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Sam Bottoms

Sam Bottoms

Actor, also producer · Died December 16, 2008, aged 53 · Santa Barbara, California, U.S.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Samuel John "Sam" Bottoms (October 17, 1955 – December 16, 2008) was an American actor and producer. Description above from the Wikipedia article Sam Bottoms, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 17, 1955
Died
December 16, 2008 (aged 53)
From
Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Works as
Actor, also producer
Titles
26 on MovieCove · 46 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 3% in 30 days

What are Sam Bottoms' films like?

Across their 20 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Survival and Self.

Genres

Drama11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 55th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Drama movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 21st percentile
: browse their Action movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 88th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Survival
29%
Self
20%
Bonds
19%
Morality
18%
Society
13%
Power
2%
Survival5 titles, browse their movies with this themeRedemption4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIsolation4 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma4 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief3 titles, browse their movies with this themeParenthood2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 20 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 3 · Serious 6 · Dark 11

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 14 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 7 · Charged 5 · Intense 8

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 10 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 12 · Some laughs 7 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 9 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 8 · Engaged 10 · Full focus 2

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

A split, not a type: Easy watch 4 · Affecting 6 · Heavy 10

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 18 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Roles they play

4 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 2 of 4 analyzed roles.

Hero
2 of 4
Shadow
1 of 4
Ally
1 of 4

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
13
Melancholic
10
Warm
8
Dread
5
Contemplative
4
Other
8

How their films linger

Haunting9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy6
  • Bittersweet9
  • Tragic3
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Sam Bottoms' films?

As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 26 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Sam Bottoms' titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

46 credits, 26 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Finishing the Game(2007)

    as Martey Kurtainbaum

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • Sherrybaby(2006)

    as Bob Swanson Sr.

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • Winter Passing(2005)

    as Brian

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Shopgirl(2005)

    as Dan Buttersfield

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Havoc(2005)

    as Lt. Maris

    Midcredits score: 20th percentile of all films

  • Seabiscuit(2003)

    as Mr. Blodget

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Looking Through Lillian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    as Gene

  • Shadow Fury (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Mitchell Madsen

  • The Unsaid(2001)

    as Joseph Caffey

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Mercenary II: Thick & Thin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Camera Man

  • Joseph's Gift(1999)

    as Robert Keller

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • Angel Blue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1998)

    as Dennis Cromwell

  • Snide and Prejudice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    as Therapist Schaub

  • Project Shadowchaser III (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Kody

  • Zooman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as Policeman

  • Sugar Hill(1994)

    as Oliver Thompson

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Sunny Side Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    as Sam Bottoms

  • The X-Files(1993)

    Show 1 episode · as Michael Kryder

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Trust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1993)

    as James Baker

  • North of Chiang Mai (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    Actor

  • Picture This: The Times of Peter Bogdanovich in Archer City, Texas(1991)

    Co-Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Dolly Dearest(1991)

    as Elliot Wade

    Midcredits score: 13th percentile of all films

  • Ragin' Cajun(1990)

    as Legs

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • After School (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    as Father Michael McCarren

  • The Witching of Ben Wagner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Mr. George 'Dad' Wagner

  • Island Sons (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    as Sam Faraday

  • Gardens of Stone(1987)

    as Lt. Webber

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • 21 Jump Street(1987)

    Show 1 episode · as Robert Johnson

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all shows

  • Hunter's Blood(1986)

    as David Rand

    Midcredits score: 39th percentile of all films

  • Answers(1985)

    as Patrolman Rick Selby (Segment "A Good Time")

  • Prime Risk (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1985)

    as Bill Yeoman

  • Murder, She Wrote(1984)

    Show 1 episode · as Joe Hellinger · as Sgt. Joe Rice

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all shows

  • In 'N Out (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Murray Lewis, Jr. (as Samuel Bottoms)

  • No Earthly Reason (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1984)

    as Coley

  • Desperate Lives (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    as Ken Baynes

  • East of Eden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Show 3 episodes · as Cal Trask

  • Bronco Billy(1980)

    as Leonard James

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Up from the Depths(1979)

    as Greg Oliver

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Apocalypse Now(1979)

    as Lance B. Johnson

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • The Outlaw Josey Wales(1976)

    as Jamie

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Cage Without a Key(1975)

    as Buddy Goleta

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Savages (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    as Ben Campbell

  • Zandy's Bride(1974)

    as Mel Allan

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Doc Elliot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Class of '44(1973)

    as Marty

    Midcredits score: 25th percentile of all films

  • The Last Picture Show(1971)

    as Billy

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

Career shape

Star power in the 95th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 46 titles from 1971 to 2007; peak year 1979.

Biggest box office

Apocalypse Now (1979)

$106M worldwide

Highest rated

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Midcredits 99th

Film career

MilestoneBreakout
19712007

Peak 1979 · back in prominent film roles after a quiet stretch. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting45 of 46: 45 only acting, 0 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdProducing1 of 46: 1 only producing, 0 with another role

By decade

1970s9 · acting1980s14 · acting1990s14 · 13 acting · 1 crew2000s9 · acting

Billing

usually 8th · top billed in 7% of 15 roles
7186

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30; the columns are the share of top-billed roles in each era, 5-year spans from the year on the label, merged until each holds at least 5 roles.

How do Sam Bottoms' films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 53rd percentile, the median of the 22 of 23 with a score; across their 20 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 53rd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

53rdpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Approval · how many liked their films

52ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Reach · how many have seen their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 20

Midcredits score across 25 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th9
  • 25th to 49th6
  • Below 25th4

Shape of the crowd

9 of their 25 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Universally Panned2
  • Divisive1
  • Crowd Pleaser9
  • Broadly Agreed3
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

Joseph's Gift (1999)

90th percentile spread · 30% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Apocalypse Now (1979)

Midcredits 99th · 90% liked

Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 18 reviewed titles; fans 76, detractors 44. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Sam Bottoms' work okay for kids?

Across up to 5 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity and profanity run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 81 · severeMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity5 titles48–72 · median 65 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity5 titles45–84 · median 64 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs3 titlesmedian 39 · moderateMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense3 titlesmedian 64 · intenseMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Sam Bottoms work with?

People who share at least 2 of Sam Bottoms' MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Francis Ford Coppola shares the most, 3.

Directors

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles