Sam Elliott Apologizes for Comments About 'Power of the Dog': 'I Feel Terrible'

Sam Elliott has apologized for criticizing Jane Campion’s Oscar-winning Western "The Power of the Dog."

Last month the actor launched into a strongly worded rant during an appearance on comedian Marc Maron’s "WTF Podcast," saying the Netflix film was a "piece of s**t" and questioned its gay themes. Elliott on Sunday spoke up for the first time since making the remarks to offer an apology during Deadline’s Contenders TV event.

"That movie struck a chord with me, and then 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, and I said some things that hurt people, and I feel terrible about that," Elliott said. "The gay community has been incredible to me my entire career — and I mean my entire career — from before I got started and I was this town.

"Friends on every level, in every job description. Up until today, with my agent, my dear friend, my agent of a number of years. And I’m sorry that I hurt any of those friends, and someone that I loved, and anyone else, by the words that I used."

Elliott noted that he told Maron that he thought Campion was "a brilliant director," adding that he wanted to apologize to the cast of "Power of the Dog."

"Brilliant actors, all, and in particular, Benedict Cumberbatch. I can only say that I'm sorry, and I am," he said.

Shortly after Elliott's initial comments about the film, Cumberbatch spoke out saying that "Power of the Dog" helped to fight toxic masculinity. Although his comments were not geared directly towards Elliott, Cumberbatch, who plays closeted rancher Phil Burbank, defended the film, suggesting that it had far-reaching power.

"I think if we are to teach our sons to be feminists, if we're to teach equality, if we're to understand what poisons the well in men, [and] what creates toxic masculinity, we need to understand and look under the hood of characters like Phil Burbank to see what their struggle is and why that's there in the first place because otherwise it will just keep repeating itself," he said in a panel that included Mariayah Kaderbhai, head of programs at BAFTA in March.

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