People keep searching “Sam Elliott Wikipedia” because the actor is having one of the busiest stretches of his six-decade career, and readers want a quick, accurate rundown in one place. This guide covers his real age, his marriage to Katharine Ross, his family background, his net worth, and what he’s doing right now in 2026. Everything here is checked against current, dated sources instead of guesswork.
Background: Who Is Sam Elliott?
Sam Elliott is an American actor known for his deep, gravelly voice, his handlebar mustache, and a career built mostly on Westerns and tough, quiet characters. He first showed up on screen in the late 1960s in small parts, including an uncredited role in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), the same film that starred his future wife, Katharine Ross.
He’s the kind of actor people search for again and again because his career never really stopped. He was a leading man in the 1970s and 1980s, a reliable supporting actor through the 1990s and 2000s, and then found a whole new generation of fans through 1883 and Landman, two Taylor Sheridan shows that turned him into a streaming-era favorite. That mix of old-school movie stardom and new-school TV relevance is exactly why “Sam Elliott Wikipedia” is a common search today.
Latest Update
As of AUGUST 10, 2026, here is what’s currently known. Sam Elliott turned 82 years old on August 9, 2026, one day before this article was published. He is currently filming Landman Season 3 for Paramount+, reprising his role as T.L. Norris, and he also has the animated film Grendel in pre-production, where he voices a dragon.
📅 Key date: On July 25, 2026, the Hollywood Walk of Fame announced its 2027 class of honorees, and Sam Elliott is on that list in the Motion Pictures category. His star’s exact unveiling date has not been announced yet, so treat that detail as pending, not confirmed.
There is no verified news of a death, injury, retirement, or scandal involving Sam Elliott as of this date. A fake “Sam Elliott has died” story spread on social media in late July 2026, but it was traced back to a recycled celebrity death hoax and was debunked by his representatives within days.
⚠️ Rumor check: If you’ve seen posts claiming Sam Elliott passed away, that claim is false. It’s a repeat version of a hoax that has circulated before, most recently confirmed as fake in late July 2026 by his own team.
Full Profile
Family and Early Life
Samuel Pack Elliott was born on August 9, 1944, in Sacramento, California. His father, Henry Nelson Elliott, worked as a predator-control specialist for the U.S. Department of the Interior, and his mother, Glynn Mamie Sparks, was a former Texas state diving champion who later worked as a physical education teacher. Both of his parents came from El Paso, Texas. When Sam was around 13, the family relocated from California to Portland, Oregon, where he spent the rest of his childhood.
Career Path
Elliott’s first screen credit came on the TV Western Lancer in the late 1960s, and his film debut followed soon after in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. He got his first lead role in Frogs (1972) and his real breakthrough with Lifeguard (1976). The 1980s brought Mask, opposite Cher, and by decade’s end he’d starred alongside Patrick Swayze in Road House (1989), now a cult favorite. Through the 1990s and 2000s he became one of Hollywood’s most dependable supporting actors in Tombstone, Gettysburg, and We Were Soldiers, plus a memorable turn in The Big Lebowski. More recently, he earned an Oscar nomination for A Star Is Born (2018), a SAG Award for 1883, and continued acclaim for Landman.
Age
Sam Elliott is 82 years old, having been born August 9, 1944, and just marking another birthday on August 9, 2026.
Religion
Elliott has described himself as Christian and has spoken about being baptized and singing as a child in the choir at Pioneer Congregational Church. Beyond that general description, there is no confirmed detail about a specific denomination he practices today, so anything more specific than “Christian” should be treated as unconfirmed.
Spouse/Partner
Sam Elliott has been married to actress Katharine Ross since May 1, 1984. The two met while filming together and stayed close after working on multiple projects. They have one daughter, Cleo Rose Elliott, who works as a musician. It’s one of the longer-lasting marriages in Hollywood, now stretching past four decades.
Net Worth
Public estimates of Sam Elliott’s net worth vary quite a bit depending on the source, ranging anywhere from around $10 million to $20 million, with some outlets combining his and Katharine Ross’s finances into a single household figure. None of these numbers come from an official, verified financial disclosure, so treat any exact dollar figure you see online as an estimate rather than a confirmed fact.
Parents
His father was Henry Nelson Elliott, and his mother was Glynn Mamie Sparks. Both were originally from El Paso, Texas, and Elliott has spoken in interviews about family roots that trace back to a surgeon who served in the Battle of San Jacinto.
Height
Sam Elliott is commonly listed at 6 feet 2 inches tall (about 188 cm), a detail that lines up with his long history of playing tall, commanding Western characters.
Education
Elliott graduated from David Douglas High School in Portland, Oregon, in 1962. He briefly studied English and psychology at the University of Oregon but left after two terms. He then attended Clark College in Vancouver, Washington, completing a two-year program, and it was there that a role in a stage production of Guys and Dolls convinced him to try acting professionally.
Hometown/State of Origin
Sam Elliott was born in Sacramento, California, but he considers Portland, Oregon, his hometown since that’s where he grew up from his early teenage years onward.
Official Social Media
There is no widely confirmed, verified personal social media account run directly by Sam Elliott himself. Several accounts using his name exist online, but none of them are officially confirmed as his. For reliable updates on his work, the most consistently accurate source is his verified IMDb profile, which tracks his confirmed film and TV credits directly.
Quick Facts Table
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Samuel Pack Elliott |
| Born | August 9, 1944, Sacramento, California |
| Age (as of Aug 10, 2026) | 82 |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Spouse | Katharine Ross (m. 1984) |
| Child | Cleo Rose Elliott |
| Known For | Tombstone, Road House, The Big Lebowski, A Star Is Born, 1883, Landman |
| Current Project | Landman Season 3 (filming), Grendel (pre-production voice role) |
| 2026 Honor | Selected for a 2027 Hollywood Walk of Fame star |
Reader Questions (FAQ)
How old is Sam Elliott in 2026?
Sam Elliott turned 82 on August 9, 2026. He was born August 9, 1944, in Sacramento, California.
Is Sam Elliott still married to Katharine Ross?
Yes. They have been married since May 1, 1984, and have one daughter together, Cleo Rose Elliott. No divorce or separation has been confirmed.
Is Sam Elliott dead?
No. A death hoax circulated on social media in late July 2026, but it was confirmed false by his representatives. He is alive and currently filming Landman Season 3.
What is Sam Elliott’s net worth?
Estimates put his net worth somewhere between $10 million and $20 million, though there’s no official confirmed figure. Some sources report a combined household figure with wife Katharine Ross.
What is Sam Elliott known for?
He’s best known for Westerns and rugged supporting roles, including Tombstone, Road House, The Big Lebowski, A Star Is Born, 1883, and Landman, along with decades of distinctive voice work.
Did Sam Elliott win an Oscar?
No, he has not won an Oscar. He received a Best Supporting Actor nomination for A Star Is Born (2018) but lost that year. He has won a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role in 1883.
Is Sam Elliott getting a Hollywood Walk of Fame star?
Yes. He was named to the Hollywood Walk of Fame’s 2027 class in the Motion Pictures category, announced July 25, 2026. The exact date of his star ceremony has not been released yet.
In short: Sam Elliott is an 82-year-old American actor, married to Katharine Ross since 1984, currently filming Landman Season 3, and set to receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame star in 2027.
Wrap-Up
Sam Elliott’s story is a reminder that a long career doesn’t have to fade quietly. He started as a background face in a Paul Newman movie in 1969 and is now, well past 80, leading one of the most-watched shows on Paramount+ and finally getting a Walk of Fame star that fans think is decades overdue.
What makes his personal life stand out just as much is the stability behind the scenes: a 40-plus-year marriage to Katharine Ross, a daughter working in music, and roots that trace back clearly to Sacramento, Portland, and a Texas family history he still talks about in interviews. None of that is flashy, but it’s the kind of steady detail that separates a real biography from internet guesswork.
If you came here looking for a Wikipedia-style snapshot, the short version is this: Sam Elliott is alive, working, aging in public without much fuss, and about to add a Walk of Fame star to a resume that already includes an Oscar nomination, a SAG Award, and roles that shaped what a modern Western hero looks and sounds like.
Smith Andrew is the Founder and Editor of BiographyCabal. He researches, writes, and edits accurate, engaging, and well-researched biographies of celebrities, entrepreneurs, athletes, influencers, politicians, and other notable public figures. Committed to factual reporting and quality storytelling, Smith ensures every article is reader-focused, informative, and based on reliable sources, helping readers discover the lives, careers, and achievements of influential people around the world.