- Sam Elliott has a surprising new movie role at age 81.
- The Landman star will be putting his signature voice to use in the new live-action film, Grendel.
- The movie reunites Sam with The Big Lebowski co-star Jeff Bridges.
Sam Elliott has had a storied career in Hollywood, from his early roles in Tombstone and Road House to his Oscar-nominated part in A Star Is Born to joining the Taylor Sheridan universe in 1883 and Landman.
But now, the 81-year-old is taking on a role that his fans couldn’t have expected as he’s starring in the upcoming movie Grendel. The new live-action film, currently in pre-production, is an adaptation of the 1971 John Gardner novel of the same name. It’s a retelling of Beowulf from the monster’s perspective.
The movie has an all-star cast, including Bryan Cranston as King Hrothgar, Jeff Bridges as Grendel, and Dave Bautista as Beowulf. As for Sam Elliott, he’ll be voicing The Dragon. This role will reunite Sam and Jeff, who starred together in 1998 cult favorite The Big Lebowski.
While this is an unexpected turn for Sam, it should come as no surprise that he’s being tapped to use his epic voice to bring a role to life. His signature gravelly drawl has earned him voiceover parts on Family Guy, Lady and the Tramp, and Barnyard, plus commercials for Coors Beer, RAM trucks, and USAA.
It’s hard to believe that the actor was once toldto change his voice when an acting rep said, “If you're going to stay in this town, you've got to fix that [expletive] voice. You've got to take some voice and diction lessons, and get rid of that southern accent.”
We’re certainly glad he chose to ignore that suggestion. Sam will be reprising his role as TL Norris when Taylor Sheridan drama Landman returns for season 3. The new season is expected to begin filming in May, according to Collider.
Katie Bowlby is Digital Director at Country Living, where she covers pop culture news including country music, Yellowstone, and all things HGTV, plus gift guides and product reviews. She has been with Country Living for more than 11 years. Before that, she worked for Southern Living. The Indiana University grad also stitches up the cross-stitch pattern for every issue of the magazine.
