‘I said some things that hurt people, I feel terrible about that’: Veteran actor Sam Elliott finally apologizes for calling Power of the Dog ‘piece of s**t’ and criticizing its ‘allusions to homosexuality’

Sam Elliott has apologized for his criticism of the Oscar-winning film The Power of the Dog, saying he felt ‘terrible’ about his ‘hurtful’ remarks that many saw as homophobic.

Elliott, 77 – known for his frequent appearances in Westerns – told a podcast in February that the cowboys in the film were like Chippendale dancers, and said he was disturbed by Benedict Cumberbatch’s portrayal of a closeted gay ranch hand.

‘That’s what all these f***ing cowboys in that movie looked like,’ he said on Marc Maron’s on the WTF podcast.

‘They’re running around in chaps and no shirts. There’s all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the f***ing movie.

‘Where’s the western in this Western?’

On Sunday, the actor, who made his debut in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, apologized for his remarks, calling them clumsy and offensive.

‘In trying to tell the guy, the WTF guy, how I felt about the film I wasn’t very articulate about it.

‘I didn’t articulate it very well,’ he told a panel discussion at the Deadline Contenders festival, showcasing the television award season contenders. Elliott was invited to talk about his Western TV show 1883, a prequel to the popular hit Yellowstone.

‘I said some things that hurt people. And I feel terrible about that,’ Elliott continued.

‘The gay community has been incredible to me my entire career – and I mean my entire career, from before I got started in this town.

‘Friends on every level, in every job description. Up until today, with my agent, my dear friend and my agent of a number of years.

‘And I’m sorry I hurt any of those friends. And someone that I loved. And anyone else, by the words that I used.’