Sam Elliott and Brett Haley on The Hero

Actor Sam Elliott’s iconic career all began with a bit part in the classic film BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID. His resonant drawl is instantly recognizable, with a voice that fuels international campaigns such as Dodge Ram and Coors.Sam rose to stardom playing the lead of the Paramount Pictures’ cult classic LIFEGUARD. Some of his most memorable roles include playing ‘Virgil Earp’ in TOMBSTONE, ‘The Stranger’ in THE BIG LEBOWSKI, ‘Lee Scorseby’ in THE GOLDEN COMPASS, ‘General Ross’ in Ang Lee’s HULK, and ‘Kermit Newman’ in Rod Laurie’s THE CONTENDER.His countless film credits include THE COMPANY YOU KEEP, WE WERE SOLDIERS, GHOST RIDER, THE HI-LO COUNTRY, DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THE MORGANS?, BARNYARD, OFF THE MAP, GETTYSBURG, RUSH, PRANCER, FATAL BEAUTY, MASK, UP IN THE AIR, AND THANK YOU FOR SMOKING.On television, Sam currently stars opposite Ashton Kutcher, Danny Masterson, Elisha Cuthbert, and Debra Winger in the Netflix comedy series THE RANCH, which is now in its second season. Sam had a recurring role on the hit FX series JUSTIFIED, for which he won a 2015 Critics’ Choice Award. He also recurred on PARKS AND RECREATION. Elliott was nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for his role in BUFFALO GIRLS. Other television credits include FAIL SAFE, YOU KNOW MY NAME, which was a movie for TNT that won the first Golden Boot “Best of the West” Award, the miniseries MURDER IN TEXAS, GONE TO TEXAS, THE SAM HOUSTON STORY, THE YELLOW ROSE and FUGITIVE NIGHTS.Film director, writer and editor Brett Haley grew up in Key West and Pensacola, Florida. He graduated with a BFA in directing from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. He co-wrote, edited, and directed I’LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS, starring Blythe Danner and Sam Elliott, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. The film won Best Actress and Best Director at the Louisiana Film Festival, and Blythe Danner was nominated for a Gotham Award for Best Actress for her role in the film. Brett’s first feature film, THE NEW YEAR, premiered and won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Film at the Sarasota Film Festival.Sam and Brett’s new film is THE HERO, featured at this year’s Seattle International Film Festival. Info at siff.net and TheHero.film