Cleo Rose Elliott is an American musician, model, and actress best known as the only child of Hollywood actors Sam Elliott and Katharine Ross.
She built her own music career independently, training as a classical singer before releasing original songs and returning to music with new material on her own label in 2024.
Who is Cleo Rose Elliott?
Cleo Rose Elliott is an American singer, songwriter, model, and actress who grew up in Malibu, California.
She is the only child of Sam Elliott, one of Hollywood’s most recognizable character actors, and Katharine Ross, an Oscar-nominated actress known for The Graduate and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
Despite her famous parents, Cleo chose music over acting. She trained in classical Italian opera and songwriting before releasing her debut CD in 2008.
In 2024, she returned to music with a new single release on her own imprint, CRE Records.
She has also modeled and appeared in magazine features, and in 2020 she stepped in front of the camera as an actress for the first time.
Cleo keeps a low profile but continues to make occasional public appearances, often alongside her family at industry events.
Sam Elliott’s Daughter Cleo Rose Elliott
Sam Elliott is Cleo’s father and one of the most enduring presences in American film and television.
Born on August 9, 1944, in Sacramento, California, Sam Elliott built a career defined by his distinctive voice and rugged Western persona.
He has appeared in Tombstone (1993), The Big Lebowski (1998), A Star Is Born (2018), and the Paramount+ series Landman (2024), among dozens of other films and TV series.
Cleo’s mother, Katharine Ross, is equally celebrated. Ross earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Elaine Robinson in The Graduate (1967).
She also won the BAFTA Award for Best Actress for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for Voyage of the Damned (1976).
Sam and Katharine met on the set of the 1978 horror film The Legacy. They married in May 1984, and Cleo was born later that same year.
The family has lived in Malibu, California, for decades. Cleo and her father share a particularly close bond.
In November 2025, she and her mother attended the Landman Season 2 advance screening in Fort Worth, Texas, to show support for Sam.
The family regularly appears together at film premieres and industry events.
Early Life of Cleo Rose Elliott
Cleo Rose Elliott was born on September 17, 1984, in Malibu, California. As an only child in a prominent Hollywood family, she grew up surrounded by the entertainment industry but found her own pull toward music rather than film.
Her grandparents include Henry Nelson Elliott, a noted American conservationist, and Dudley Ross, a guitarist, music composer, and bandleader.
That musical lineage on her mother’s side gave Cleo early exposure to music as a serious creative pursuit.
She attended Malibu High School for three years before transferring to Colin McEwan High School.
After graduating, she studied classical Italian opera and Bel Canto singing under Charity Chapman, a well-regarded singer-songwriter based in California.
From 2002 to 2006, she also trained at the Joanne Baron/D.W. Brown Acting Studio in Santa Monica. Growing up, Cleo learned to play both the guitar and the flute.
Her musical influences include Jimi Hendrix, Fiona Apple, Sheryl Crow, Guns N’ Roses, and Pink Floyd.
In an interview, she said she grew up on vinyl records, listing Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers’ Eat a Peach, and The Cars’ Heartbeat City among her favorites.
Cleo Rose Elliott Age / Birthday
Cleo Rose Elliott is 42 years old as of 2026, born on September 17, 1984. Her zodiac sign is Virgo, a sign often linked with precision, craft, and a strong sense of independence.
She marks her birthday on the same date each September and remains based in Malibu, where she grew up.
Cleo Rose Elliott Ethnicity and Nationality
Cleo holds American nationality and grew up in California. Her ethnic background is white American, with family roots on her mother’s side tracing to a musical heritage.
She has spoken warmly about both sides of her family and their influence on her values and interests.
Cleo Rose Elliott Height and Weight
Cleo Rose Elliott stands 5 feet 5 inches tall, which equals approximately 165 centimeters.
Her reported weight is around 121 pounds (55 kilograms). She has brown eyes and often wears her hair in pink-tinged curls, a distinctive part of her personal style.
Cleo Rose Elliott Career
Cleo’s career spans modeling, music, and acting, with music as her primary focus. She began with modeling in the early 2000s and worked her way into the music industry through classical training and original songwriting.
Early Modeling Work (2003–2008)
Cleo’s first professional job came in 2003 when she appeared on SexyHair, a live hair-styling show. That same year, she was photographed for The Malibu Times alongside her parents.
She went on to appear in several fashion magazines and made a red-carpet appearance at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards in 2013. Modeling gave her a public presence while she developed her music career in parallel.
Through her vocal training with Charity Chapman, Cleo joined the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
That connection introduced her to music producer Bobby Harby, who became her first collaborator.
Music Career and Debut CD (2008)
Cleo released her debut CD No More Lies in 2008. She wrote the songs herself, and Harby produced the record.
The release earned her an international following and established her as a serious songwriter rather than simply a celebrity offspring pursuing music.
She described her sound as drawing on rock legends and classic artists, shaped by years of formal opera training layered over personal influences in rock and alternative music.
Her ability to blend Bel Canto vocal technique with rock-influenced songwriting made her approach distinctive.
Cleo appeared at public events throughout this period, including a high-profile family outing at the September 2018 premiere of A Star Is Born, at which her father received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
The family also attended the 2019 Oscars together.
Return to Music and Acting (2020–Present)
In 2020, Cleo made her acting debut in the film Murder for Dummies, directed by Meredith Red.
She played the character Kandy Kane, stepping into on-screen performance for the first time after years in music and modeling.
In August 2024, she returned to music by releasing a new three-track EP on her own label, CRE Records.
The release includes the songs “Man in Black,” “No More Lies,” and “Keep Holding On,” available on streaming platforms including Apple Music, Amazon Music, and iHeart.
The 2024 release marks her most active period of public music activity since her 2008 debut.
Cleo maintains an official website at cleoroseelliott.com, where fans can access her music and updates.
Cleo Rose Elliott Partner
Cleo has been in a long-term relationship with Randy Christopher Bates, a professional downhill mountain bike rider and cyclist.
Their relationship dates to at least December 2013, when Randy first shared a photo of the two together on Instagram.
Randy reportedly used the hashtag #fiancé in posts about Cleo as early as February 2014, suggesting an informal engagement, though no formal wedding announcement has been made publicly.
Before cycling, Randy was a musician who played in a band called Panic Boom. He also spent time in scuba diving before turning to competitive cycling.
The couple often attend events with Cleo’s parents. Randy, Cleo, Sam Elliott, and Katharine Ross were all photographed together at the 2018 A Star Is Born premiere and again at the 2019 Oscar ceremony.
Cleo Rose Elliott Net Worth
Cleo Rose Elliott’s estimated net worth is $1.5 million as of 2026. Her income comes from her music career, modeling work, and acting projects.
Her debut CD in 2008, years of modeling appearances, and her 2024 music release on her own CRE Records label represent her primary earning activities.
She has stayed largely independent rather than pursuing major label deals.
Her father Sam Elliott has an estimated net worth of $20 million, built from his decades-long acting career.
Cleo has not relied on her parents’ wealth publicly and has pursued her own professional path since the early 2000s.
Cleo Rose Elliott Social Media
Cleo keeps a limited public social media presence. Her Instagram handle is @cleoroseelliott, where she posts occasionally. She also maintains her official music site at cleoroseelliott.com.
Her Instagram account is semi-private and she posts infrequently, consistent with her preference for a low-key personal life.
Conclusion
Cleo Rose Elliott built a music career from classical opera training to original rock-influenced songwriting, making her own creative mark apart from two of Hollywood’s most enduring acting careers.
Her 2024 return to music on her own label, decades after her first public appearances, shows a creative commitment that has outlasted the spotlight of her early years.