Sam Elliott’s 5 Best Western Roles Will Make You Fall in Love With Cowboys All Over Again
From his breakout role to '1883,' discover where you can stream the legendary actor's best work
In the world of Western movies and TV shows, few stars shine as bright as Sam Elliott. From his breakout role in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in 1969 to the award-winning Yellowstone prequel 1883, the 81-year-old actor has truly redefined what it means to be an onscreen cowboy. To celebrate that, we’ve decided to round up the five best Sam Elliott Western movies and TV shows and found out where you can stream them at home! Scroll on for more.
5. ‘Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid’ (1969)
In 1969, Elliott got his big break when he starred in Oscar winning Western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The plot follows Butch Cassidy (Paul Newman) and The Sundance Kid (Robert Redford) as they lead a band of outlaws through Wyoming in the 1890s. In the film, Elliott played Card Player #2, and while it was a small role, the film did help launch his career. More importantly, it was also where he met his wife of over 40 years, Katharine Ross.
“I was in the card game right at the beginning of the film, and in the finished print of the film, I’m not on camera at all, I’m literally a shadow on the wall. I’ve got one line,” Elliott told Yahoo Entertainment in 2019. “I watched Redford work for a couple days; that was fun.”
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is available to stream on AppleTV.
4. ‘Tombstone’ (1993)
Tombstone followed Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his brothers, Morgan (Bill Paxton) and Virgil (Elliott), after they had left their gunslinger ways behind and settled down in Tombstone, Arizona. Soon after arriving, they become the target of a ruthless cowboy gang, and that’s when the fun really begins. The film is funny, fresh and filled with a cast you won’t forget.
“That cast, I believe, was assembled by Kevin [Jarre, the writer],” Elliott told Entertainment Weekly in February of 2019. “Billy Paxton. Kurt and Val. I mean, it’s just endless. Michael Biehn. Best f*ck*ng thing he’s ever done. Best thing Val Kilmer’s ever done. Ever. Just mind-boggling. All of them. Everybody in that film. Billy Bob Thornton, he came in and played a little bit. Amazing cast. It just had all the elements to make a great Western.”
Tombstone is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video.
3. ‘The Sacketts’ (1979)
In this 1979 TV miniseries, Elliott starred alongside his close friend Tom Selleck. The plot follows the Sackett Brokers—Tyrel (Jeff Osterhage), Orrin (Selleck) and Tell (Elliott)—after they go out to find a fortune following the Civil War. It’s based on a novel written by Louis L’Amour and—fun fact—in 1982, all three actors got together again to film the author’s other Civil War novel, The Shadow Riders.
“[Sam was] a lanky guy with a deep voice [who] knew what he was and what he wanted to do,” Selleck wrote in his 2024 memoir You Never Know.
The Sacketts is available to stream on AppleTV.
2. ‘The Hero’ (2017)
One of Elliott’s more recent films, The Hero, tells the tale of Lee Hayden, a Western actor who believes that his golden days are behind him. He spends his time reminiscing and smoking too much weed with his former co-star, Jeremy Frost (Nick Offerman). That all changes after a surprise cancer diagnosis brings his priorities into focus. Now Lee finds himself infatuated with a stand-up comic named Charlotte (Laura Prepon), trying to repair his relationship with his daughter Lucy (Krysten Ritter) and trying to land one last role before his time is up.
“This thing was written for me. I mean, there’s obvious things that are nothing connected to me. I’m still happily married to my wife Katharine after 33 years. We’ve been together for 39 years. My daughter is the love of my life, and I don’t have cancer. And I don’t smoke dope all day long. So, you know, apart from that, there are a lot of similarities,” Elliott told NPR of the film in 2017. “I’ve had parts written for me over the years, but never an entire script. It just was an incredible gift. After almost 49 years in this business, I can honestly say this is the peak for me. This is the highlight. It’s quite a note to go out on. And if I went out on it tomorrow, I’ll be good with it.”
The Hero is available to stream on The Roku Channel.
1. ‘1883’ (2021)
Whether you are a Western lover or not, most people agree that 1883, which was written by Taylor Sheridan, was one of the best TV shows ever. It had love, heartbreak, family and a jaw-dropping journey that had everyone begging to know what happened next. Elliott played Shea Brennan, a cowboy who helps the Dutton family get from Texas to Montana.
“I have been in this game a long time; this is my 54th year in my career, and I have never worked on anything like this in terms of the scope and size. There are more horses, more wranglers and more production people than I’ve ever worked with. I’ve never worked on a show that has six cameras operating at the same time and a helicopter in the air. They’re getting their money’s worth,” Elliott told The Hollywood Reporter of the show in 2021.
“Our directors on this thing were cinematographers that Taylor bumped up from Yellowstone. So they understand what they are looking for through the lens. It does not look like a television show by any means. They are not making a television show here, even though they say they are. It is a 10-hour story,” he concluded.
1883 is available to stream on Paramount+.
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