- Films
- 23
- Avg rating
- 6.71
- Peak run
- 1978’84
- Oscar noms
- 1
Every film, by IMDb rating
The career
Dot size shows IMDb votes. Films with fewer than 1,000 votes sit on the baseline.
As an actor, films with 1,000+ votes
Sam by the numbers
Average
6.71
17 rated films
Vote weighted
6.76
bigger films count more
Median
6.7
half are better
Consistency
±0.57
rating spread
Career
58y
1969 to 2026
Total votes
308K
across every film
Best
7.8
The Killing Fields
Worst
6.1
Anesthesia
Newest first
Filmography
| 2026 | Carousel | Sam | · | 141 |
| 2018 |  On the Basis of Sex | Erwin Griswold | 7.1 | 42,818 |
| 2015 | Anesthesia | Walter Zarrow | 6.1 | 5,344 |
| 1996 | The Proprietor | Harry Bancroft | · | 266 |
| 1995 | The Journey of August King | Mooney Wright | 6.5 | 1,110 |
| 1994 |  Serial Mom | Dad | 6.9 | 38,605 |
| 1991 |  The Man in the Moon | Matthew Trant | 7.2 | 22,131 |
| 1990 | Mindwalk | Jack Edwards | 7.6 | 3,426 |
| 1989 | Welcome Home | Woody | · | 415 |
| 1987 |  September | Peter | 6.4 | 11,227 |
| 1986 | Just Between Friends | Harry Crandall | 6.0 | 1,191 |
| 1985 | Warning Sign | Cal Morse | 6.1 | 3,196 |
| 1984 |  The Killing Fields | Sydney Schanberg | 7.8 | 64,423 |
| 1980 |  Heaven's Gate | Canton | 6.7 | 19,427 |
| 1980 |  Hopscotch | Joe Cutter | 7.1 | 10,208 |
| 1979 | Eagle's Wing | White Bull | 5.9 | 1,095 |
| 1978 |  Capricorn One | Peter Willis | 6.8 | 27,699 |
| 1978 |  Interiors | Mike | 7.2 | 22,712 |
| 1976 | Sweet Revenge | Le Clerq | · | 401 |
| 1975 | Journey Into Fear | Mr. Graham | · | 429 |
Takes
On Sam Waterston
1 nominations, 0 wins
Awards record
- NominatedBest Actor · Academy Awards 1985Sam Waterston
Information courtesy of IMDb (https://www.imdb.com). Used with permission. Ratings and votes as of the latest nightly refresh.