Sam Elliot is in the “Dog” kennel.
Oscar-nominated The Power of the Dog director Jane Campion has been savvy in addressing the 77-year-old Western icon’s “sexist” criticism of her film, which was nominated for 12 Oscars last week. The 2022 Best Director Oscar nominee gave her rebuttal during an interview with Variety at the Directors Guild of America Awards on Saturday night.
“I’m sorry, he acted a bit like a BITCH,” Campion, 67, told the magazine ahead of the ceremony. “He’s not a cowboy; he is an actor.”
The Bright Star director, who won the BAFTA for Best Director on Sunday for Dog, added: “The West is a mythical space and there is a lot of room in it. I think it’s a little sexist.”
Campion was referring to Elliott’s controversial appearance on Marc Maron’s WTF Podcast two weeks ago, in which he called her opus a “piece of shit.” The Roadhouse actor also likened the characters to Chippendale dancers “who wear bow ties and nothing else.”
During his quirky tirade, the Tombstone star singled out Campion by stating that despite the New Zealand author being a “brilliant director”, he was ill-suited to stage a western in early 20th-century Montana.
Sam Elliot is best known for his roles in Tombstone and Road House. Greg Doherty
“I love her previous work, but what the hell does this New Zealand woman know about the American West?” Elliot ranted, further criticizing her decision to film a Western in her home country.
Campion wasn’t the only member of the Dog Squad to respond to Sam Elliott’s comments. In a much milder response last week, Benedict Cumberbatch called the Ghost Rider actor’s remarks “very odd.”
“Someone really took offense at the West being portrayed that way,” said Cumberbatch, 45, who was nominated for a Best Actor Award in 2022 for his role as sadistic, closeted gay rancher Phil Burbank.
The Imitation Game star added that his character is important because “these people still exist in our world,” explaining, “If we want to understand what poisons men, what creates toxic masculinity, we need to watch [under] hood of characters like Phil Burbank to see what their struggle is and why it exists.”
“Whether it’s on our doorstep, or down the road, or someone we meet in a bar or a pub or on a sports field, there’s always aggression and anger and frustration and an inability to control or know who you are. at the moment when it causes damage to this person and, as we know, damage to others, ”he added.