17 Vintage Photos of Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross — Including Rare Photos with the Longtime Couple's Daughter, Cleo Rose
17 Vintage Photos of Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross — Including Rare Photos with the Longtime Couple's Daughter, Cleo Rose
Stephanie SengweTue, March 3, 2026 at 8:09 PM UTC
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Katharine Ross and Sam ElliottCredit: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Sam Elliott and his wife Katharine Ross are life-long loves.
The pair first crossed paths back in the '60s when they were working on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Ross, who was starring in the film, was dating its cinematographer and did not interact much with Elliott, who was then a background actor.
"My wife, Katharine Ross, and I both worked on Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, but I didn't dare try to talk to her then," he told AARP The Magazine in 2015. "She was the leading lady. I was a shadow on the wall, a glorified extra in a bar scene."
They would meet again in the 1978 filmThe Legacy. Ross divorced fourth husband Gaetano Lisi shortly after the film wrapped, after which time she and Elliott connected and became a couple. The pair wed in May 1984 and welcomed daughter Cleo a few months later.
Though they mostly live a quiet life, the couple have made several public appearances over the years — at premieres, awards shows and other events. Occasionally, Cleo Rose would also join (and recently, did her mom's makeup for the Actor Awards!).
Below, see photos of Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross over the years.
01 of 17
Big Hair, Big Love
Katharine Ross and Sam ElliottCredit: Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty
The couple were extremely well coiffed at the 16th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards in April 1981.
02 of 17
'80s Baby
Katharine Ross and Sam ElliottCredit: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Elliott and Ross looked '80s cool as they attended the Second Annual Benefit Concert for Malibu Emergency Room in March 1984.
03 of 17
New Look
Sam Elliott and Katharine RossCredit: Ron Galella, Ltd/Ron Galella Collection/Getty
In a rare sighting, Elliott ditched his famous moustache for a bare face at the 45th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 1988.
04 of 17
Looking at You
Sam Elliott and Katharine RossCredit: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Ross adoringly looked at her husband as the two hit the town for an event in October 1989.
05 of 17
On the Move
Katherine Ross, Sam Elliot, CleoCredit: Ron Galella, Ltd/Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Elliott ushered young Cleo and Ross to their post while at the Moscow Circus opening event in 1990.
Unlike her actor parents, Cleo pursued her love for music, releasing her debut album No More Lies in 2008.
"My parents are totally supportive of this," she told The Malibu Times of her music career. "They're just happy I don't want to be an actor."
06 of 17
Boots on the Ground
Sam Elliott and actress Katharine RossCredit: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty
The couple (both known for their contributions to the Western genre) was all dressed up for the Ninth Annual Golden Boot Awards in 1991.
"I think we just like making movies and having that creative experience together is the best," Elliott told the Los Angeles Times of their relationship in 2016. "It's just fun. It's a whole different kind of energy to go home with some you're working with rather than go home to somebody who isn't working. It's a totally positive experience."
07 of 17
Switching Things Up
Sam Elliot and Katharine RossCredit: Ron Galella, Ltd/Ron Galella Collection/Getty
Elliott may have trimmed his tresses but his moustache was in full bloom as the couple were snapped at the American Oceans Campaign Honoring Ted Turner in 1994.
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08 of 17
Just Us Two
Katherine Ross, Sam ElliottCredit: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Mom and dad were quite the dashing duo in this undated shot.
09 of 17
Family Night Out
Sam Elliott and his familyCredit: Vinnie Zuffante/Getty
The couple brought Cleo and a companion to the 1993 premiere of Gettysburg.
10 of 17
At the Park
Katharine Ross, actor Sam Elliott and daughter Cleo RoseCredit: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty
The family went dinosaur resort chic for the premiere of Jurassic Park III in 2001. (And yes, we're just as shocked to see Elliott without his mustache as you are.)
11 of 17
Steppign Out in STyle
Sam Elliott, Katharine Ross;Cleo Rose ElliottCredit: Steve Granitz/WireImage
At the 2018 premiere of Elliott's film A Star Is Born, Cleo and Ross turned up in fabulous attire, from Ross' leopard accessories to Cleo's pink hair.
12 of 17
Night Out
Sam Elliott, actress Katharine Ross, daughter Cleo Rose Elliott and family attendCredit: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty
The family brought along their loved ones for the premiere of The Contender in 2000.
13 of 17
Big Smiles
Sam Elliott, Katharine, Ross Cleo ElliotCredit: SGranitz/WireImage
Mom and dad smiled for the cameras as Cleo Rose opted for a cool smolder at The Hulk premiere in 2003.
14 of 17
Movie People
Cleo Elliott, actor Sam Elliott and actress Katherine RossCredit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty
Cleo and her mom helped themselves to some libations as the family readied themselves for a special screening of 1967's The Graduate — in which Ross performed her breakout role — in 2005.
15 of 17
Locked In
Katharine Ross and Sam ElliottCredit: Steve Granitz/WireImage
The couple walked hand-in-hand at the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2019.
16 of 17
Three Is Company
Katharine Ross, Sam Elliott and Cleo Rose ElliottCredit: Rick Kern/Getty
Elliott squeezed his girls as the trio attended the Landman season 2 advanced screening in Texas last November.
When it comes to making marriage work, Elliott told NPR, "I think really what it boils down to is we love each other, and we work at it. And I think more importantly than anything, it takes wanting to be married."
"The two things that I wanted in my life were to have a movie career and to be married, to have a family. And it's an embarrassment of riches that I've got both."
17 of 17
Still the One
Katherine Ross and Sam ElliottCredit: Neilson Barnard/Getty
Elliott and Ross were the most adorable duo as they donned coordinating tuxedos at the Actor Awards on March 1.
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