Sam Elliott says he feels 'terrible' for criticizing 'The Power of the Dog' for its 'allusions of homosexuality'

• Sam Elliott has expressed regret over his controversial criticism of "The Power of the Dog."
• The "Tombstone" actor said "I feel terrible" about saying "some things that hurt people."

Sam Elliott recently said he felt "terrible" about how he criticized "The Power of the Dog," more than a month after the actor said on Marc Maron's "WTF" podcast that the award-winning film was a "piece of shit."

Speaking at an event for Deadline's Contenders TV, Elliott began his apology by saying, "First, don't do a podcast with the call letters 'WTF'."

"I told the 'WTF' podcaster that I thought Jane Campion was a brilliant director, and I want to apologize to the cast of 'The Power of the Dog,' brilliant actors all," he said.

Elliott also apologized "in particular" to the film's star, Benedict Cumberbatch, who portrays a closeted gay man. "I can only say that I'm sorry and I am. I am," he added.

"I wasn't very articulate about it. I didn't articulate it very well," Elliott continued. "And I said some things that hurt people and I feel terrible about that."

Elliott, 77, sparked controversy during the March 1 episode of "WTF" when he panned the Oscar-winning Western. He went on to compare the cowboys in the movie to Chippendales dancers who "wear bow ties and not much else."

"That's what all these fucking cowboys in that movie looked like," he told Maron last month. "They're running around in chaps and no shirts. There's all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the movie."

During his apology, Elliott also addressed the LGBTQ community.

"The gay community has been incredible to me my entire career," he said. "And I mean my entire career, from before I got started in this town. Friends on every level and every job description up until today. I'm sorry I hurt any of those friends and someone that I loved. And anyone else by the words that I used."

During his wide-ranging interview with Maron, Elliott acknowledged that the New Zealand-born Campion was a "brilliant director," but he added: "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."

Campion responded to Elliott's comments that same month by saying the actor "was being a little bit of a b-i-t-c-h."

"He's not a cowboy, he's an actor," she added. "The West is a mythic space, and there's a lot of room on the range. I think it's a little bit sexist."