Jane Campion Slams Sam Elliott's Criticism: 'He's Not a Cowboy, He's an Actor'

Director Jane Campion was triumphant at the Directors Guild Awards Saturday, where she won the Theatrical Feature Film Award for her "The Power of the Dog" — and took time out on the red carpet beforehand to call out actor Sam Elliott over his recent criticisms of her film.

A couple of weeks ago, Elliott, speaking with Marc Maron on his "WTF" podcast, trashed "The Power of the Dog" — an Oscar front-runner for Best Picture — comparing Campion's cowboy characters to Chippendales dancers.

"That's what all these f**king cowboys in that movie looked like. They're running around in chaps and no shirts. There's all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the movie," he said.

Considering the film is actually about how repressed homosexuality has affected its lead character (played by Benedict Cumberbatch), many identified Elliott's comments as blatantly homophobic.

The 77-year-old "A Star Is Born" actor also disparaged Campion, 67, saying, "What the f**k does this woman from [New Zealand] know about the American West?"

Speaking with Variety's Marc Malkin, who asked her if she were surprised by Elliott's comments, Campion finally responded, saying, "Look, what can I say? I'm sorry — he was being a little bit of a B-I-T-C-H."

She went on to observe, "I'm sorry to say it, but he's not a cowboy, he's an actor. And the West is a mythic space and there's a lot of room on the range."

As for what Elliott said about her being a woman from New Zealand, she said, "I think it's a little bit sexist, because you think about the number of amazing westerns that were made in Spain by Sergio Leone... I mean, I consider myself a creator, and I think he sees me as a woman or something lesser first, and, you know, I don't appreciate that."