The Big Lebowski
Though his role as “The Stranger” in The Big Lebowski wasn’t one of his largest, it remains one of his most popular. It was actually written for Elliott—no one else could have played it. “As I opened up and read, you know – a couple of pages in, and it’s talking about this voice-over. And it said literally on the page, the voice-over sounded not unlike Sam Elliott, and then later on when he appears in the bowling alley, here’s this guy dressed like a drugstore cowboy, looking not unlike Sam Elliott. So I guess they wrote it for me. They certainly wrote it with me in mind.”
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski Spin-Off
Because of the film’s cult status and lingering success, rumors have long circulated of a Big Lebowski spin-off. When asked if he’d ever reprise his role as “The Stranger,” Elliott said, “I keep hearing rumors he’s going to do one. I hope he does. And I hope they call me. Whether the Stranger’s going to be part of it or not, I have no idea. But it would be in good hands with John, if he was running the show.”
The Big Lebowski Spin-Off
