Pearls of Wisdom From the Lips of Sam Elliott to Your Ears

The credibility we lend to our heroes based on the words they speak is sometimes immeasurable. Such is the case with actor Sam Elliott. The classic baritone voice, the rugged masculine appeal, and the well-respected movie roles he’s played (not to mention his Texas roots!) have come together to make him a veritable fountain of wisdom in the eyes of his fans. His publicly spoken words seem to automatically gain a status of notoriety and have people memorizing his quotes, because the sincerest form of flattery is imitation. Memorizing his inspirational words might not make you seem more like Sam Elliott, or have his appeal, but it could possibly change your own personal views on some things, and that’s not necessarily a raw deal. Take from it what you will! Here are some verified quotes and pearls of wisdom from this revered actor you might glean something from.

1. On Helping People

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“I think any time you can affect people in general, in a positive way, then you’re a lucky individual.”

2. On His Career

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“Even after nearly 50 years in this business,” Elliott once said, “I still feel like I’m lucky every time I get a decent job, but an opportunity to work with people of that ilk.”

3. On Doing Good Work

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“I’m picky, very picky,” Elliot said.  “I wanted to be an actor since I was nine years old,” he went on, “and I figured that was only one way to ever have any longevity, and that’s to be careful about what kind of work you do.”

4. On Image

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“I don’t want to be known as a sex symbol,” he said. “There’s a great stigma that goes with that tag. I want to be a Sam Elliott.”

5. On Heroes

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“My dad worked for the Fish and Wildlife Service, and he worked for the Department of Interior, you know, like the federal government,” Sam Elliott told NPR. “And consequently, I was outdoors a lot in my lifetime. And I was with my dad and my – and his peers, who were all men’s men and outdoorsmen. All had incredible work ethics and were all good men. And they were really the ones I think that I learned what kind of a man I wanted to be when I grew up.”