Sam Elliott married Katharine Ross, the woman he loved most in the world. But before that, he was afraid to talk to her for years. Here’s how they fell in love.

Sam could only stare at Katharine Ross when he first met her. He was amazed by how beautiful she was. “All I could do was watch Katharine come and go,” he says. I never spoke to her. I would never even think of talking to her.”

If a well-known actor can’t find the right words, it could be the end of his career. Elliott is famous for being the main character in movies like The Legacy, Tombstone, and The Big Lebowski. On the big screen, his rugged good looks, deep voice, and no-nonsense attitude made him seem unbeatable.

But behind the scenes, he wanted to be the man Katharine Ross needed and wanted in her life.

On the set of the classic western Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Sam Elliott met Katharine Ross. At the time, he was just starting out as an actor, and he felt like Katharine had the main role in the movie while he was just a “glorified extra.”

But Elliott didn’t ask Katharine out on a date until they saw each other again on the set of The Legacy. They took things slowly, and after six years, Sam Elliott married Katharine Ross.

They’ve been together for 38 years and have one child, but they still love each other as much as the first time Sam saw her from a distance. When it comes to Hollywood, 38 years is a long time. Before ten years, most marriages were over. But the couple has kept their love as the most important part of their lives.

When asked what kept their marriage strong, he said, “We have common sense, but we also work at being together…

you can’t just leave it. That’s how people stay together.”

He also said, “Through mutual love and respect,” and he added, “At the end of the day, determination is the key: “There are ups and downs, but you have to keep going.”

Exactly. Marriages take work, effort, and commitment, and this couple has done all of those things in a beautiful way. We pray that God keeps blessing their happy marriage, which started with a single look.