This award season has been filled with controversy.

Sam Elliott is no exception. His first reaction to his Oscar nomination was, “It’s about [bleeping] time.”

This was in the wake of his first ever Oscar nomination January 22, Friday morning for his supporting role in Warner Bros’ A Star Is Born.

Now at age 74, Elliott’s film career has spanned 50 years with his first movie appearance in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969). His icon status comes from his thick mustache and deep gravelly drawl, paired with his undeniable talent.

He’s one of those actors who is in everything but at same time in nothing. He’s never really had a leading role in a major motion picture. He has been involved in supporting roles in classics like Road House, Tombstone, and The Big Lebowski. His voice has also been known to lend itself to some pretty well known characters. Elliott is the voice of American icon, Smokey the Bear, a creation of the Ad Council and the National Association of State Forests during World War II, when there was concern about who would fight forest fires while many firefighters were serving in the military. Elliott himself nearly lost his family’s home during the California wildfire in November that burned nearly 100,000 acres in Malibu.

Elliott’s voice is so iconic that even Bradley Cooper tried to replicate it in A Star Is Born, playing Jackson Maine, a country rock star battling himself and his own addiction.

Upon hearing that Sam Elliott was being nominated for an Oscar, I was so excited. Especially since he was snubbed from a Golden Globe Nomination this year. In A Star Is Born, Elliott plays Bobby, Jackson Maine’s much older brother, manager, and surrogate father figure. He serves largely as a reminder of Jackson’s past hopes and dreams and his country credentials.

Elliott’s performance stuck out to me the most and became my favorite. I have three older brothers of my own and Elliot perfectly embodied the type of qualities a loving role model and caretaker. Throughout the film Elliott’s character, Bobby, only wants what is best for Jack. Jack takes him for granted and doesn’t see just how much Bobby really loves him. This relationship made me reevaluate my relationship with my own brothers, and brought me to the realization of how much my brothers truly care for me.

As of recently it seems like Hollywood is starting to take him a little more serious, however. Elliot has starred in two films since 2017, those being The Hero and The Man Who Killed Hitler and Then Bigfoot. Both movies garnered great performances by Elliott.