Director Jane Campion slams Sam Elliott over his 'The Power of the Dog' comments: 'He's not a cowboy, he's an actor'
- Director Jane Campion addressed Sam Elliott's comments about her film, "The Power of the Dog."
- Elliott criticized the film for its "allusions of homosexuality" and called it a "piece of shit."
Jane Campion had a few choice words for Sam Elliott after he criticized her film, "The Power of the Dog."
On Saturday, Campion, 67, shared her thoughts about Elliott's remarks while speaking with Variety on the red carpet at the Director's Guild Awards (DGA). Earlier this month, Elliott, 77, called the film a "piece of shit" and knocked it for the "allusions of homosexuality." He also criticized Campion for filming the western in her native New Zealand.
When asked about Elliott's comments, Campion said: "Look, what can I say? I'm sorry, he was being a little bit of a b-i-t-c-h."
"He's not a cowboy, he's an actor," she continued. "The West is a mythic space, and there's a lot of room on the range. I think it's a little bit sexist."
Campion then pointed out that directors like Sergio Leone have made western films in other countries as well. She added Elliott may think of her as "a woman or something lesser first."
"I don't appreciate that," she said.
Later that night, Campion won the Outstanding Achievement for Direction in Theatrical Feature Film award.
Representatives for Campion and Elliott did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
During a February appearance on Marc Maron's podcast, "WTF," Elliott compared the cowboys portrayed in the film to Chippendales dancers who "wear bow ties and not much else."
"That's what all these fucking cowboys in that movie looked like," Elliott said. "They're running around in chaps and no shirts. There's all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the movie."
He also praised Campion as a director but questioned, "What the fuck does this woman from down there know about the American West? Why the fuck did she shoot this movie in New Zealand and call it Montana? And say this is the way it was? That fucking rubbed me the wrong way."
Benedict Cumberbatch, who stars in the film alongside Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons, later responded to Elliott's remarks, calling them "very odd."