With Sam Elliotts latest performance in the new Vietnam war film We Were Soldiers, audiences should feel at ease with letting go of Sam the Cowboyat least for the time beingand begin paying more atten-SHUN!, shall we say, to the wonderful versatility and the undeniably commanding, onscreen presence of Sam the Actor.

This exceptional epic about the Vietnam experience aptly marches into theaters March 2002. Its a sprawling cinematic study of love, valor, sacrifice, and dedication to duty. Directed by Randall Wallace (Braveheart, Man in the Iron Mask), the film is based on the book , written by Lt. General Harold Moore (Ret.) and UPI reporter Joseph Galloway. It tells the true story of 450 U.S. soldiers who found themselves surrounded by 2,000 North Vietnamese regulars in the Ia Drang Valley in 1965. The conflict was the first major battle of the Vietnam war, and it set the tone for what was to come.

Mel Gibson is perfectly cast in the starring role as Lt. Colonel Harold Moore, commander of the 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry. (Yes, the same regiment as Gen. George Custer.)

Sam Elliott turns in a rock solid, standout performance in his most challenging supporting role to date as Sergeant Major Plumley, right hand man to Mel Gibsons Lt. Colonel.

Prior to filming, Elliott spent some time with the real-life Sgt. Maj. Plumley, a highly decorated, tougher-than-God paratrooper who, serving with the 82nd Airborne, had jumped into all four major combats in Europe, one in Korea, and served two tours in Vietnam. Theres a lot of responsibility when youve got to play one of those guys on screen, at least for me, says Elliott.

Elliotts portrayal of the fierce, unshakable army veteran is sure to make film critics stand up and take notice of the veteran actors range of depth, not to mention his consistently bankable likeability. Smoothly blending Plumleys dry wit and gruff manner, this is the type of roll Elliott can really sink his teeth into, and he plays it with absolute audience appeal.

Elliott says of his character, Hes a no-bullshit guy. He went as far as he could be as an enlisted man, he hated junior officers, but he was there to get the job done. He didnt consider himself a hero, he was just there doing his job. He had all those basic tenets that my dad and that whole generation all hadintegrity, forthrightness, honesty.

Given that Gibson and Elliott share the screen with Barry Pepper, Greg Kinnear, Marc Blucas, and Chris Klein to name but a few, the combined testosterone levels of this cast  may seem rather potent in a conventional in-the-trenches sort of way for a film of this type, considering the pictures anticipated appeal will play to a broad (no pun intended) audience basewhich the producers hope will include women.

But make no mistake: This is not typical of a guys war movie, as Elliott puts itand that should come as especially welcomed news for the ladies.

It is a powerful piece of film with great womens performances in it, Elliott is quick to point out. This is a two-hankie movie. Its a heartbreaker, but its honest.

Graphic as it is, We Were Soldiers differs from most other war films on several fronts. First, it goes beyond the tragic carnage of the battlefield and from the start communicates the story on a deep emotional level by giving audiences an intimate personal glimpse into the lives of the men of the 1/7 Cavalry. As the film progresses it switches back and forth from the combat zone to the home front showing the effect this war has on the community of families left behind at Fort Benning. Madeline Stowe stars as Moores wife. To the families on the base she is both the anchor of hope and the dreaded bearer of bad news.

Interestingly, this is the first Vietnam war movie that portrays, with equal respect, the men on both sides of the confrontation.

Elliott explains yet another reason that makes this film unique. The guys that fought in this battle were together for eighteen months training. These guys knew each other real well by the time they got over there. That is one of the things that sets this period in Vietnam apart from all the rest of it which followed.

The film, says Elliott, is offered as a tribute to those soldiers, to the men who fought and died in that battle, and to their families.

Those involved with the project have high hopes in regard to the films acceptance as well as its success, and according to Elliott those objectives spring from a genuinely deep level of commitment.

Any of these Vietnam vets that have been there and know the deal, they dont feel that any Hollywood endeavor about the Vietnam era has ever gotten it right yet, he remarks. Were hoping this ones going to make them feel better about that.

In preparation for their parts, the actors endured two weeks of intensive Hollywood-style boot camp training in Fort Benning, Georgia last March. Not one to hold back, Elliott gave it his all during trainingwhich included crawling on his belly under a barb wire course. Engaging so competitively in those kind of maneuvers alongside a cast of twenty-somethings was something for which the 57 year-old actor eventually paid the price. 

"I ended up getting a double hernia, which I carried all the way through the rest of the movie," says Elliott. "So it was a test, right from the beginning, for me.  Shortly after filming wrapped, Elliott underwent surgery and is happy to report that he has completely healed from the ordeal.

All in all, just another day on the job for Sam the Actor.

Now, about that Sam the Cowboy stuff.  Five films out from his last western (but then who's counting), there are some who may be wondering if Sam will be hanging up his cowboy hat for good. Granted, there was a time when even some of his peers had thought it would be in his best interest if he sought roles in which his characters were a-foot instead of a-horseback. However, Elliott is no longer concerned by that and says he has no intentions of putting the genre behind him.  I wear that badge with great honor, he adds.

In fact, Conagher remains one of Elliott's personal favorites. The total experience of working on that film, he says, "was a dream job everyday because it was living the ultimate fantasy for me, playing a Louis LAmour character, a good Louis LAmour character, with a well-written script, and working with my wife (Katharine Ross), and working with a lot of friends, a lot of real talented people, where all we wanted to do is go out and make a good movie."

Audiences strongly identify with Sam the Cowboy, so much so that some people actually think of him as one.  But lets face it, for a guy this hard-working, complex yet charming, he's certainly due a break from the trail.  In terms of his career and in spite of his great reputation in Hollywood, Elliotts legacy of playing the laconic cowboy had become a vocational hazard of sorts, limiting him to certain roles for a number of years, if not several decades.

Then came director Rod Lurie who thought outside the box and surprised everybody when he offered Elliott the role of Kermit Newman in the political thriller The Contender. That role was a tremendous opportunity for Elliott and it gave him a chance to spread his artistic wings while the audience ended up experiencing the full passion he has for his craft.

It bought me respect in quarters that I hadnt been recognized in before, Elliott says of the role. Im not one who goes out reaching for that, so when it comes kind of just by the way because of a job, then thats great. Its positive to ones career.

It was just that kind of recognition that led to Elliott being offered the role in We Were Soldiers.  Shortly thereafter, Academy Award-winning^® director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) personally sought out Elliott for the role of General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross in the upcoming superhero action flick The Hulk, a major event title that will be serving as Universal Picture's tent-pole movie for summer 2003.

Though Elliott modestly admits that acting may seem like a pretty frivolous pursuit on some level, he considers it a great gift to be able to do what he does for a living. Because it sometimes has some far-reaching effects on people, in a positive light. I think anytime you can affect people in general, in a positive way, then youre a lucky individual. I believe that.

He thinks hes lucky?  Well, that all depends upon ones perspective... When it comes to watching Sam Elliott skillfully plying his craft so gracefully up on the big screenbe it supporting role or starring, mustache or no mustache, no matter the genre or the story, in jeans or chaps, uniforms or suitshow much you wanna bet the audience will end up believing they are the lucky ones?

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