From 1883 to the Hero: How Sam Elliott’s Portrayal of Smoking Evolved over Time

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The disconnect between an actor's private health habits and their on-screen persona reached a boiling point during the filming of The Hero (2017). Director Brett Haley wrote the lead role of Lee Hayden, an aging Western film icon diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, specifically for Elliott. The script demanded that the protagonist smoke constantly, using cigarettes as a visual crutch to signal avoidance, regret, and impending mortality.

Because Elliott had long since retired from real tobacco, the production relied on standard film-industry herbal cigarettes. Made from blends of marshmallow leaf, clover, rose petals, and jasmine, these props contain zero nicotine and zero tobacco. They are designed to pass guild regulations and protect crew members from secondhand carcinogens. For an ex-smoker forced to inhale dense smoke across 15 takes, however, herbal props are notoriously punishing.

Following the film's premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Elliott opened up to the Los Angeles Times about the physical ordeal. He described the smoking scenes as outright "brutal," explaining that the harsh, acrid smoke from burning marshmallow leaf irritated his throat and lungs far worse than commercial tobacco ever had. Haley and the crew attempted to limit his takes, but the narrative required constant ignition. Elliott completed the shoot through sheer professional willpower, coughing between setups and washing his throat out with hot water to preserve his voice for dialogue scenes.