We hear a lot of stories about the successful and long-lasting marriages of some actors and quite rightly celebrate them. But, not a lot is said about the enduring love between Hollywood stars Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross.
They were both so young when they met but Elliott was just starting out and Ross was an established actress and married. For Elliott it was love at first sight but he was going to have to be patient to get his one true love.
Despite the obstacles in their path the two married in 1984. Fast forward 35 years and they are still the cutest couple, a couple that have defied the odds to make it work and be happy. Such an inspiration!
We hear a lot of stories about the successful and long-lasting marriages of some actors and quite rightly celebrate them. But, not a lot is said about the enduring love between Hollywood stars Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross.
They were both so young when they met but Elliott was just starting out and Ross was an established actress and married.
For Elliott, it was love at first sight but he was going to have to be patient to get his one true love.
Despite the obstacles in their path, the two married in 1984.
Fast forward 38 years and they are still the cutest couples, a couple that has defied the odds to make it work and be happy. Such an inspiration!
We know these two screen legends separately. Elliott for his distinctive voice, mustache, and masculine of roles in movies like The Legacy, Tombstone, The Big Lebowski, and countless television guest spots.
Then there’s Ross, who rose to fame early on in her career in big movies such as The Graduate, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and The Stepford Wives.
But not many of us think of the two as a married couple, a marriage that is coming up on 38 years. They also have a daughter together, Cleo Rose.
She became fairly famous as a musician after she studied how to sing professionally at Joanne Barron/D.W. Brown Acting Studio.
The two have kept a low profile, choosing not to gush about their deep, strong love but not many know about the obstacles these two overcame to be together.
The couple originally met on the set of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where Ross had a leading part. While it was love at first sight for Elliot after seeing Ross, he dared not act on his feelings. He saw himself as a “glorified extra” and Ross as a Hollywood star.
“All I could do was just watch Katharine come and go,” he recalls, adding, “I never spoke to her. I never would even think to speak to her.”
Katharine was married four times before she wed Elliott, so clearly learned a thing or two about keeping her personal life out of the spotlight.
”I guess everyone finds a way to survive in Hollywood. Mine has always been to walk away, ignore the stupidity and the waste, and live privately away from it all”, she told Daily News in 1975.
Growing up, she was an Army brat. Her family moved around a lot but mostly grew up in San Fransisco.
She never dreamt of becoming an actress – nor a Hollywood star.
”I’ve always had a natural curiosity about life. I guess it’s not fully satisfied by merely being an actress. I want a life, a home, my horses, a family of my own – but I want to express myself through a career, too. Maybe I’ll always be restless”, she said.
Met again in 1978
It wasn’t until they met again on the set of The Legacy in 1978 that he finally dared interact with her. They hit it off immediately — and six years later, they were married.
”We were working together and one thing led to another. And here we are,” Ross told The Mercury News.
While Elliott has a realistic approach toward marriage and revealed the secret of their success.
“Common sensibility, but we also work at being together. You work past the s–t; you don’t walk away from it. That’s how relationships last,” Elliot told AARP Magazine
So simple but so true!
They are very good at supporting each other’s careers. Elliott nearly passed on his breakout role as Cher’s biker boyfriend in the 1985 film Mask because he and Ross were on their honeymoon in Hawaii, according to the New York Times.
After Elliott told his agent he wouldn’t return early to test for the role, Ross called the agent back that night to say she’d get her husband back in time, reports TipHero.
During a promotion interview with TV Crew Guy in 1985, the famous actor discussed his “Mask” movie role, acting career, and western image – but also poured love over his wife. At the time, he had married the woman of his dreams, had an adorable baby and a successful career.
Speaking with the TV Crew guy, Sam described himself as a glutton for having it all and smiled.
“Real glutton, huh… I hope it all doesn’t give me a bellyache.”
Leading lady
Some Hollywood stars get our attention for living glamorous, larger-than-life lives.
Others, like Hollywood heartthrob Sam Elliott, have attracted attention for a completely different reason: proving to the world that true love does exist.
“Through mutual love and a mutual respect,” he says, adding that Ross is “a pretty stable girl who has been around the block.”
At the end of the day, determination is key: “There are peaks and valleys like everything else, but you have to push on.”
I’m sure we’ll continue to see more of both of these iconic actors but hopefully more projects where they work together!
Such a romantic love story and a great inspiration to other married couples. We can all learn so much from the couples who have worked together to make their marriages last.
Please share these pearls of wisdom with your friends and family.
