Katharine Ross: Fame, Five Marriages, and Her Lasting Love With Sam Elliott

Released in December 1967, The Graduate became an enormous commercial and cultural success. Her Elaine Robinson stood at the center of Benjamin Braddock’s attempt to escape his affair with her mother and build a future of his own.

The film’s romantic ending made Elaine one of the decade’s most recognizable young characters. Almost overnight, Ross had moved from supporting television work to international fame, and Hollywood’s awards organizations soon responded.