Landman's Sam Elliott Is Still So Handsome Without His Mustache

Sam Elliott has one of Hollywood's most famous mustaches. Six decades into his prolific career, the "Landman" star's fans can hardly picture him without his signature facial hair. But while easy to assume he has been rocking it since the dawn of time, Elliott has actually shaved it off at various points throughout his life. And he looks just as handsome without it, as hard it may be to picture it. But that's what photographic evidence is for. 

As the March 2000 photo below shows, "The Big Lebowski" actor attended the "High Fidelity" Hollywood premiere with a clean face, proving he isn't afraid to ditch his signature look now and then. It also proved that he doesn't wear the mustache to hide some facial imperfection. With or without it, Elliott looked gorgeous when he was younger. Seeing him without the mustache makes us realize that most of his charm comes from his quiet smile, mysterious eyes, and deep voice rather than his famous facial hair. Some fans see it, too.

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"He's stunning, no matter how you deliver him. It's that voice as much as the package it comes in," an Instagram user wrote under a carousel that featured several pictures of him with a shaved face. While others also believe his handsomeness goes beyond his 'stache, they noted they wouldn't trade his signature look. "He looks amazing with or without the mustache. But WITH it he (still) gives me goosebumps," a second Instagram user highlighted. But one thing is for sure: questions about his mustache have surrounded Elliott since he got started in Hollywood — and it baffles him. 

Everyone may be obsessed with it, but Sam Elliott feels a lot less strongly about his mustache than his fans. For him, it's just a personal preference with no feelings attached. "I first grew one in the late '60s, but I've cut it off without hesitation," he told Men's Journal in 2018. Fans often question him about the decision to shave whenever they see him without the mustache, which annoys him a bit. "You can't even answer a question like that. Why do you get a haircut?" he added.

In fact, the interest in his 'stache baffles him. "It's a weird thing. It's just hair on somebody's lip," he said on "Today" in 2022. He emphasized his career hasn't depended on it, even if fans may strongly associate his persona with it. "I'm comfortable with it or without it. I've worked without it a number of times over the years," he added. Indeed, Elliott worked without it as recently as 2015, when he played gangster Avery Markham in the final season of "Justified." It wasn't a conscious decision made between him and producers, and he was definitely not against playing the character with a mustache.

It basically came down to circumstances. "I didn't have it when they cast me, and I didn't have time to grow one that I wanted to wear on weekly episodic TV," he told Vulture in 2015. But he liked the result, as it helped him separate Avery from other characters he had played in the past. "That seems absurd, probably, but it's that little subtle stuff that makes all the difference in the world," he said.