have been married since 1996, and in 1883 they played the married couple Margaret and James Dutton. Hill is best known for her music and she had a few minor acting roles earlier in her career. However, this Yellowstone prequel was her first leading role, and she killed it as the surefire, tough and loving pioneer and mother.  

Tom Hanks - 1883 

You’ll probably do a double take when you see Tom Hanks as General George Meade in Episode 2 of 1883. The iconic actor appeared in a flashback that showed Tim McGraw’s character fighting in the Civil War. While we know him for starring in massive movies like Saving Private Ryan and Sleepless in Seattle, in this Taylor Sheridan show, he played a small yet impactful part in this sweeping story.  

David Oyelowo - Lawmen: Bass Reeves 

From The Butler and Selma, David Oyelowo is a formidable actor known best for his roles in these historic dramas. In 2023, he joined Sheridan’s series Lawmen: Bass Reeves, to play the titular man who was the first Black deputy U.S. Marshall. 

Wes Bentley - Yellowstone 

Jamie Dutton is a fascinating character. He’s not a cowboy like his brothers, and he’s always butting heads with his sister Beth. His story is complex and driven by his confusion about his place in his family. Wes Bentley plays this complex and often villainous character so well, and it’s a great addition to his already impressive career that includes films like American Beauty and The Hunger Games.  

Rita Wilson - 1883 

In Episode 6 of 1883, Rita Wilson appears to play a shop owner named Carol. Both she and her husband Tom Hanks had small cameos in this Yellowstone miniseries, and it goes to show how many incredibly famous and talented actors and singers will show up for these shows, even for a small part. 

Shea Whigham - Lawmen: Bass Reeves 

Colonel George Reeves was the Confederate army leader who cheated Bass Reeves out of his freedom. He’s played by Shea Whigham, a fantastic character actor who is known for his roles in TV shows like Perry Mason, Boardwalk Empire and more. It’s also worth mentioning that Lawmen isn’t the first time he’s worked with Sheridan as he had a role in Sicario: Day of the Soldado, which the Yellowstone creator wrote. 

Luke Grimes - Yellowstone 

Much like his on-screen siblings played by Kelly Reilly and Wes Bentley, Luke Grimes had a solid career before Yellowstone. However, his turn as Kayce Dutton made him a household name. Also, on top of his successful acting career, which involves this massive modern Western, he’s a country singer, and his music has been featured in Taylor Sheridan’s show.  

Nicole Kidman - Lioness 

Nicole Kidman plays CIA senior supervisor Kaitlyn Meade in Lioness. Before this, she made an impact in the TV space through the HBO hit Big Little Lies. She also starred in the shows The Undoing and Nine Perfect Strangers before signing on to be part of Taylor Sheridan’s political thriller that airs on Paramount+. 

Sylvester Stallone - Tulsa King 

Other than a few cameos and guest spots here and there, Sylvester Stallone hasn’t really done TV in a big way. However, that changed when he signed on to play Dwight "The General" Manfredi in Taylor Sheridan’s gangster drama Tulsa King. 

Will Patton - Yellowstone 

If you haven’t watched Yellowstone, be warned, there’s a major spoiler ahead! You’ve been warned.

One of the big reveals in Yellowstone came when Jamie found out that John Dutton wasn’t his biological father, and he was adopted. In Seasons 3 and 4, Wes Bentley’s character reconnected with his birth father, Garrett Randall, and he’s played by Will Patton, who is also known for movies like Remember the Titans and Armageddon.  

Morgan Freeman - Lioness 

Of course, Morgan Freeman plays a powerful character in Lioness. The actor with the most illustrious career and seriously iconic voice, joined the Taylor Sheridan show to play Secretary of State Edwin Mullins. 

Dennis Quaid - Lawmen: Bass Reeves 

In Lawmen: Bass Reeves, Dennis Quaid plays Sherrill Lynn. He is one of the series regulars, and like the titular character, he’s a deputy U.S. Marshall. 

Josh Holloway - Yellowstone 

Typically, in a Yellowstone show, one of the Dutton's adversaries is some sort of outsider who is trying to take their land. In Season 3, that guy was named Roarke, and Lost’s Josh Holloway played him. 

Aidan Gillen - Mayor Of Kingstown 

You know and likely love to hate Aidan Gillen as Littlefinger in Game of Thrones. I guarantee you’ll also know and love to hate him as the evil Milo in Mayor of Kingstown too. 

Michael Kelly - Lioness 

Michael Kelly is well known for his roles in action-packed and political thrillers like House of Cards and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. So, his joining Lioness to play the CIA’s deputy director Byron Westfield feels very fitting.  

Donald Sutherland - Lawmen: Bass Reeves 

The late great Donald Sutherland’s final role was as Judge Parker in Lawmen: Bass Reeves. From M*A*S*H to The Hunger Games to Pride and Prejudice, and so much more, his career was truly legendary and he capped it off with this Taylor Sheridan show. 

Josh Lucas - Yellowstone 

When you think of John Dutton, Kevin Costner is understandably probably the first person you think of. However, he’s not the only actor who plays the Yellowstone’s patriarch. In flashbacks, he’s portrayed by Josh Lucas, an actor who is also known for his parts in films like Sweet Home Alabama and Ford v. Ferrari. 

Graham Greene - 1883 

In the finale of 1883, Graham Greene plays Spotted Eagle, a Native American leader who helps guide James Dutton toward what will become his home in Montana. Before this, Greene worked with Sheridan on the film Wind River, and he has a history with other members of the Yellowstone cast as he performed alongside Kevin Costner on Dances with Wolves. 

Jacki Weaver - Yellowstone 

Jacki Weaver – an actress known for her roles in films like Silver Linings Playbook and Animal Kingdom – joined Yellowstone in Season 4 as Caroline Warner. She’s one of the folks who works at Market Equities, and she’s trying to obtain part of the Dutton’s ranch to build an airport.

Jerome Flynn -1923 

Jerome Flynn is best known for playing Bronn – a killer and cynical mercenary – on Game of Thrones. In 1923, he plays Banner Creighton, a rancher who gets into a partnership with a businessman who is trying to take the Dutton’s ranch. 

Andrea Savage - Tulsa King 

You likely know Andrea Savage as a comedic actress because of her roles in shows like I’m Sorry, Episodes and Veep. However, she turned into the dramatic genre and showed off a different side of her range by playing Stacy Beale in Tulsa King. 

Neal McDonough - Yellowstone

You can always count on Neal McDonough to play a really good bad guy. He did it in DC’s Arrowverse as Damien Darhk. He did it in Justified as Robert Quarles. Of course, he did it in Yellowstone too, as he played one of Season 2’s antagonists, Malcolm Beck. 

Overall, the list of performers who have worked on one of Taylor Sheridan’s many shows is overwhelming and growing. From A-listers to legendary character actors, many have said yes to working on these series, and that will likely keep happening as the super producer and writer continues to create. 

In the first third of 1883’s premiere, you’ll see a burning wagon and a man burning down his house after losing his daughter and wife to smallpox. That sets the tone for the rest of the series about the ruthless origin story of the Dutton family finding the ranch that will eventually become the Yellowstone. Now, as a fan of the Yellowstone shows, I expect violence, brutality and devastation. However, when I watched 1883 for the first time, it hit differently than the rest of them in all those departments.

The Challenges The Characters In 1883 Face Feel More Grounded And Realistic

Overall, 1883 is the most brutal Yellowstone show by far, and that’s saying a lot. Both Yellowstone and its other spinoff 1923 are violent and dramatic to the point that you have to suspend your belief a bit. However, 1883 feels more grounded, and the challenges they face are simple yet deadly. So, that’s why this show hit so much harder than Taylor Sheridan’s other Westerns.

The majority of the intense moments in this series are centered around natural challenges that would be easily solvable or avoidable these days. For example, one of the events in the show that caused the most casualties was when the caravan of pioneers had to cross a river.

While there are bandit attacks and some big action, for the most part, the challenges in 1883 are grounded and based on day-to-day hardships that came with traversing across the country with nothing but wagons, horses and cows.

There’s no train station yet to take all those who have wronged the ranch, no one has been attacked by a lion and in a boat wreck in one season. 1883’s drama is centered primarily around survival, and it feels a lot more realistic which makes it a lot scarier.

Can We Take A Minute To Talk About The Tragic Yet Heroic Tale Of Sam Elliott’s Shea?

As I mentioned at the top of the story, this show starts with a man burning down his house after his wife and daughter died of smallpox. That man is Sam Elliott’s Shea, a Civil War veteran who helps lead a group of pioneers West.

That opening scene happens long before he meets the pioneers in Texas, and it is the backbone of his story. Later on in the series, when Elsa loses her first love Ennis (who was a ranchhand moving cattle with the group), Shea reveals that he’s going to make it to Oregon so he can take his wife to the ocean.

In the final moments of the show, we learn that Sam Elliott’s character did make it to the ocean, and the story ends with him shooting himself in the head.

His tale is truly tragic, however, it’s simultaneously a big part of the heart of 1883. When the families in the group of pioneers lose loved ones, he feels that pain, and while he tries to hide it, he’s clearly impacted by it. As a viewer, I could feel the weight Shea was carrying between his past and the pressure of getting these people to Oregon. While he ultimately accomplishes his goal, it wasn’t without great loss.

When it came to how fans saw the show, Sam Elliott said he didn’t want 1883 to feel like a Yellowstone spinoff. And Shea’s story is one of the reasons why it doesn’t. Yes, it has obvious connections to the flagship Western, and it is the Dutton’s origin story. However, this project has a gritty voice of its own, and part of that comes through Elliott’s character's tragic and heroic story.

No Death In The Yellowstone Universe Has Hit Harder Than Elsa’s

Speaking of tragic and heroic, while Tim McGraw, Faith Hill and Sam Elliott are the first three names listed in the 1883 cast, the show really centers around Isabel May’s Elsa Dutton.

She’s the oldest daughter of McGraw’s James and Hill’s Margaret, and she’s the voice of the show.

As the caravan made its way west, Elsa’s voiceover provides a profound inner monologue about the lessons they were learning and the challenges they were working to overcome. At the start, she was a bright-eyed girl who was excited about what the world had to offer. By the end, she was a cowboy who was jaded by everything she’d been through.

Due to all of this, she was the character I became the closest too, so you can understand why I was shattered when she died.

She didn’t die quickly, either. Her death stretched out across a full episode and change. We had to watch her slowly lose her strength, which meant we also had to watch her parents grieve her before she was even dead. Then, seeing her take her final breaths in her father’s arms under a tree that would eventually be on the Yellowstone ranch was shattering.

In the grand scheme of things, Elsa’s death was the beginning of the Dutton legacy we know, because where she died marked where they settled in Montana. However, it also marked the tragic end to this journey.

While they technically succeeded with this series, James and Margaret lost so much, and Elsa’s death was the final note of this terribly sad chapter.

Learning About James And Margaret’s Fate In 1923 Makes The Show Even More Brutal

On top of the series breaking your heart as a whole, it has an aftershock in its follow-up series 1923, which I also watched for the first time recently.

This spinoff follows James’ brother Jacob and his wife Cara years after the wagon journey.

Elsa narrates the beginning of the first episode, and it’s quickly revealed that after James died and Margaret froze to death, Jacob and Cara had to step in to raise their sons, John Sr. and Spencer. Ultimately, they really didn’t live long after that initial journey, and their sons spent most of their lives without their parents.

So, the intro to 1923 is like twisting a knife in the injury 1883 left, making that adventure and what came after it even more brutal. James and Margaret didn’t get to grow old on the land they worked so hard to get to, and it adds to the questions they were asking for the entire show about whether this move was worth it.

Obviously, it was, because we know the Dutton empire has lived on for well over 100 years. However, it breaks my heart to know for certain that the people who traveled all this way to Montana never got to see the fruits of their labor.

It’s the culmination of all of this that makes 1883 so deeply moving and tragic, and it’s why this show hits so different compared to the other series in the Yellowstone universe.

Now, while 1883 won’t get a Season 2, the Dutton story will continue on as Yellowstone Season 5B prepares to premiere on the 2024 TV schedule on November 10. To go back and watch James, Margaret, Elsa, Shea and co’s ruthless journey west, you can stream 1883 with a Paramount+ subscription.

Patrick Swayze wasn’t an actor that was going to be nominated for a bunch of big awards but he was in some absolutely great films. Several of the best '80s movies and best '90s movies include Swayze, from The Outsiders, to Dirty Dancing, to Point Break to Ghost he was in a lot of movies that people love and love to rewatch. Even Swayze’s widow will sometimes rewatch his films, and she has her favorite moments just like the rest of us.

Lisa Niemi Swayze recently spoke to People where she admitted that she’ll sometimes watch her late husband's films. She’ll catch them on TV now and then and end up watching them. And it turns out she sometimes gains a new appreciation for the films. She said that she rewatched Road House some time ago and was actually surprised at how much she enjoyed it. She explained…

Road House is pretty campy, it’s hard to argue that, but the movie struck a chord with many fans as it’s one of Patrick Swayze’s best movies in the eyes of many. Swayze passed away in 2009, but movies have lived on. It’s certainly popular enough that it generated a recent remake starring Jake Gyllenhaal, a movie that was so popular in its own right that a Road House sequel was just given the green light.

While Patrick Swayze’s widow may have developed a newfound love for Road House, her favorite line in the movie is actually spoken by Sam Elliott, when he tells Swayze’s character how “fucked up” he is. For Lisa Niemi Swayze, it seems the line is emblematic of why Road House works so well and people love it so much. She continued…

Technically, Lisa Niemi Swayze is misquoting the line slightly, though she says she saw the movie years ago, so that’s not a shock. Elliott actually says “Well Amigo, you’re all fucked up, aren't ya?” The sentiment in the line is what matters, and it is delivered quite well. Check out the full scene below.

While the new Road House reviews were solid and it was certainly popular, and in some ways was better than the original, it will be some time before we really know if it will be as meaningful as the original. There is some real love for that film, including from Patrick Swayze’s widow, who appreciates the film and what it is.

The Parks and Rec cast by itself is legendary. Amy Poehler, Nick Offerman, Rob Lowe, Chris Pratt, Aubrey Plaza, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott and more served as regulars on the series for years, and to this day their characters are beloved. However, what made this show even more special was its constant stream of guest stars played by living legends. Everyone from Bill Murray to Michelle Obama to Ben Schwartz appeared on the NBC classic, and today, we’re here to talk about them. 

Paul Rudd

Now, I know we love Paul Rudd for his movies, but we also need to appreciate his brilliant work as Bobby Newport on Parks and Rec. During Season 4, the actor joined the cast to play the man running against Leslie Knope for a city council position. Overall, Bobby is childish, not smart and spoiled, and Rudd plays this silly idiot brilliantly. 

Bill Murray

Obviously, Bill Murray’s funniest roles include iconic characters like Phil Connors in Groundhog Day and Dr. Peter Venkman in Ghostbusters. However, his guest spot on Parks and Rec was unexpected and incredibly memorable. I write this because, for one episode in Season 7, the Saturday Night Live legend played Walter Gunderson, the dead mayor of Pawnee. 

Kathryn Hahn

Playing the cutthroat campaign manager Jen Barkley, Kathryn Hahn made a glorious (and a smidge evil) impact on Parks and Rec. She played a cutthroat manager who worked for Bobby Newport at first, and across ten episodes she popped in from time to time to both help and harm Leslie’s political career. 

Ben Schwartz 

Arguably, Jean-Ralphio Saperstein is one of the best recurring guest stars in Parks and Rec history. The rich boy who is friends with Tom is ridiculous, scammy and he’s constantly trying to flirt with everyone and sing whenever he can. While he’s 100% the worst, he’s also totally not “the WORRRRRRSSSSSTTTT,” if you know what I mean.  

Jenny Slate

In a stroke of perfect casting, Jenny Slate popped into Parks and Rec to play Jean-Ralphio’s sister Mona Lisa Saperstein. The siblings truly are the most chaotic duo, however, they’re also the two of the funniest extra side characters the sitcom has to offer. Just don’t fall for it when they ask for “money please!”

Henry Winkler

After getting to know Jean-Ralphio and Mona Lisa, we meet their father, Lu Saperstein in Season 6. Played brilliantly by Henry Winkler, the patriarch of the Saperstein family is a successful doctor who is willing to go to any financial length to help his kids. 

Sam Elliott

In the later seasons of the show, we met the Eagleton Parks Department. Ironically, each member of that crew matched up with a member of the Parks and Rec cast, and when it came to picking someone to play Nick Offerman’s Ron Swanson’s counterpart, they cast Sam Elliott as Ron Dunn. While they both have legendary mustaches and an appreciation for the outdoors, that’s where the similarities stop, and seeing Ron and Anti-Ron go head-to-head was hilarious. 

Joe Biden

Leslie loves her politicians and had a massive crush on then-Vice President Joe Biden. As an engagement gift, Ben decided to give her the perfect present and prove that he’s the ideal man, by coordinating a meet and greet between Leslie and Joe Biden.

Patton Oswalt

When Leslie tries to change Pawnee’s charter to get rid of some silly laws – like throwing a Ted into a lake – Garth Blundin makes his disapproval clear. Patton Oswalt plays the historian, and he challenges Amy Poehler’s character to a filibuster and a day of living like a colonial person. Ultimately, he and Leslie find common ground, and he joins forces with her to help preserve the laws…he also volunteers to get thrown in the lake.

Michelle Obama

As Leslie tries to figure out if she should take a job at the National Parks Department and leave Pawnee, Michelle Obama comes in to tell her about why she should take it. Let’s just say if I met the First Lady, I think I’d be just as star-struck as Leslie Knope. How could you not stumble over your words if you casually bumped into the First Lady of the United States?

Bo Burnham

Some of the funniest stand-up on Netflix comes from Bo Burnham, and in his special Make Happy, he sings a “Country Song” that pokes fun at the cliches in the genre and how some artists are masters at pandering to their audiences. On Parks and Rec, he worked with that idea as well by playing country singer Chipp McCapp who Leslie and Andy tried to hire for a performance at the Unity Concert. His songs like “Beautiful Like My Mom (Support the Troops)” were truly hilarious, and they complimented the stand-up comedian's sense of humor very well. 

John McCain

Parks and Rec knows how to do a political cameo, and one of the best ones came when Leslie didn’t even realize she’d just met John McCain in a coat closet. She was so distraught over interacting with #4 and #26 on Leslie’s list of amazing women, that she didn’t even notice she was speaking with the senator. 

Megan Mullally

You know chaos mode has been activated when Ron’s second ex-wife Tammy II enters the chat. She’s constantly trying to simultaneously take Ron down and get back together with her, and his efforts to avoid it are truly hilarious. However, what really makes this dynamic duo so hysterical and one of the best recurring inside jokes on Parks and Rec is the fact that Tammy II is played by Nick Offerman’s real-life wife Megan Mullally. 

Will Forte

Amy Poehler and Will Forte were both in some of SNL’s best casts, and it was such a treat to see them reunite on Parks and Rec. In his episode, Forte played Kelly, a man who really wants to get the Twilight books put in Pawnee’s town time capsule. When Leslie refuses and then agrees, it starts an outcry over what can and can’t go in the capsule via a chaotic town meeting. 

Jon Hamm

According to Leslie, Jon Hamm’s Ed is the “most incompetent person I’ve ever worked with.” He worked for our leading lady when she was at the National Parks Department, and he was swiftly fired by her not long after we met him. 

John Cena

In an epic episode of Andy’s show, the Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show, Burt Macklin, FBI, arrested John Cena – who was wearing so much of his own WWE merch – and took him to the dunk tank. Talk about a dream come true for Andy and viewers.

Keegan-Michael Key

There’s no question that all our hearts grew a few sizes when Donna married Keegan-Michael Key’s Joe. The comedian played the “Treat yo’ self’ queen’s boyfriend-turned-husband in Seasons 6 and 7, and it’s safe to say that we all adored this music teacher. 

Bradley Whitford

Considering Parks and Rec is a show about government and Rob Lowe is one of its stars, it made perfect sense for a West Wing cast member to pop into the sitcom. It was done perfectly too, because the team brought in Josh himself, as Bradley Whitford played Councilman Pillner, the man Leslie replaces on City Council and a model boat enthusiast. 

J.K. Simmons

Remember Ice Town? Well, Ben’s hometown of Partridge and J.K. Simmons’ Mayor Stice sure do. And that became clear as day when an episode of Parks went back to Adam Scott’s character’s hometown so he could get a key to the city, which ended up just being melted water in a box…because Ice Town. 

Patricia Clarkson

While Megan Mullally’s Tammy II is truly unhinged and chaotic, Tammy I is cold, calculated, and manipulative. She’s played by Patricia Clarkson, and she really adds to the hilarious chaos that is Ron Swanson’s love life. 

Andy Samberg

Back when Andy Samberg was still on Saturday Night Live and before he led his own sitcom, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, he guest starred on Parks and Rec as the incredibly loud Park Ranger Carl. During Season 2, Leslie worked with Carl on a few issues of Parks security, and let's just say that she “might not be so confident, when [she has to] walk a mile in [Carl’s]  size sevens.” 

Rachel Dratch

In the final season of Parks and Recreation, Amy Poehler’s Saturday Night Live co-star Rachel Dratch appeared as Roz Pinwheel, the nanny of Leslie and Ben’s triplets. While a small role, it was such a nice (and funny) nod to the two comedians' time together on the legendary sketch comedy show.

Nick Kroll

If you were looking to get humiliated on the radio look no further than "The Douche." This hilarious and terrible radio host was played by the mastermind behind one of the best animated shows, Big Mouth, Nick Kroll, and anytime he showed up to host a radio spot on the series, you knew something wild was about to go down.

Chelsea Peretti

While Leslie ran for City Council, April filled in for her one time, and during one of her seminars Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Chelsea Peretti showed up as one of the attendees, Zelda. Fun fact: before Peretti was part of the Brooklyn Nine-Nine cast, she actually wrote two episodes of Parks and Rec, which helps explain her lil cameo in the series. 

Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell was quite literally the perfect person to play Leslie Knope’s Eagleton councilwoman counterpart, Ingrid de Forest. It turns out, Bell was born to thrive on a comedy like this, because after Parks and Rec, she went on to lead the cast of The Good Place, which was Michael Schur’s next show after Parks.  

Dax Shepard

When Tom decides to become Andy’s manager as he works on Johnny Karate, they have a run-in with Hank Muntak, a TV executive in Pawnee who is played by Dax Shepard. Before this guest spot, the actor had spent a lot of time on NBC as one of the stars of Parenthood, these days you can find him hosting his podcast Armchair Expert. 

Will Arnett

Before Leslie meets and falls in love with Ben, she goes on some wildly terrible dates, including one with MRI technician Chris. At the time, Amy Poehler and Will Arnett were actually married (they’re divorced now), making this blind date even funnier because they were a real-life couple too. 

Sean Hayes

Bobby Wood was Indianapolis’ best talk show host, and he was played by Sean Hayes. As television appearances tend to go for Leslie and co. her interview with him didn’t exactly go well, and both comedic actors were so funny in the moment. 

Fred Armisen

You can always count on Fred Armisen to play the wildest goofy guys, and he did exactly that on Parks and Recreation. In the episode “Sister City,” the SNL vet appeared as Raul Alejandro Bastilla Pedro de Veloso de Maldonado, the Venezuelan officer who came to represent his city on a trip to Pawnee. 

Tatiana Maslany

Tom Haverford’s love life was always a funny point of interest on Parks and Rec, especially because it was only brought up occasionally. For instance, in Season 6, he had a short-lived relationship with Tatiana Maslany’s Nadia Stasky, a doctor who eventually left Pawnee and moved to Rwanda.  

Parker Posey

Indie darling Parker Posey came on to Parks and Rec to play Lindsay Carlisle Shay. The character was Leslie’s counterpart from Eagleton, meaning she was the Deputy Parks Director in Pawnee’s fancy rival town. The twist here was that Lindsay was actually Leslie’s friend and went behind her back a long time ago to take the job in Eagleton. 

Jason Schwartzman

Jason Schwartzman’s role in Parks and Rec presented an interesting issue for Pawnee when he decided to turn his video rental store into an adult store. Watching Leslie flounder as she figured out how to help the character played by the Asteroid City star was so funny, and the character of Dennis was perfect for Schwartzman.  

Honestly, the guest stars from Parks and Rec are next level. From comedy geniuses to beloved dramatic actors, so many notable names took a quick trip to Pawnee, Indiana and I love that for them, this wonderful show and us. 

2022’s Awards Season is officially over, with the final statues given out at the (controversial) Academy Awards. One of the most celebrated movies of the year was Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog, which got its wide release on Netflix. And now actor Sam Elliott has apologized to Benedict Cumberbatch and the gay community following his controversial (expletive-filled) statements about the drama.

Prior to the Oscars, A Star is Born actor Sam Elliott gave a scathing review of The Power of the Dog. Mainly he seemed to take umbrage with how the West was portrayed on screen, including queer characters like Benedict Cumberbatch’s antagonist. There was a ton of backlash and discourse online, especially over the suggestion that there aren’t LGBTQ+ folks in the West. Now Elliott has opened up about those infamous comments to Deadline. He opened up about offering his opinion on WTF with Marc Maron, saying:

And just like that, actor/podcast host Marc Maron will ever be “The WTF guy” in my mind. Sam Elliott was a guest on his massively popular podcast, but it looks like he might regret signing up to appear. That, and not properly articulating his feelings about The Power of the Dog. Luckily he got the opportunity to address those viral comments. Later in the same interview, Elliott went on to apologize to the queer community about his infamous The Power of the Dog comments. 

Some people definitely took umbrage with the insinuation that the movie’s queer story wasn’t accurate, while he cited “macho men” that he knew from the West. But Sam Elliott has addressed them head on, issuing what seems like a genuine apology. The 77 year-old actor also addressed Jane Campion and Benedict Cumberbatch directly, saying:

Well, there you have it. Sam Elliott might have been in the film world for decades, but he’s still able to look inward and reflect on how his words have power. Elliott is someone who is passionate about Westerns, but was able to see how filmmaker Jane Campion, Benedict Cumberbatch, and company were able to put their own spin on the iconic genre.

The Power of the Dog is streaming now on Netflix. Be sure to check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Hollywood is obviously full of drama, but honestly the western genre usually is pretty chill. Well, Sam Elliott changed that when he had some intense and profanity-laced words for Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog. Apparently he didn’t take kindly to the Netflix western, and now the director has responded by inviting him to the set of Doctor Strange for a shootout between herself, Elliott, and star Benedict Cumberbatch. While it sounds like a joke, she does have some seriously pointed words for the western genre vet.

When she spoke to Deadline at the DGA awards, Jane Campion touched on what Sam Elliott had to say about her new movie and shared some words of her own for the 1883 star. She suggests the on-screen cowboy meet her on set of Benedict Cumberbatch’s, who was the star of her Power of the Dog and also had his own response to Elliott’s call-out, Doctor Strange set and shoot it out with them. Here it is in her own words: 

Since Sam Elliott called her out saying she was unable to tell the American west’s experience because she was from New Zealand, Jane Campion seems to be alluding to the fact that he is just a cowboy on screen. Her “hair and makeup” comment may be a reminder that they are, in fact, in the same industry.

If her shootout comment was meant for a bit of humor, her next one goes in the total opposite direction. In the same interview, Jane Campion calls Sam Elliott’s comments misogynistic and homophobic, among other backward thinking terms. If that wasn’t enough, she calls one of America’s most well known on-screen cowboys a bitch. Take a look at what she says, exactly, for yourself:

She again reminds Sam Elliott that he just plays a cowboy on the big, and small, screen. It’s probably safe to say that Jane Campion didn’t take Elliott’s comments lying down, no matter what your feelings are on her film or on what Elliott had to say about it. 

Controversial and pointed words aside, there are a ton of great westerns available to stream right now. The Power of the Dog is also streaming now, and you can check it out with a Netflix subscription, along with a number of other great films on the streaming platform. If westerns aren’t your thing and you’re more into action in a multiverse kind of way, you can check out Benedict Cumberbatch in the Marvel’s Phase 4 most upcoming installment in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, coming to theaters on May 6th.

Benedict Cumberbatch’s The Power of the Dog is getting some serious praise, and is nominated for a ton of Oscars this year, including the Academy Award for Best Picture. Not everyone is feeling the movie, though, and after western genre vet Sam Elliot had some seriously impassioned and profanity-laced words about the film, Cumberbatch has responded with his own diplomatic words.

In an interview with BAFTA after being nominated for the award of best actor in a leading role, Benedict Cumberbatch “tries very hard” not to talk about the adverse reaction to The Power of the Dog. It seems as though he certainly has heard about the backlash to his movie, although he says he doesn't know the full context. This is what he says, exactly:

So, Benedict Cumberbatch is saying a lot without really saying much here. It’s clear he is talking about Sam Elliot’s intense reaction to Power of the Dog. Elliot dropped multiple F-Bombs over the film, saying that director Jane Campion doesn’t really have a place to speak on the American West’s experience when she is from New Zealand. 

In addition to having an issue with Jane Campion telling a story of the American West’s experience, he also took issue with allusions to homosexuality in the film. In the same interview, Benedict Cumberbatch responds to this reaction, saying that, just as with life, there is no one experience that encompasses a culture. Cumberbatch explains The Power of the Dog is not a history lesson, and is more about the inclusion of a type of masculinity that isn’t typically depicted in westerns. Here is what he says, exactly:

For the most part, Westerns certainly contain a certain type of trope of “manliness”, but the world is beginning to become more inclusive and more representative of the type of people who actually exist. Not all cowboys were represented by a 1960 Clint Eastwood. In fact, I’d be willing to guess that there were plenty of cowboys who would have seen parts of themselves in Benedict Cumberbatch’s representation.

Sam Elliot may have some serious qualms with The Power of the Dog, but it doesn’t sound like Benedict Cumberbatch even remotely agrees, and I‘m willing to bet that the family Cumberbatch’s movie training saved doesn’t have a problem with the film either. If you haven’t already, you can judge the film for yourself by streaming it with a Netflix subscription. 

You’ll also want to check out all the other Best Picture nominees if you’re a fan of the Oscars, because a winner will be announced later this month. As far as Sam Elliot is concerned, though, The Power of the Dog probably won’t be on his list of picks.

With the 2022 Oscars just a few weeks away, many cinephiles are catching up on this year’s Best Picture nominees, which includes Jane Campion’s The Power of the Dog. The Netflix release starring Benedict Cumberbatch led the Academy Award nominations for 2021’s finest films, with recognition in an incredible 12 categories, including Best Picture. However, Sam Elliott, who frequents the western genre, has shared why he thinks the movie is a “piece of shit.” 

Sam Elliott is currently the star of Paramount+’s 1883, which takes place in the American West. When the 77-year-old actor was asked if he caught up with The Power of the Dog on WTF with Marc Maron, he had some brutal words for the film. In Elliott’s words: 

While speaking to Marc Maron, Sam Elliott started by sharing that he’d seen a full page ad in the Los Angeles Times where the movie was being praised for being an “evisceration of the American myth.” As someone who has done “westerns forever” and had just been in Texas recently shooting 1883, he was not pleased with how writer/director Jane Campion depicted the genre and the west. As the Star Is Born actor continued: 

Elliott also compared the characters in The Power of the Dog to Chippendales, saying that the “fucking cowboys” in the film reminded him of the male striptease troupe. The actor spoke to catching on to the “allusions of homosexuality throughout the movie” as well, to which had Maron responding, saying “I think that’s what the movie is about.” 

The comments are inspiring fans to call out Sam Elliott about the history of westerns, including another queer focused film within the genre called Brokeback Mountain along with the popular “Spaghetti Westerns,” famously produced in Europe, also about the American west. As one Twitter user pointed out: 

You can form your own opinion on The Power of the Dog with a Netflix subscription. The movie was widely praised by critics and audiences alike. Along with the movie being up for Best Picture, Jane Campion was nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay. Benedict Cumberbatch is in the Best Actor race for his leading role along with Kirsten Dunst, Jesse Plemons and Kodi Smit-McPhee being recognized for their performances. The Power of the Dog is also competing in the Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing , Best Score and Best Sound categories when the 2022 Oscars air later this month. 

You can tune into the Oscars on March 27. We’ll keep you updated with the the Academy Awards here on CinemaBlend.  

Sam Elliott is an undisputed, mega-talented, and still relatively underrated icon of both the big and small screen. His role as Shea Brennan in the 1883 cast is only the latest example of why. 

If the 19th-century-set Yellowstone prequel series - which premiered on Paramount+ on Sunday, December 19 - is your introduction to the Academy Award nominee, you have quite a bit of catching up to do. Allow us to help you speed up the process with our following picks of the best Sam Elliott movies and TV shows, starting with another one of his many, many Western roles over the years.

Tombstone (Amazon Rental)

A lawman (Kurt Russell) seeking a nice, quiet place to retire thinks he has found it in a small Arizona town, until a gang of vicious outlaws stir up trouble that quickly turns personal, leading him to enlist the help of his friend and fellow gunfighter, Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: Just a year before Yellowstone cast lead Kevin Costner coincidentally released his own Wyatt Earp biopic, Sam Elliott starred as Virgil (brother of Kurt Russell’s Wyatt) in 1993’s Tombstone - a thrilling recreation of the events that led to the legendary shootout at the O.K. Corral in 1881.

Rent/Buy Tombstone on Amazon.

Road House (Showtime)

A martial arts expert (Patrick Swayze) is enlisted to become a bouncer at a roadside bar in rural Missouri and helps protect it from an unscrupulous businessman and his henchmen.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: In addition to his many traditional Westerns, a title that could be considered one of Sam Elliott’s best Neo-Western movies is the 1989 cult favorite, Road House, in which he plays the mentor to James Dalton - the role that made a certified badass out of the late, great Patrick Swayze.

Stream Road House on Showtime.
Rent/Buy Road House on Amazon.

The Ranch (Netflix)

A semi-professional football player (Ashton Kutcher) reunites with his dysfunctional family when he returns to help run their business in rural Colorado.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: A title that could be considered one of Sam Elliott’s best Neo-Western TV shows (geographically speaking, that is) is The Ranch - a hit, Emmy-winning, Netflix original sitcom that lasted from 2016 to 2020, and on which Sam Elliott played Ashton Kutcher’s no-nonsense father and the owner of the titular ranch.

Stream The Ranch on Netflix.

Prancer (Starz)

A young girl (Rebecca Harrell Tickell) tries to convince her widowed and financially struggling father (Sam Elliott) that the stray, injured reindeer she found is from the North Pole.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: One of the earlier times that Sam Elliott played a farmer was in the more family-friendly of his 1989 releases - Prancer, one of the more fun and underrated Christmas movies of its time that puts the spotlight on one of Santa’s other reindeer.

Stream Prancer on Starz.
Rent/Buy Prancer on Amazon.

Mask (Blu-ray/DVD Purchase)

A divorced mother (Cher), with help from her boyfriend (Sam Elliott), is determined to make sure her son (Eric Stoltz), a teenager with a rare bone disorder that causes facial deformities, has a normal and fulfilling life.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: Another ‘80s classic that is some parts heartwarming and heartbreaking, and stars Sam Elliott in a fatherly role, is Mask - director Peter Bogdonavich’s 1985 biopic about Roy “Rocky” Dennis and his struggles with craniodiaphyseal dysplasia up until his death.

Buy Mask on Blu-ray/DVD on Amazon.

A Star Is Born (HBO Max)

A rock star (Bradley Cooper) struggling with addiction gets a chance at redemption and love when he meets an aspiring singer-songwriter (Lady Gaga), whom he helps achieve her dream.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: Despite actually playing his half-brother and manager, Sam Elliott’s Academy Award-nominated role could be seen as a father figure to co-writer and director Bradley Cooper’s troubled character in A Star Is Born - the Oscar-winning, 2018 edition (and arguably best interpretation) of a tragic romance told three times before.

Stream A Star Is Born on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy A Star Is Born on Amazon.

MacGruber (Peacock)

A heavily decorated, but highly problematic and conceited, former special forces agent (Will Forte) is called out of retirement again and tasked with taking down a dangerous man from his past (Billy Zane) with the help of his trusted allies (Kristen Wiig and Ryan Philippe).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: One of the funnier and more recent instances of Sam Elliott in a fatherly role is when he appeared in the MacGruber cast as the father of Will Forte’s bumbling titular hero on the Peacock original series, spun-off from the cult favorite 2010 movie that was spun-off from the popular Saturday Night Live sketch.

Stream MacGruber on Peacock.

The Big Lebowski (Peacock)

A case of mistaken identity leads an aging pothead (Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges) and his Vietnam-obsessed bowling buddy (John Goodman) to become embroiled in an increasingly concerning situation involving ransom, murderous nihilists, and pee-stained rugs.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: Perhaps the funniest of Sam Elliott’s characters in what is even more likely his funniest movie, is the mysterious role of cowboy-hat-clad The Stranger, whose iconic voice also narrates 1998’s The Big Lebowski - Joel and Ethan Coen’s brilliant, cult classic hybrid of film noir movie tropes with stoner humor.

Stream The Big Lebowski on Peacock.
Rent/Buy The Big Lebowski on Amazon.

Thank You For Smoking (Amazon Prime)

A skilled, charismatic tobacco company lobbyist (Aaron Eckhart) struggles with balancing the moral complications of his profession with being a role model to his son (Cameron Bright).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: Another great dramedy featuring Sam Elliott in a small, but memorable, role is Thank You For Smoking - Jason Reitman’s dazzling 2005 adaptation of Christopher Buckley’s satirical novel in which Elliott plays the former “Marlboro Man.”

Stream Thank You For Smoking on Amazon Prime.
Rent/Buy Thank You For Smoking on Amazon.

Up In The Air (HBO Max)

A cynical corporate downsizing expert who lives in and out of airports all across the country (Academy Award winner George Clooney) begins to change his tune when he meets an alluring fellow frequent traveler (Vera Farmiga).

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: Sam Elliott would reunite with writer and director Jason Reitman in 2009 for Up in the Air - an inspiring tale of self-rediscovery based on Walter Kirn’s novel, in which Elliott briefly appears as an American Airlines pilot.

Stream Up In The Air on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Up In The Air on Amazon.

We Were Soldiers (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Paramount+, PlutoTV)

Soldiers of various ages endure heart wrenching hardships as their loved ones eagerly await and hope for their return, during the beginning of the United States military’s participation in the Vietnam War.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: In addition to Westerns, Sam Elliott is also known for starring in a few war epics, such as when he (sans his famous mustache) played Sgt. Maj. Basil Plumley 2002’s We Were Soldiers - a stirring, emotional depiction of the Vietnam War based on Lt. Col. Harold G. Moore’s memoir,  written for the screen and directed by Braveheart scribe Randall Wallace.

Stream We Were Soldiers on Netflix.
Stream We Were Soldiers on Amazon Prime.

Stream We Were Soldiers on Paramount+.
Stream We Were Soldiers on PlutoTV.

Rent/Buy We Were Soldiers on Amazon.

The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot (Hulu)

A former U.S. military assassin (Sam Elliott) who successfully completed a pivotal, top-secret operation during War World II is brought out of his reclusive retirement years later and tasked with taking out an entirely different and more monstrous enemy.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: A war epic starring Sam Elliott that is not to be taken quite as seriously as We Were Soldiers is the lengthily titled The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then the Bigfoot - an intriguing and surprisingly earnest revisionist history thriller released in 2018, in which Elliott goes full badass in the title role.

Stream The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot on Hulu.
Rent/Buy The Man Who Killed Hitler And Then The Bigfoot on Amazon.

The Hero (Amazon Prime)

Not getting the roles he used to anymore and diagnosed with a terminal illness, an actor (Sam Elliott) who rose to fame playing cowboys decades earlier begins to experience a sudden career resurgence as he tries to mend his broken relationship with his family.

Why it’s worth checking out if you like Sam Elliott: Sam Elliott gives a stunning performance as a character with a few glaring similarities to his career (but very few similarities to his own personal life) in 2017’s The Hero - a charming, heartfelt dramedy from co-writer and director Brett Haley.

Stream The Hero on Amazon Prime.
Rent/Buy The Hero on Amazon.

While these titles are certainly considered among his best, we just barely scratched the surface of Sam Elliott’s highlights, which also includes Marvel movies Hulk and Ghost Rider, a recurring role in the Parks and Recreation cast as who Ron Swanson would be as a “hippie,” or the many times he has lent his golden voice to animated projects like Barnyard or Family Guy. 

Following his turn on 1883, Elliott’s voice will also be featured in an upcoming, star-studded documentary about the Gettysburg Address as Abraham Lincoln’s bodyguard, Ward Hill Lamon.

Few TV casting decisions will ever make as much sense as Sam Elliott being added into the Yellowstone universe for Paramount+’s prequel drama 1883, with real-life couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill portraying the ranch-founding generation of the Dutton family. The show, which takes place in and around the titular year, is a hard-nosed look at how one person’s idea of the American Dream can be a total nightmare for everyone in his or her path. And while the streaming spinoff wouldn’t exist without Kevin Costner’s Yellowstone as a flashback-introducing foundation, Sam Elliott doesn’t think 1883 necessarily needs that recognition to stand on its own two successful feet. With boots on those feet, a’course.

Ahead of 1883’s big debut spread across both Paramount+ and Paramount Network, Sam Elliott spoke with CinemaBlend and other press about bringing his character Shea Brennan into existence, and what fans can expect to see from the massive cross-country journey he’s leading. When I asked him about being part of a dream team working with Taylor Sheridan, and how the experience has been for the legendary actor, Elliott said:

Sam Elliott definitely wasn’t dropping any disparaging comments about Yellowstone in and of itself, to be sure. Rather, the mustachioed actor was merely speaking to the idea that 1883 can be fully enjoyed as its own thing, completely independent of the mothership series, and that the connective narrative tissue isn’t necessary for this harrowing tale to be effective for audiences. The new series features a gripping story, attention-grabbing characters, gorgeous locations, and wild-west action. It’s essentially all the things people like about Yellowstone, but change a few names and might as well be a completely different franchise.

Of course, that would require someone else being responsible for 1883’s creation beyond Taylor Sheridan, and that just doesn’t seem possible. (Not only because Elliott has that opinion, but it certainly adds credence to the idea.) After all, who else but Sheridan would appear on Yellowstone referencing Sam Elliott’s Road House work in the same year when the latter actor would play a character partially responsible for the Yellowstone ranch being founded in Montana? Who else will have a TV show that features a scene with Tim McGraw and Tom Hanks? Nobody, probably.
Even beyond all of his compliments about Sheridan’s creativity and impact as the spearheader of 1883, Sam Elliott had more kind things to say about the showrunner, even about his work off the set. In his words:

After watching a few episodes of 1883, one can understand what Taylor Sheridan meant, as Elliott’s character Brennan is haunted by family tragedies and is subject to fits of rage regarding frontier justice. Beyond the emotional turmoil, the role is also quite physically demanding for the 77-year-old actor, who still looks more fit, skilled, and comfortable riding horses than I ever would. Now we’ll just have to wait and see if there’s a third brutal element coming for Sam Elliott, like his character has a flashback where he has to pour a bunch of ants into his eyeballs or something. Would that be enough to make someone hate Sheridan?

1883 streams new episodes on Paramount+ every Sunday, with Episode 2 set to air on linear TV on December 26, following a new episode of Yellowstone, but maybe just pretend that connection doesn’t even exist while watching. 

I always found it funny how MacGruber - a Saturday Night Live character favorite played by Will Forte - got his own theatrically released movie in 2010 and the character he parodies, MacGyver (played by Richard Dean Anderson on the original series and Lucas Till on the CBS reboot), only had a few spin-off TV specials to his name. 

Now, the bumbling special operative is also getting a TV series of his own - premiering exclusively on Peacock, on Thursday, December 16, 2021. In addition to some familiar faces, there are a surprising amount of Hollywood heavies joining the MacGruber cast, but let’s start with our returning lead.

Will Forte (MacGruber)

The character of MacGruber is the brainchild of The Lonely Island’s Jorma Taccone, but was brought to life on SNL by Will Forte. The comedian would leave the sketch comedy series after eight years, in 2010, and create and star on his own post-apocalyptic sitcom, The Last Man on Earth, starting in 2015. 

He has also leant his talents to movies, like the 2013 Oscar nominated drama Nebraska and the coming-of age comedy Booksmart in 2019, and leant his voice to movies like Scoob! (as Shaggy) or Netflix’s America: The Motion Picture cast as Abraham Lincoln. After the MacGruber series, Forte will share the screen with Grammy-winning rock band Foo Fighters in Studio 666 - a horror-comedy coming out February 2022.

Kristen Wiig (Vicki St. Elmo)

As MacGruber’s long-time friend and partner, Vicki St. Elmo (who also originated on SNL and was reprised in the 2010 movie), is Kristen Wiig. She would quickly evolve into one of the biggest names in comedy, especially after leading the Bridesmaids cast and writing its Oscar-nominated screenplay with her Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar co-star, Annie Mumolo. 

Of course, after making her superhero movies debut in 2020 as Cheetah - one of the main villains of Wonder Woman 1984 - I think we can safely call her one of the biggest names in any genre these days. Wiig also has done a few voice acting roles recently, (including leading Fox’s Bless the Harts cast) and starred in Netflix’s epic holiday fantasy A Boy Called Christmas in 2021.

Ryan Phillippe (Lt. Dixon Piper)

Reprising his role from the MacGruber movie as Lt. Dixon Piper is one-time SNL host Ryan Phillippe. After debuting on One Life to Live, movies like teen slasher I Know What You Did Last Summer and the teen drama, Cruel Intentions, made him a movie star in the late 1990s. 

After starring in more acclaimed hits in the 2000s, like the Best Picture Oscar winner Crash or Clint Eastwood’s Flags of Our Fathers, he would redefine himself as TV star once more by assuming Mark Wahlberg’s role in USA’s series remake of Shooter and landing a recurring role on ABC’s hit crime drama, Big Sky. However, Phillippe still appears in films, such as the 2021 military thriller, One Shot, most recently.

Billy Zane (Enos Queeth)

As MacGruber’s arch nemesis, Enos Queeth, we have Billy Zane. This actor is no stranger to villainy, with his debut role in the Back to the Future cast as one of Biff’s goons, and playing Cal Hockley in the 1998 Best Picture Oscar winner, Titanic, just to name a few.

He also has a few comic book adaptations under his belt, as the lead of the 1996 film, The Phantom, and as himself in a fun cameo with The Boys cast for Amazon Prime. He will soon share the screen with several iconic horror movie actors in the thriller, Hellblazers, and is producing a Marlon Brando biopic called Waltzing with Brando in which he will play the iconic actor.

Sam Elliott (Perry)

An old MacGruber sketch starring Richard Dean Anderson revealed that MacGyver was MacGruber’s father. However, that has apparently been retconned for the new show, with Sam Elliott as his estranged old man, Perry. 

In addition to a couple of Marvel movies (Hulk in 2003 and 2007’s Ghost Rider) the Academy Award nominee (for 2018’s A Star is Born) is known for starring in countless westerns - including 1993’s Tombstone and the FX series Justified - but, arguably, his best-known cowboy hat-clad character is The Stranger from The Big Lebowski in 1998. He recently put on another cowboy hat when joining the 1883 cast as Shea Brennan for the 19th century Yellowstone prequel.

Laurence Fishburne (General Barrett Fasoose)

Another MacGruber cast member with a powerful voice and an Oscar nomination (for What’s Love Got to Do with It) is Gen. Barrett Fasoose actor Laurence Fishburne. Like Sam Elliott, he has done his fair share of superhero movies (he played Perry White in the DCEU) and has played a cowboy (Cowboy Curtis on Pee-wee’s Playhouse) to great acclaim. 

In addition to grounded, powerful dramas like Boyz n the Hood and various TV shows (he plays Pops on Black-ish, for instance), his most notable claim to fame is playing Morpheus in the original Matrix movies. While Yahya Abdul-Mateen II took over that role for The Matrix Resurrections, Fishburne will soon reunite with Keanu Reeves when he reprises the Bowery King in John Wick: Chapter 4. 

Timothy V. Murray (Constantine Bach)

Reprising his role from the MacGruber movie as Constantine Bach is Timothy V. Murray, who typically appears in titles that the MacGruber series pokes fun at, like 24, Criminal Minds, Sons of Anarchy, or True Detective. He once played one of Ed Harris’ henchmen in 2007’s National Treasure: Book of Secrets before reuniting with the actor for the western Appaloosa in 2008, and then working with Disney again for its remake of The Lone Ranger in 2013. He, more recently, had recurring roles on the hit dramas Snowpiercer and S.W.A.T.

Joseph Lee Anderson (Major Harold Kernst)

As Major Harold Kernst, we have Joseph Lee Anderson, who is also known for a recurring role on S.W.A.T., among plenty of other crime procedurals. A good chunk of his career is historical dramas, such as American Soul (based on the life of Soul Train creator Don Cornelius), Showtime’s I’m Dying Up Here (on which he appeared as Muhammed Ali), and the Oscar nominated Harriet (in which he played Harriet Tubman’s brother, Robert Ross). However, his biggest claim to fame in the category of playing real-life people is his role as Dwayne Johnson’s father, Rocky, on the NBC series, Young Rock.

Previously, Sin City cast member and Oscar nominee Mickey Rourke was cast as Billy Zane's villainous character. As cool as it is to see the Titanic star play a bad guy again, I would have been very curious to see Rourke in such a role. We shall see how Zane and the rest of the MacGruber cast handle their characters when the series premieres on Peacock.

While Yellowstone fans are currently waiting to see what the future holds for John Dutton and his clan of law-skirting ranchers and family members, Paramount+ is gearing up to spotlight the epically scaled origin story of the Y rach, with country music icons Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as the 1883 prequel's headlining ancestors. While we've seen a largely dialogue-free promo for the new show previously, the video above is the first full-length trailer for Taylor Sheridan's latest TV creation, so check it out!

Already, 1883 promised to be a series primed and ready for a cameo from Yosemite Sam, and that point of view definitely wasn't upended by the full trailer, in which Sam Elliott, Tim McGraw, Billy Bob Thornton and more could all be live-action representations of the varmint-chasing cowboy. Not that anything about the Dutton family's history seems ripe for Looney Tunes, but it's definitely a mood-vibe, as seen in the image below. (Which also features co-stars LaMonica Garrett of Arrowverse fame, and Marc Rissmann of The Last Kingdom.)

While fans might think that McGraw's James and Faith Hill's Margaret Dutton would be the core characters within 1883, it looks like Isabel May's Elsa will be just as big a part of the storyline as anyone. The way the trailer lays things out, it's not immediately clear if she's setting out on the trip with them from the start, or if she meets up with James along the way. However it goes, it looks like she's going to be in the thick of the violence, though how much will she influence it? That remains to be seen. But you know if she's questioning why James is brandishing a gun, that weapon is going to be integral to some mayhem later on.

There's a brief peek at John Dutton Sr., as portrayed in his youth by Audie Rick, but I'm not sure how heavily he'll play into the story in the earliest days of the Duttons' journey. Clearly he'll go on to grow up and sire some of the family members in Yellowstone proper, so we probably don't need to worry about him getting caught up in one of these gunfights, or getting stomped on by horses. Although considering what Kevin Costner's John has gone through in his four seasons, anything is possible if there's pain involved. 

It's not quite clear what guest star Billy Bob Thornton's character is up to, beyond being a deadly sharpshooter, nor why he seemingly teams up with Sam Elliott's Shea Brennan and his sidekick-of-sorts Thomas in the middle of town with James Dutton. But I'd definitely rather have him on the protagonists' side than the opposite end of things. Though the actor's temporary involvement may not bode well for the character's fate.

For those who haven't been watching Yellowstone Season 4, the first handful of episodes containted both direct and indirect connections to 1883. In the premiere episode, a flashback took viewers to 1893, ten years after the prequel is set, with McGraw's James Dutton shown to be making an agreement with a group of natives. Given how hectic such interpersonal relationships seemed to be in the trailer above, one can assume a modicum of peace was put into place at some point in the intervening years. As far as indirect references go, Taylor Sheridan's hilarious horse trainer Travis directly wished to be Sam Elliott in his Road House days, albeit with Patrick Swayze's hair. 

Find out how it will all go down — or how it already went down — when 1883 debuts on Paramount+ on Sunday, December 19, with the first two episodes also being simulcast linearly on Paramount Network following new episodes of Yellowstone. I can't wait to see how the latter's formerly recurring actor Martin Sensmeier will pop up in the prequel in a presumably unconnected manner.

Mild spoilers below for the fourth episode of Yellowstone Season 4, so tread carefully if you haven't yet watched.

Anytime Taylor Sheridan makes an appearance on Yellowstone as horse trader Travis Wheatley, you know it's going to be a damned good time. After dropping some of the best lines of the season so far in multiple episodes, Travis delivered quite a few more whoppers in Episode 4 as he and Jimmy bonded somewhat during their trip to the 6666 Ranch in Texas to help set up the impending 6666 spinoff with Jefferson White starring. During one scene, Sheridan also tipped his hat to the upcoming prequel spinoff 1883 in a fun way.

After Travis makes it abundantly clear why Jimmy will never be allowed to drive that particular pickup truck on that particular drive, the horse-riding maestro drops a memorable quote from the somewhat influential movie Road House, and goes on to call it the best movie of all time. (Jimmy’s probably lucky Travis didn’t make him feel even worse for not immediately recognizing it.) And while that already might have been enough to spark fourth-wall conversations, Travis flat-out name-checks Sam Elliott:

So, even though 1883 hasn’t yet premiered on Paramount+ and Paramount Network, and thus hasn’t yet canonically established Sam Elliott’s rootin’est-tootin’est cowboy Shea Brennan into the Yellowstone-verse, we are living in a world where Elliott will exist on two different planes. He is a legendary actor to Travis and others, much like he is in our world, and he will also be portraying the person responsible for getting John Dutton’s ancestors to the Montana land that would become the family’s expansive ranch.

Yellowstone wrapped up most of its filming in late 2020, long before the 1883 prequel announced that Sam Elliott was cast alongside Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. However, part of the reported reasons why Season 4 took so long to debut on Paramount Network had to do with additional scenes being shot. So at this point, it’s unclear whether or not Taylor Sheridan was already aware of Elliott’s prequel involvement at the time when that scene was filmed. 

But I think I’d prefer the idea that Sheridan definitely knew about Elliott serving such a pivotal role for the Dutton family so long ago when he talked about Road House and made everyone think of the iconic actor rocking Patrick Swayze’s mullet. That makes things more interesting in the long run, because now I want one of these two ideas to happen:

• John Dutton pulls out some old family photo albums and comes across some portrait featuring James and Margaret Dutton along with Shea Brennan, and Travis walks by and notices it, and then everyone starts talking about how much Brennan looks like Sam Elliott, complete with The Big Lebowski references. 
• It's revealed that there's a time machine somewhere on the Yellowstone ranch, and someone goes back in time and gets James and Margaret Dutton to watch Road House, and they call in Brennan and his mind is, like, totally blown. By the time travel. But then also by seeing a man that looks exactly like he does.

Whether or not that ever happens, we’ll just have to wait and see. But be sure to check out Yellowstone every Sunday night on Paramount Network at 8:00 p.m. ET, and tune into the 1883 premiere when it debuts as a simulcast across both Paramount Network and Paramount+ on Sunday, December 19. 

 After the relatively instant and consistent success of Paramount Network’s marquee drama series Yellowstone, ViacomCBS surprised no one (but pleased many) by renewing its partnership with co-creator Taylor Sheridan, who is in the process of expanding the fictional universe with the prequel 1883, among other projects. Led by Kevin Costner, Yellowstone’s mothership ensemble cast is as stacked with talent as it gets, so fans can definitely expect for its first spinoff to carry suit in that department when it hits the Paramount+ streaming service in December.

Below, we’re keeping an updated list of all the major cast members that have been announced for Yellowstone’s origin story (of sorts) 1883, with a pair of Grammy-winning country music artists in the lead roles. As well, any character information that has been revealed will be included, so let’s dive into this look back into the Dutton family’s past for their all-important and big-budgeted trip across America. 

 Sam Elliott (Shea Brennan) 

 A Hollywood legend by any stretch of the word, Sam Elliott has an abundance of noteworthy roles across his stellar career, from The Big Lebowski’s The Stranger to his Oscar-nominated turn in 2018’s A Star Is Born. But he’s also long been familiar with TV work as well, having starred in the original Mission: Impossible series, with more recent memorable roles in Justified and The Ranch, among others. Amusingly enough, he’ll be complementing his work on 1883 with a role opposite Will Forte in the MacGruber TV series.

Sam Elliott will be integral to the Yellowstone prequel in the role of Shea Brennan, a brick-tough cowboy who doesn’t take shit from anyone, especially when the stakes are high, as it goes during a wagon-train trek from Texas to Montana. Shea will be the guide for that group, which includes the Dutton family ancestors mentioned lower, but viewers can also expect to see the character suffering intense sadness due to an unknown incident in his past.

Tim McGraw (James Dutton)

Though the Louisiana-born Tim McGraw may be best known for his country hits coming out of Nashville, he has also developed something of a steady acting career as the years have gone by, with some of his most notable roles coming in films such as Friday Night Lights and The Blind Side. 2017’s The Shack was McGraw’s most recent acting role prior to being cast in 1883, but there’s a good chance his debut as a TV lead will eclipse everything else he’s accomplished in the fictional realm. 

For 1883, Tim McGraw will take on some hefty familial baggage in portraying James Dutton, the great-grandfather of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton. Details are light at this point when it comes to James’ personality and, well, everything else, but McGraw himself has taken to sharing social media posts with set details that fans can glean info from. For instance, it looks like James might be something of a gunfighter.

Faith Hill (Margaret Dutton)

While not quite as established an actor as her husband Tim McGraw, Faith Hill has taken on a handful of fictional roles in her music-heavy career, most notably for The Stepford Wives remake and 2017’s Dixieland. She’s no stranger to unscripted projects, either, having been a judge for CBS’ talent competition The World’s Best and also serving as a storytelling source for the 2019 documentary Bluebird.

Within the world of 1883, we know that Faith Hill will portray Margaret Dutton, wife of James and great-grandmother of John Dutton. Unfortunately, we don’t even have very many social media posts to theorize about when it comes to Margaret’s character or her motivations. One can only assume, however, that anyone whose lineage leads to Kelly Reilly’s Beth Dutton has fire and brimstone running through her veins.  

Isabel May (Elsa Dutton)

20-year-old Isabel May’s acting career only goes back a few years, but when one of those roles is a recurring gig on CBS’ Big Bang Theory prequel Young Sheldon and another is a lead role in Netflix’s Alexa & Katie (she played Katie), it’s clear she’s destined to hit success rather quickly. And that should be helped along by upcoming roles in feature comedies I Want You Back and The Moon & Back. 

What’s a family story without some children in that family, amirite? Isabel May will take on the role of Elsa Dutton, the eldest daughter within that traveling Dutton clan at the heart of 1883. It can be assumed that she’ll serve as John Dutton’s grandmother, though that could technically be disproven if other casting announcements reveal Elsa has a sister. 

LaMonica Garrett (Thomas) 

For superhero TV fans, LaMonica Garrett is no doubt best known for helping break open the Arrowverse’s multiverse on The CW as The Monitor and The Anti-Monitor. He’s also known for trying to keep people safe in other TV shows such as Designated Survivor and The Last Ship. 2021 has been a solid year for Garrette, also, as he’s popped up across OWN’s Delilah, NBC’s Brooklyn Nine-Nine for its final season, and Fox’s Fantasy Island. He also landed a recurring role opposite Chris Pratt in Amazon’s upcoming action drama The Terminal List based on the novel from Jack Carr.

Expect to see another leadership-geared performance from LaMonica Garrett in 1883 as Thomas, who is both a Pinkerton agent on the grand scale, and a right-hand man to Sam Elliott’s Shea Brennan on a small scale. It should be interesting to see how the racial politics play out for his role, given the time frame and the character’s multiple points of authority. 

Billy Bob Thornton (Jim Courtright)

The Oscar-winning Billy Bob Thornton is largely known for his extensive film career, which is highlighted by hits such as Sling Blade, Armageddon, Bad Santa and many more. He even co-starred with Tim McGraw in Friday Night Lights. That said, Thornton dove into TV in a big way in 2014 with a starring role in Fargo’s first season and a guest-starring role in The Big Bang Theory, and that success led to his starring role as Billy McBride in David E. Kelley’s Amazon legal drama Goliath. 

Billy Bob Thornton won’t be around 1883 for the long haul, I’m sorry to say, as he’ll be showing up in a guest-starring capacity for the role of Marshal Jim Courtright. That’s about all the info there is for the role, so it’s not entirely clear if Courtright is located in Texas or elsewhere, nor how long audiences can expect to see him. Though I guess if the prequel series is meant to cross most of the country in order to get to their eventual family ranch in Montana, there isn’t much time for the characters to stick around and meet new people.

With Yellowstone Season 4 hitting Paramount Network on November 7, 1883 is set to expand the western horizons on Sunday, December 19, when it debuts on Paramount+, though the first episode will also be simulcast on the linear network. Be sure to check out everything hitting the small screen between now and then with our 2021 Fall TV schedule. 

After many months of radio silence from the Yellowstone franchise, fans have enjoyed a relative deluge of information in recent weeks, peaking with the premiere dates finally being revealed for both Season 4 and the 1883 prequel spinoff. Personally, I'm still celebrating the news that country superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill were cast to portray the Dutton family ancestors James and Margaret, with the legendary Sam Elliott rounding out the early casting. And while it'll probably be a couple of months before fans get any episodic footage, McGraw is already offering up some gold nuggets behind the scenes.

Considering the 1883 series may very well incorporate some gold-rush storytelling into its narrative, perhaps it's more appropriate to specifically say that Tim McGraw shared some dirty denim and brown leather nuggets on Twitter as he prepares to walk a mile (or many, many miles) in James Dutton's boots.

Let's first focus on the most exciting element here, at least for me: James Dutton is apparently going to be something of a gunslinger who isn't a slouch when it comes to quick-draw duels and the like. Which would seemingly imply that the Yellowstone prequel will indeed showcase more traditional elements from the Western genre that the modern-day mothership series can't revel in, such as revolver-heavy gunfights down dusty main drags. While we're at it, I'm also 100% down to see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill showing off their vocal skills opposite a saloon's player-piano, and I can't imagine Kevin Costner would reverse his prior well wishes if that were the case.

In a sense, Yellowstone's 1883 prequel sounds a little like a live-action version of The Oregon Trail, just with Montana as an end goal, and presumably without everybody catching dysentery on the reg. And now we can go forward with the assumption that John Dutton's great-grandfather knew his way around a pistol. Or, at least, that he'll know his way around a pistol by the time filming is happening, since Tim McGraw's pants don't exactly imply that he would have come away unscathed.

Then, beyond the tattered jeans, Tim McGraw also shared what appears to be a journal or datebook, possibly both. So that would likely imply that James Dutton is well-educated and organized. Depending on what's written in there, he might also have a creative streak, but considering how non-whimsical the Dutton offspring are in Yellowstone, James is probably more of a "facts" person than a short-story scribe.

While this obviously isn't a whole lot to go on, it's definitely more than fans had to think about last week or any of the weeks before, so I'm pumped. It's rather surprising that the show is still in the early phases of the production, yet Paramount+ already revealed the first season's premiere date will be in December, when the show will debut across both the streaming service and on Paramount Network to give the largest number of viewers a chance to tune in, with later episodes debuting exclusively on Paramount+. (The same approach is being used for Taylor Sheridan's other new drama, the Jeremy Renner-starring Mayor of Kingstown.)

1883 will expand the Yellowstone universe when it premieres on Sunday, December 19. Be sure to check out all the 2021 Fall TV shows popping up on the small screen before then, too.

While Yellowstone fans have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Season 4, which is debuting later in the year than each of the previous seasons. On top of that anticipation, hype for the upcoming prequel spinoff 1883 can now quickly start to build up, as Paramount+ has revealed the very first cast members who will be telling the history of the Dutton family and ranch. Fans can look forward to seeing Hollywood legend Sam Elliott - one of the smartest casting choices possible in a franchise that already has Kevin Costner involved - as well as country music superstars Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

While it would be too perfect if Sam Elliott was an ancestor within the Dutton family, he will actually portray the assuredly rugged cowboy Shea Brennan. Within 1883's storyline of Western expansion across this great land, Shea will be responsible for leading a group of settlers on a harsh journey across the heartland of the United States as they travel from Texas to Montana. And it sounds like his good looks and confident stride will be matched by an inability to put up with other people's shit. Wait, are we SURE he isn't a Dutton?

Sam Elliott praised Yellowstone co-creator Taylor Sheridan as "a brilliant writer" and talked about their shared connection to the western genre, saying he's "honored" to be part of 1883. He also says the new series will feature each of the classic struggles that man tends to face in stories like these. So don't expect this show to look like a game of The Oregon Trail.

Shea's group will include Tim McGraw and Faith Hill as James and Margaret Dutton, the earliest members of this hard-fighting family that Yellowstone fans will be introduced to, at least so far. (Additional casting will be announced as deals are confirmed, of course.) While Paramount+'s announcement doesn't describe McGraw and Hill as anything but the "patriarch and matriarch" of the Dutton family, McGraw's statement gives us a hint of a glimmer of what to expect.

Meanwhile, Faith Hill called Margaret Dutton a "strong" female character, but that was kind of a no-brainer, considering any family lineage that led to Kelly Reilly's Beth Dutton has to be full of strong females. Considering Kevin Costner's band released an album last year that's inspired by Yellowstone and John Dutton, I think it's also a no-brainer to expect Hill and her hubby to produce some of the music for 1883.

While he was predominantly known for movies across a bulk of his career, Sam Elliott has become quite comfortable on television as well. (Where are my Justified fans at?) In recent years, he most notably headed up Netflix's sitcom The Ranch, and beyond taking over as the Quahog mayor on Family Guy in the wake of Adam West's death, Elliott will soon be a thorn in Will Forte's paw as the villain of the upcoming MacGruber TV series.

Outside of the massive financial success and awards acclaim that Tim McGraw and Faith Hill have earned with their respective music careers, they definitely don't have the same prolific acting streak that Sam Elliott has. That said, McGraw has turned out some surprisingly solid performances in films such as Friday Night Lights, The Blind Side, and The Shack, and the same goes for Hill, albeit in fewer projects. Still, this will definitely be the couple's biggest acting roles to date, so the pressure is on!

Yellowstone's prequel 1883 doesn't yet have a premiere date lined up on Paramount+, as it's obviously still in the casting stages, but fans can probably expect to see it debut in 2022. In the meantime, be sure to keep track of everything premiering soon with our 2021 Fall TV schedule, and stay tuned for more info about the current-day spinoff 6666.

During his time on SNL and beyond, Will Forte evolved his MacGruber character from a one-note MacGyver parody into a spinoff machine that somehow hasn't ever overstayed its welcome. The true test is coming via the in-development TV adaptation for NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service, and the producers just boosted the new series' credibility by casting a stellar trio of actors, with MCU and Sin City vet Mickey Rourke tapped to play MacGruber's new arch nemesis.

Let's break down each of these MacGruber casting additions and see what fans can expect from the new stars joining the previously revealed Will Forte, Kristen Wiig and Ryan Phillippe.

Mickey Rourke - Brigadier Commander Enos Queeth

One of 2020's strangest TV moments involved Mickey Rourke's voluntary Masked Singer unmasking, and I can almost already guarantee that he'll be at the center of more baffling small screen moments on MacGruber. In the action comedy romp, Rourke will take on the role of Enos Queeth, one of MacGruber's most notorious enemies. Though Queeth was long believed to be dead, he reemerged in the world with a deadly plot to bring the Earth to its knees, all while declaring revenge on MacGruber himself.

The foibles of Iron Man 2 aside, Mickey Rourke has long proven himself to be an intimidating presence on screen, and he's usually best either when playing things completely straight, as it went with The Wrestler, or when he's in full self-aware mode, as it went with The Expendables. Can't wait to see what kind of madness he brings to the role of Enos Queeth.

Sam Elliott - Perry

Having cemented his streaming TV star power on Netflix's Grace and Frankie and The Ranch, the legendary Sam Elliott is heading to a far zanier comedy by taking on a fatherly role in MacGruber. That's right, Will Forte's bumbling hero was somehow sired by Elliott's character Perry. Though the two characters are no longer as close as they once were, Perry is a guiding beacon in MacGruber's life, and it sounds like he'll serve as a pillar of inspirational advice as his son attempts to save the world. No pressure, no pressure.

I love the idea of giving the manic MacGruber a classic westernly parental figure in Sam Elliott. His Southern drawl is instantly recognizable, from truck commercials to The Big Lebowski to Family Guy, so I'm guessing everyone will be hanging onto every word he says in the TV show.

Laurence Fishburne - General Barrett Fasoose

This excellent casting update is rounded out by the addition of black-ish star Laurence Fishburne, who will bring his comedy-friendly professional demeanor to MacGruber in a big way. Not only is Fishburne's Barrett Fasoose a highly decorated general who has earned the respect of the entire U.S. military, but he's also the current husband of MacGruber's ex-wife Vicki St. Elmo, as played by Kristen Wiig. Expect some ludicrous sparks to fly between Fasoose and MacGruber over just about everything.

Laurence Fishburne has played the upper-patriarch on the ABC comedy black-ish for seven seasons now, and with Season 8 having already been announced as the show's final one, it's awesome that the actor has already landed a follow-up comedy to dive into in the meantime. (We're also still pumped to hear him in the upcoming Marvel series Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur.)

The eight-episode initial season of MacGruber will debut on Peacock at some point later in 2021 or in early 2022, depending on how complicated the filming gets. While waiting to hear more updates, be sure to keep up with everything coming to TV soon with our 2021 Summer TV schedule.

Family Guy lost a beloved character with the death of Adam West, who played a fictionalized version of himself as mayor of Quahog from very early in the long-running series. The show chose to kill off Mayor Adam West rather than recast the role, and Family Guy has been without a mayor for quite a while. Now, a new mayor is coming to town in Season 19, and Adam West's replacement is definitely A+. Prepare for veteran cowboy actor Sam Elliott on Family Guy!

Sam Elliott, who received an Oscar nomination for his role in A Star is Born, is likely best known for playing cowboys in a variety of projects over the years, including Tombstone, The Big Lebowski, and Netflix's The Ranch. His character in Family Guy will hail from the West, and he won't be playing a fictionalized version of himself like Adam West did. Elliott's new character will have what could be the perfect name: Wild Wild West.

Yes, the new mayor will be none other than the dearly departed Mayor Adam West's cousin, whose first and middle names are both "Wild." The new member of the West family comes east to Quahog in Family Guy when Peter Griffin decides that Quahog needs a fun celebrity figure to hold the office of the mayor, and the crop of candidates just wasn't working. Enter: Wild Wild West! Family Guy executive producer Richard Appel explained the process of landing Sam Elliott for the new mayor of Quahog, telling EW:

Sam Elliott didn't want to join Family Guy right off the bat because he didn't want to play a version of himself, while that is obviously what Adam West did during his years on the show. The character wasn't named "Adam West" for nothing! All it took was for the Family Guy team to tweak the character from a fictionalized version of Elliott to an in-universe celebrity named Wild Wild West, and Elliott was on board.

That's not to say that Wild Wild West won't be recognizable as Sam Elliott, and not just because of his unforgettable voice. A first look at Wild Wild West on Family Guy proves that the new mayor character will have more than a few similarities to the voice actor. Take a look!

Hello, Sam Elliot! It should definitely be interesting to see how far the similarities between the real-life Elliott and Family Guy's Wild Wild West go when he makes his debut as the new mayor. Family Guy returns for Season 19 on Sunday, September 27 at 9:30 p.m. ET on Fox, following the premieres of The Simpsons, Bless the Harts, and Bob's Burgers. Sam Elliott's first episode as Wild Wild West will air in November.

Family Guy stands as one of the relatively few major network shows that will return to the airwaves on schedule in the 2020-2021 TV season, but there will still be plenty of options. Be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere guide for what to watch and when to tune in.

As the director of A Star Is Born, there are a ton of things that would have been scary for Bradley Cooper. It was a version of a story that had already been told three times, it was his directorial debut, and he had to sing alongside Lady Gaga. While these things were likely daunting, what scared Cooper most about doing the movie was making sure that he got his voice right as Jackson Maine.

Bradley Cooper's character Jackson Maine is a country rocker in A Star Is Born, so Cooper needed to do some voice work to be believable in the role. Plus, Sam Elliott plays his brother, so he had to have a similar accent. Cooper ended up lowering his voice by a whole octave, and while it sounds great in the movie, there was a time when Cooper was getting really worried about it.

Bradley Cooper told Stephen Colbert on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert that the voice is what terrified him the most about doing the movie. The process of getting his voice just right was difficult, and Cooper could initially only do it by contorting his body. On top of that, he had to copy Sam Elliott's accent, which on top of being an iconic voice, is influenced by two different parts of the country. Thankfully, Cooper was able to get it to the point where even Elliott got freaked out by how good it sounded.

However, don't expect to hear it again soon. Bradley Cooper also told Stephen Colbert that he was retiring the voice and he wasn't even sure that he could do it anymore. When he eventually takes the stage to sing at the Oscars, it'll be as Bradley Cooper.

If you'd like to check out the full interview on The Late Show, be sure to watch the video below!

A Star Is Born is out on Digital so you can enjoy the film anytime you like. The Oscar-nominated movie arrived on Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray on February 19. Watch Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga perform "Shallow" -- and compete for several awards -- during the 2019 Oscars on Sunday, February 24 on ABC.

Following its $420 million+ worldwide box office earnings and whopping eight Oscars nominations, A Star is Born has a lot to celebrate. The film has become one of the buzziest films of awards season, largely thanks to the talent of Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga and Sam Elliott’s work on the musical drama. Amidst the starry-eyed success, Elliott was surrounded by devastation. In his words:

Wow, that’s intense! In his interview with Entertainment Weekly, Sam Elliott spoke out about how the Woolsey Fire that swept across Southern California’s Malibu in November affected his and his wife Katharine Ross’ home, which was almost destroyed. It’s crazy to imagine promoting a glitzy film such as A Star is Born while dealing with the emotional tragedy that brushed through his neck of the woods. It certainly couldn’t have been easy.

Sam Elliott said while much of Malibu is covered in green now, a lot was lost in the Woolsey Fire and it’s going to be a long time before it goes back to how it was. Thousands of homes were burned during the wildfire, including the homes of Gerard Butler, Miley Cyrus and Neil Young, along with The Bachelor mansion from the ABC show and sets used for HBO’s Westworld.

As Malibu begins to pick up its feet, Sam Elliott can celebrate his first Oscar nomination ever for Best Supporting Actor, among the many nominations the Bradley Cooper film has received nods for, including for Best Picture and Best Original Song for “Shallow." The actor has been performing for 50 years and known best for his roles in Road House, Tombstone and The Hero, to name a few.

The actor was particularly a highlight in A Star is Born as Jackson Maine’s older brother and manager, who says the film’s most memorable lines about “12 notes” (if you know, you know). In terms of the Oscar’s race, Elliott shares the category with Green Book’s Mahershala Ali, who has overwhelmingly been the favorite during award season.

Sean Penn recently penned an essay about his disappointment how he thinks A Star is Born isn’t being recognized enough as other nominees such as Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book have been elevated in conversation. The film has already reached and touched so many and Sam Elliott’s honest story about promoting the film through the Woolsey Fire is incredible.

To play aging rocker Jackson Maine in A Star is Born, Bradley Cooper lowered his voice a full octave, emulating the iconic growl of the man who would play his brother in the film, actor Sam Elliott. The effect in the film itself is brilliant, as Bradley Cooper really sounds the part, but for Sam Elliott, hearing Bradley Cooper use his voice the first time was super weird, as he explained:

Insert meme of two Spider-Men looking and pointing at each other. Bradley Cooper knew that showing Sam Elliott footage of his work with a voice coach to sound like him would be weird, and sure enough it was. Even with the advance warning about the impending cognitive dissonance, it sounds like Sam Elliott was still surprised by the tape, based on his comments to EW.

Sam Elliott must have thought that Bradley Cooper would sound like an imitation or an approximation of his iconic voice. As such, he was caught off guard by the degree to which Bradley Cooper emulated his vocal cadence. It’s already weird to hear yourself on a recording, but to hear a you that isn't actually you must have been truly bewildering.

Bradley Cooper didn’t just sound like Sam Elliott; he was also doing Sam Elliott-isms and saying specific things that Sam Elliott has said. This anecdote sounds even weirder considering that the two actors had never met before. This wasn’t a friend who was imitating his buddy; this was basically a stranger taking on the deep, smoky voice that is Sam Elliott’s calling card.

This strange experience must have been like encountering your doppelganger, but hearing him instead of seeing him. Hearing this, Bradley Cooper really should have answered the door rocking a Sam Elliott mustache to maximize the weirdness for his future co-star.

While it was a strange way to start the experience on A Star is Born, the two actors would up working magic together. A Star is Born netted itself 8 Oscar nominations. Bradley Cooper, despite being snubbed for a best director nomination, was nominated for Best Actor-- no doubt in part due to his incredible performance that included him changing his voice and singing. Sam Elliott too gained a long overdue Oscar nomination, his first, for Best Supporting Actor.

To find out whether these two actors go home with statues, you can tune in to the 91st Academy Awards on February 24 at 8 p.m. E.T. Check out our release schedule to see the biggest movies heading to theaters this year and stay tuned to CinemaBlend for all your movie news.

As of this morning, this year's Oscar nominations have been announced, and while there were a few snubs and surprises, Sam Elliott's recognition for A Star is Born wasn't one of them. Check out Elliott's funny and humble reaction to the exciting news:

Sam Elliott has been delivering memorable performance for over 50 years, so what's more shocking is that 2019 marks the first time the 74-year-old actor has been nominated for an Oscar. Some of the actor's best known movie appearances include in 1969's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1989's Road House and 1993's Tombstone.

Sam Elliott is in Oscar contention for Supporting Actor in Bradley Cooper's remake of A Star Is Born, which received a total of eight nominations this morning, including for Best Picture, Best Actor for Cooper, Best Actress for Lady Gaga, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Mixing and Best Original Song for "Shallow."

He gave an emotional performance as the brother and manager to Cooper's character Jackson Maine, Bobby, especially toward the end of the film when heavier themes of addiction and loss are played out on screen.

Along with his initial reaction to his Oscar nomination, Sam Elliott described to Deadline the number of elements in A Star is Born that he believes has contributed to the film's success among critics and audiences alike.

Although last year's movie is the fourth version of the Star is Born story, Elliott said the combination of the music, the story of love and loss and theme of addiction throughout make it universally relatable to people. He continued with these words:

Sam Elliott shares his Supporting Actor nomination with two other first time nominees: Adam Driver for BlackKklansman and Richard E. Grant for Can You Ever Forgive Me? Oscar winners in the Supporting Actor category from the last two years were also given a nod this morning: Sam Rockwell for his role of former U.S. President George W. Bush in Vice and Mahershala Ali for Green Book.

Sam Rockwell took home the Supporting Actor prize last year for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and Mahershala Ali the year prior for Moonlight. Judging by the award season thus far, Ali is the frontrunner is this category, but we'll have to see on Oscar night, which unfolds February 24 and will be televised by ABC.

Whether it's Unforgiven, True Grit or any number of Liam Neeson movies, there is something inherently appealing about seeing older dudes kicking serious ass. In The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot, actor Sam Elliot takes on the role of a total badass who is almost mythic in his badassery. Check out the trailer for The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot below.

At the beginning of this trailer, Ron Livingston's character provides the exposition we need to know Sam Elliot's character, Calvin Barr. This is a guy with a legendary reputation, the subject of countless tall tales among those who knew him and a man for whom the feats documented in Chuck Norris facts would seem tame. It gave me a Big Fish vibe, that these stories are products of wild imaginations taking kernels of truth and spinning wondrous yarns.

When we see Sam Elliot's character being mugged, you figure this trailer can go one of two ways: either this guy never was what they say, or is no longer, and he is going to get beat up, or the stories are true and these thieves made a grave miscalculation. Thankfully, it turns out to be the latter.

What's surprising is that from there, the trailer doesn't turn into the movie that the title might lead you to think it is. If you only knew the title, you might think this would be a fun and outlandish action movie with a larger than life badass character at its center. But what we get is a movie that is much more serious in tone.

It is about a badass character, but one that lives with regret. Even the more fantastical story elements are played straight. Sam Elliot looks brilliant in the role, coming across every bit the badass that the film's incredible title promises, while having none of the carefree attitude you might expect from someone who could be dubbed the most interesting man in the world.

In this alternate history/fantasy world, Bigfoot is real and he is the source of some sort of pandemic threatening the entire world. For whatever reason, the powers that be need to enlist Calvin Barr, who I presume is a legendary hunter as well, to track the mythical creature down and kill it, thus saving the world once more.

At the same time, we are seeing Calvin Barr's past, when he killed Hitler, a decision that he now regrets, even if he had it coming. Like many great cinematic killers, Sam Elliot's character takes no pride in his skills. I expect this may cause some inner conflict for him when he is once again called upon to take a life.

This all makes for a very interesting trailer and I imagine a fascinating film because this movie is playing with different genres and fantasy elements, all while playing everything straight with a serious and melancholy tone. It is an adventure film, a contagion movie and a World War II story all in one.

I was in to see this movie based on the title alone, but this trailer has me truly curious how such a unique story with a surprising tone will all come together. Not to mention that Sam Elliot is always worth watching, especially coming off of his brilliant and heartbreaking turn in A Star is Born.

The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then The Bigfoot is written and directed by Robert D. Kryzkowski, and is his feature directorial debut. It arrives in theaters and on demand on February 8. For all of the biggest movies heading to theaters in 2019, check out our release schedule.

Sam Elliott made his way into the film industry at the age of 23, playing an uncredited role as "Missouri Townsman" in the Kirk Douglas/Robert Mitchum-starring 1967 western The Way West. He has been credited with at least one film or television project every year since then, with many notable titles appearing on his resume. He is one of Hollywood's great supporting actors, and yet in more than 50 years as a professional performer he has never been nominated for an Academy Award.

This year Sam Elliott has been stirring up a lot of award season heat thanks to his role opposite Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born, but it has led us to notice that he has been underappreciated over the years by the groups that make up the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. While his small screen work has been celebrated by both the Golden Globes and the Emmys, where he has been a past nominee, the man has gone his whole career without attention from the Oscars.

Of course, part of this stems from the roles that Sam Elliott typically chooses to play. He may be incredibly talented, but he's also basically always played supporting parts -- which is a field in which it's harder to earn awards attention because there is an extra stress on really standing out. Furthermore, with his gruff voice, big mustache, and head made for a Stetson, he's always particularly shined in westerns, and that's a genre that the Academy has paid a lot less attention to since he came into the business.

It seems crazy that Sam Elliott could do so much great work and not earn recognition at the highest level -- but the reality of the situation is that he's not alone. There are many fantastically talented performers, particular character actors Elliott, who have also been overlooked by the Academy Awards time and time again. This is a list that includes Steve Buscemi, Alfred Molina, Jean Smart, Donald Sutherland, John Goodman, Judy Greer and John Tuturro, which puts the Big Lebowski star in some pretty good company.

Of course, all it takes is one year to turn it all around. In the years since I wrote this feature, both Allison Janney and Jennifer Jason-Leigh have both been put up for the prize, and the former actually won. As long as he's still acting, Sam Elliott has a chance at an Oscar, and as mentioned above, 2019 could be his time.

In A Star Is Born, Elliott plays Bobby Maine, the older brother and manager of Jackson Maine (Bradley Cooper). The sibling's relationship is seriously strained, both by their differences in ages and Jackson's substance abuse problems, but it's something that they still fight to maintain. The 74-year-old actor has earned wide-spread acclaim for his performance, solidified by a particularly emotional moment that plays out towards the end of the movie.

Nothing is guaranteed, however, as while Sam Elliott's A Star Is Born performance would probably be a lock most years, the past 12 months have been incredible for supporting turns. Elliott's work is great, but the same can be said of the work done by Mahershala Ali, Timothee Chalamet, Adam Driver, Richard E. Grant, and Sam Rockwell in Green Book, Beautiful Boy, BlacKkKlansman, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, and Vice respectively (they were the stars picked over Elliott for the Golden Globes this year).

So will this be Sam Elliott's year to earn his first Academy Award nomination? We don't have too much longer to wait until we find out for sure. While the show itself isn't going to be held until Sunday, February 24th, we will find out the candidates in all categories in just a few days, with the announcement scheduled for the morning of Tuesday, January 22nd.

Do you think Elliott's name will be mentioned, or do you think there were too many other great supporting actor performances in 2018? Answer our poll below, and hit the comments section with all your thoughts, opinions, and feelings.

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Depending on your perspective, remakes are a tricky business. Either you understand how they can blow the dust off of a dated property and repurpose it for a new audience, or you are diametrically opposed to the concept, because the original material was fine enough. We were surprised when we sat down across from Sam Elliott at the press junket for A Star Is Born, because he made it clear up front that he's NOT okay with remakes. In general, he's opposed to the idea of them. (Someone must have tipped him off to the news of a Roadhouse remake... terrible idea, Hollywood!) But Elliott opened up as to why this remake of A Star Is Born works, explaining to CinemaBlend:

I know that some of you might read Sam Elliott's comments and think, "Well, what else is he going to say? He's promoting a remake!" But when we started the conversation about the industry's penchant for remaking anything from the past that is a household name, Elliott certainly didn't hold back, critiquing those decisions as strictly monetary, and standing in the way of creativity. Elliott confessed:

Sam Elliott can speak with conviction because the remake that he's part of improves in virtually every aspect of the previous versions of A Star is Born, benefitting from the brilliant casting of Lady Gaga in the lead role, and the commanding control shown by Bradley Cooper as a first-time director. Sam Elliott plays Cooper's manager, a steady hand for an artist who's tumbling along in an alcoholic haze. He plays an important part in the narrative. Here's Elliott on remakes:

You can start to see for yourself what Sam Elliott is talking about, because A Star Is Born is in theaters as we speak. Why are you still here? Go!

Sam Elliott has nearly 100 titles on his professional acting resume, and while many of those projects have given him the opportunity to play complex and different parts, the movie-going public really knows him for playing one: the cowboy. Few actors have ever looked better on the big screen sporting a giant mustache and ten gallon hat, and as a result the guy has found himself roaming around movie sets dressed as the Old West for his entire career. You might think he would get tired of this shtick after a while, but it seems that the guy is just happy to keep working with interesting filmmakers and material.

While recently a special guest for the "My Big Break" segment of NPR's "All Things Considered," Elliott discussed the strange path that he took towards being a professional actor, but also touched on why he doesn't really have a huge problem constantly playing cowboys. He admits there was a time when he was concerned about being trapped in the "Western Box," but eventually he simply learned to accept the path that life has put him on. He explained,

Elliott got his first big screen role playing the off-camera "Card Player #2" in George Roy Hill's Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid - a part he landed after doing some cement work for an assistant director in Hollywood. Since then, as NPR notes, he has gone on to have much more significant performances in films like George P. Cosmatos' Tombstone and the TV movie The Shadow Riders. Of all his fantastic turns, however, the arguable fan-favorite is his mysterious presence as The Stranger in the Coen brothers' The Big Lebowski:

What's funny about this part in particular is that Sam Elliott originally thought that the project was going to be something outside of the "Western Box." In the interview with NPR, he said that he received the script believing that it would give him the opportunity to explore new areas, but discovered that it really didn't once he started reading it:

Obviously he wasn't so disappointed that he decided not to make the movie - and cinema fans around the world are certainly grateful that he made that decision.

2015 is the greatest year that has ever happened because it’s the first year that will include two Pixar feature films. After the awesomeness that was Inside Out we’re even more excited for The Good Dinosaur this fall. The D23 Expo did not disappoint Pixar fans as they’ve given us a new look at the trio of Tyrannosauruses who will be facing off against our Hero Arlo.

Arlo the Apatosaurus and his human companion Spot will face all sorts of trials, troubles and fierce creatures on their journey together but at D23 this weekend director Peter Sohn and producer Denise Ream showed off a closer look at the three Tyrannosauruses who will be among those fierce creatures. The trio will be voiced by AJ Buckley, Anna Paquin and Sam Elliott, playing the parts of Nash, Ramsey, and Butch respectively. While the T-Rexes certainly look beastly, and the first trailer shows one of them looking ready to attack, the image that we have instead shows them standing with Arlo and Spot, so while the characters may be antagonists at first it looks like they may work together at some point as well.

The movie tells a "what if" story that begins with the idea that the asteroid that caused the dinosaurs mass extinction never happened. Dinosaurs have continued to evolve and are now significantly more intelligent. Humans do exist but are little more than beasts.

The Good Dinosaur has seen one of the longest roads to the screen of any animated film in recent memory. The voice actors of Eliott, Paquin and Buckley are part of the new crop of talent that was brought in when the film went through a major creative overall that resulted in re-casting nearly all the voice talent of the movie. It’s not clear whether these three replaced existing voice actors, or if these characters didn’t even exist prior to the change in the film’s direction.

Our three T-Rexes are part of what appears to be a movie that will not be skimping on the action. The Good Dinosaur is ready to take viewers on an epic journey as Arlo attempts to make his way back home after getting lost. There are several dangerous dinosaurs as well as a dangerous environment that our heroes must make their way through. It also looks to be an emotional journey as well. Something to be prepared for. Apparently this is the year that Pixar makes you cry.

We’re looking forward to this Thanksgiving when The Good Dinosaur is released. There appear to be several more characters we haven’t met yet. Stay tuned in case we get more info from D23. Otherwise we’ll see you in line November 25.

It’s been known for quite some time that Pixar’s upcoming The Good Dinosaur experienced a bevy of behind-the-scenes creative clashes. The studio made an abrupt director swap and overhauled the entire script, creating delays that cost the film its original 2014 release window. In the latest development, it has been revealed that the extent of its changes went even further, replacing nearly every member of its voice cast.

According to an official reveal, the voice cast that we knew of The Good Dinosaur is now as extinct as the film’s titular clade. Save for Frances McDormand, the vocal performances that previously included Lucas Neff, Neil Patrick Harris, John Lithgow, Bill Hader, and Judy Greer have been nixed. It’s actually a rather shocking revelation, especially considering that, apparently without this critical piece of context, the film’s debut teaser trailer hit just one week ago.

As of now, the official cast for The Good Dinosaur centers on 13-year-old Raymond Ochoa, replacing Lucas Neff as the film’s 70-foot-long Apatosaurus protagonist named Arlo. Coming from a quartet of brothers who are also working actors, Ochoa has made a number of live-action television appearances on shows like The Night Shift and Rizzoli & Isles. He is primarily known for voice work in notable animated features like Monsters University, Mars Needs Moms, and Disney’s A Christmas Carol, however, this role as the titular character in a major Pixar feature is clearly a step up in noteworthiness.

Filling out the rest of the cast, we have Jeffrey Wright as Poppa, Arlo’s father, Anna Paquin as a T-Rex named Ramsey, Sam Elliott as a T-Rex named Butch, Steve Zahn as a pterodactyl named Thunderclap, AJ Buckley as a T-Rex named Nash, Marcus Scribner as Arlo’s brother Buck, and Jack Bright as Arlo’s adopted human pet/friend, Spot. Additionally, in what appears to be the only remaining original cast member, Frances McDormand voices Arlo’s mother.

This surprising cast replacement seems to be the culmination of what was a creative crisis at Pixar over The Good Dinosaur that saw previous director Bob Peterson removed, later replaced by current director Peter Sohn. Yet the project also proved to be exceptionally difficult for a number of big brass at Pixar, rendering it somewhat of a hot potato, passed around from one creative maestro to the next. In fact, the delays were so egregious that the deferment of its 2014 date caused the studio to actually sit out a whole year without a new release; something that they had not done since 2005.

Based on what was said last year by now-former cast member John Lithgow, the script went from simple alterations to the point of being rewritten entirely, requiring the voice cast to re-record their performances. How little did we know. In fact, Lithgow seemed to have every intention on returning to voice what he called a "completely reimagined" story and even expressed excitement over the new, completely altered script. Today’s reveal confirms that these encore performances never came to fruition.

Of course, Pixar has every intention making up for their 2014 inertia, starting with the buzz-worthy, psychologically satirical journey into the mind of a young girl, Inside Out, which hits theaters next week on June 19. Five short months later, The Good Dinosaur looks to prove the old adage, "better late than never," when their hypothetical world of extinction-avoiding dinosaurs hits theaters on November 25.

In the past five years, FX’s

< i=""> has delivered some of the most interesting villains on TV, utilizing the talents of actors like Walton Goggins, Margo Martindale and Michael Rapaport. For its sixth and final season, the southern-fried drama will bring out the legendary Sam Elliott’s dark side for a recurring role, while Raising Hope’s Garret Dillahunt has also signed on, though it’s unclear at this point whose side he’s on. Sam Elliott shit-talking Raylan Givens could be the highlight of my 2015 TV viewing.

Elliott will join the cast as a man named Markham, whom Deadline describes as a renowned Kentucky gangster who returns to his homeland after running a legal weed-growing enterprise in Colorado. With him are bags of cash and a private army, and Markham is intent on taking over his former empire while also winning back his lost love, Katherine Hale (Mary Steenburgen). Elliott could be playing a meter reader and he would be the most badass meter reader in Kentucky.

Hale was introduced last season as a partner in crime for Boyd Crowder (Goggins) and the man with the golden brow bones, Wynn Duffy (Jere Burns). She spoke of an ex who was a very dangerous man, so it’s incredible that Elliott is that guy. Depending on how willing Katherine is to take him back into her life, we might be seeing him working with or against Boyd and Duffy. Either way, I know the writers are going to give him sensational lines. Guys, somebody get me a spittoon for all this Sam Elliott gushing I’m doing.

Meanwhile, Dillahunt is taking on the role of Walker, whose past decade was spent in combat zones as a part of Special Ops. He used to be a hands-on soldier, but now he’s serving as a private contractor, taking on security work for a “quasi-legal businessman.” I wonder if that’s someone audiences are already familiar with, or if we’re getting yet another additional character for Season 6.

I was really hoping that Justified would leave all the new characters behind and figure out a more contained Raylan/Boyd story to end the series with, but that’s apparently not the case here. Still, Justified always gets big performances from everyone it gets, so I’m grateful they didn’t go with people I hate. I’m saying that with complete bias. It’s the last season, people!

Elliott was most recently seen in Ivan Reitman’s Draft Day and had a couple of enjoyable appearances on Parks and Recreation during Season 6. Dillahunt was in the Amazon pilot Hand of God and can be seen in Courtney Cox’s feature debut Just Before I Go.

Expect more Justified in your life in early 2015.

Say what you will about Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst or any of the villains, the one casting choice that every Spider-Man fan adored in Sam Raimi's films was J.K. Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson. The man had the perfect look, demeanor and voice for the character and provided many of the films funniest moments. Sadly, with the word "reboot" comes total cast overhaul and not even the most perfect members are safe.

What's Playing reports that director Marc Webb has begun his search for the new Jameson and a few names have leaked out. According to the site, the production is currently looking at John Slattery, best known as Roger Sterling on Mad Men, and the awesomely-mustached Sam Elliot. Funny enough, both actors have experience acting in Marvel superhero movies, the former playing Robert Downey Jr.'s father, Howard Stark, in Iron Man 2 and the latter taking on the role of the Caretaker in Fox's Ghost Rider and General Ross in Ang Lee's Hulk. Webb and crew will be auditioning actors over the coming weeks, meaning that we should be hearing more about it fairly soon.

As great as Slattery is on Mad Men, he simply comes across as too cool, calm, and collected to play the frantic and angry Daily Bugle editor. Elliot has that edge that Slattery is missing, but I can't help but think that his version of the character couldn't help but have a dose of cowboy in it, which I don't see working. The real problem here is that when I say that J.K. Simmons was perfect, I mean it. There's no actor better suited for the role and anyone they pick will be a downgrade.

Part of acting is looking like you know what the hell you're doing when you don't know what the hell you're doing. This can range from performing your own stunts in a big summer tentpole movie, to the simple act of creating believable chemistry with a co-star you may or may not be able to stand. Or, sometimes, you have to look like you're accomplished at squeezing milk out of a cow.

Such is the task laid before Sam Elliott and Sarah Jessica Parker in this behind-the-scenes clip from Did You Hear About the Morgans? The film stars Parker and Hugh Grant as a couple forced into witness protection on a Wyoming farm after witnessing a murder. Sort of like Green Acres with a body count. It's out now on Blu-ray and DVD from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.

The most surprising part of this behind-the-scenes clip? Who would have guessed that Sam Elliott had never milked a cow before? If there was any single actor in Hollywood that I would have expected to know how to milk a cow, hands down, it would have been Elliott. I would also expect him to know how to geld a horse, deliver a breech foal, and herd 800 head of cattle from Montana to South Dakota.

Like a lot of people I’d assumed that The Golden Compass wasn’t getting a sequel because it wasn’t, well, particularly good. But despite it’s mediocre nature the movie actually did make a lot of money, more than enough to justify making another movie and continuing the saga of Philip Pullman’s “His Dark Materials” trilogy. But it’ll never happen and according to Golden Compass star Sam Eilliot, the Catholic Church is to blame.

Talking to the Evening Standard when asked what happened to the movies that were supposed to be made out of the next two “His Dark Materials” books, Sam had this to say: “The Catholic Church happened to The Golden Compass, as far as I'm concerned. It did 'incredible' at the box office, taking $380million. Incredible. It took $85million in the States. The Catholic Church ... lambasted them, and I think it scared New Line off.”

When the Golden Compass was released the Catholic Church organized a boycott and Bill O’Reilly pronounced the movie a war on Christmas. But Golden Compass was based only on the first book of the His Dark Materials trilogy and it is by far, the most mild. It was made even more mild by the time it made it to movie screens, after Hollywood stripped out most of the anti-religion references scattered throughout the novel. That kind of sanitization would have been impossible when adapting later books, as the series quite literally turns into the story of gay angels trying to kill god.

The Catholic League’s Bill Donohue, who organized the boycott, has is more than happy to take credit for the franchise’s demise. He says, “The reason I protested was the deceitful attempt to introduce Christian children to the wonders of atheism in a backdoor fashion at Christmas time. Everyone agrees the film version was not anti-Catholic, but that hardly resolves the issue. The fact is that each volume in the trilogy becomes increasingly anti-Catholic.” Bill could use a dictionary, since Atheists don’t believe God exists or has ever existed while in the books God definitely exists, it’s just that everyone wants him dead.

Leonard Nimoy is almost certainly done with Star Trek. JJ Abrams’ film gave him the perfect sendoff and it’s highly improbably that we’ll ever see him in Spock’s logical ears again. He said as much earlier this week to THR. But that doesn’t mean his career on film is over. It doesn’t even mean he’s done reprising famous television roles.

Abrams’ recently told Collider that he’s considering giving Leonard Nimoy a part in the upcoming fourth Mission: Impossible. Star Trek wasn’t Nimoy’s only foray into iconic television franchises. He was actually a part of the original Mission: Impossible television series, and appeared on the show for three years from 1969 – 1971 as a master of disguise named “The Amazing Paris”.

Nimoy wasn’t the only famous face on the original Mission: Impossible cast. Martin Landau and Sam Elliot also had significant roles. Abrams expressed definite interest in bringing someone back from the show for Mission Impossible 4, and in addition to Nimoy mentions talking to Peter Graves. Apparently he tried to do the same thing with Mission: Impossible 3. Abrams says, “I actually tried to get Martin Landau in Mission 3, in a very small little moment just for fun, and was told that he had no interest in doing it.”