Like A Fine Steak: Film Fans Can't Get Over Sam Elliott's Rugged Drawl

Mar 22, 2020 by apost team

There are few sensations in this life that can be described as incomparable, but listening to the glorious voice of Sam Elliott is absolutely one of them. If his voice were a steak, it would be a perfectly cooked New York Strip. It’s a gloriously refined delicacy, and almost all of us have been lucky enough to hear it in one form or another even if we don’t realize it yet. Here’s a look at the continued brilliance of our last true Western icon.

The mustachioed acting genius has been filling the shoes of iconic cowboy roles for decades. During the early stages of his career, Elliott struck gold with a role in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. The 1969 classic wound up winning four Academy Awards, and it also introduced the actor to his future wife, Katharine Ross. This success came only two years after his first film, The Way West, and he was soon propelled to additional notoriety with a guest role on Gunsmoke in 1972.

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Modern cinema viewers have been acquainted with the work of Elliott via different avenues. Most recently, younger crowds gained familiarity with his distinctive raspiness thanks to a ravishing performance in 2019’s Lady and the Tramp. He also made a notably recognizable appearance in Lady Gaga’s A Star is Born in 2018, which landed him his first Oscar nomination. His vocal brilliance shined like a decadent diamond in both movies, and he proved that it’s a commodity that only gets finer with age. Meanwhile, comedy fans may remember him as Ron Swanson’s foil in Parks and Recreation.

In recent years, Elliott has started to lend his special voice to a select few brands for their televised commercials. Because of his unmatched baritone, companies are able to garner a sense of authenticity that simply cannot be acquired in any other fashion. So far, he has granted a rugged mystique to advertising productions on behalf of Coors Beer, Dodge Ram and the NFL. He even provided the voiceover introductions for Super Bowl talents like the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Elliott is a rare talent, and his mythical status stems from an old-school charm that few could muster in this generation. He seems to have arrived from a distant era, and his unkempt appearance epitomizes Western chic to a tee. In the end, his inimitable voice is largely responsible for an unparalleled legacy in Hollywood. Amazingly, widespread acclaim wasn’t always in the cards for this icon; in fact, his agents told him back in the day that he would have to fix his voice if he ever wanted to be famous. Our ears collectively can agree that Elliott made the right choice by disregarding such blasphemous advice. Can you imagine if he traded in his one-of-a-kind chops for bland uniformity?

At this stage in his life, it seems like Elliott has accomplished everything under the sun, but he is clearly far from finished. What do you think his next role should be? Let’s spark a feverish debate about the dashing cowboy’s next big cinematic shootout.