Kevin Costner
Encyclopedia
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Award
s. Costner's roles include Lt. John J. Dunbar in the film Dances with Wolves
, Jim Garrison
in JFK
, Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams
, Robin Hood
in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
, Crash Davis in Bull Durham
, Robert "Butch" Haynes in A Perfect World
, Frank Farmer in The Bodyguard
and Eliot Ness
in The Untouchables. Costner also founded the band Modern West, and has performed with the band since 2007.
, the youngest of three sons (the middle of whom died at birth). His mother, Sharon Rae (née
Tedrick), was a welfare
worker, and his father, William Costner, was an electrician
and later utilities executive
at Southern California Edison
. Costner's paternal heritage originates with German
immigrants to South Carolina
in the 1700s; he also has English
and Irish
ancestry, and has said that one of his ancestors had "married a Cherokee
woman". Costner was raised Baptist
. He attended Cabrillo Middle School
and Villa Park High School
. Costner was not academically inclined. Rather, he enjoyed sports, took piano lessons, wrote poetry and sang in the First Baptist Choir. He has stated that a viewing of the film How the West Was Won
at the age of seven had "formed" his childhood.
Spending his teenage years in various parts of California as his father's career progressed, Costner has described this as a period when he "lost a lot of confidence", having to make new friends often. Costner lived in Orange County
, then in Visalia
(Tulare County), attending Mt. Whitney High School, and then back to Ventura
, graduating from Buena High School in 1973. He went on to earn a B.A.
in marketing and finance from California State University, Fullerton
, in 1978.
and on the return plane journey had a chance encounter with actor and fellow passenger Richard Burton
, who had purchased all the seats around him for solitude. Burton agreed to speak to Costner after he finished his book. Costner, who had been taking acting classes, but had not told his wife about his desire to be an actor, watched Burton closely and approached when Burton gestured. Costner told Burton that he would prefer that his life was not filled with the type of drama that had followed Burton and asked if he would have to tolerate that if he became an actor. Burton replied, "You have green eyes. I have green eyes. I think you'll be fine." After landing, Burton's limousine pulled up to the curb where Costner and Cindy were waiting for a taxi, where Burton wished Costner luck. Costner would never see Burton again, but credits Burton with partially contributing to his career.
Having agreed to undertake a job as a marketing executive on return, Costner began taking acting lessons five nights a week, with the support of his wife. His marketing job lasted 30 days. He took work which allowed him to develop his acting skills via tuition, including working on fishing boats, as a truck driver, and giving tours of stars' Hollywood homes to support the couple while he also made the audition rounds.
Although a biography claims it was actually filmed in the winter of 1978-1979, the film was not released until 1986.
Costner made a very brief cameo in the 1982 Ron Howard
film Night Shift
, he is listed in the credits as 'Frat Boy #1' and appears at the climax of a frat-style, blow-out party in the New York City morgue, when the music is suddenly stopped by a frantic Henry Winkler, Costner can be seen holding a beer and looking surprised at the sudden halt of celebration.
He appeared in a commercial for the Apple Lisa
and Table for Five
in 1983, and, the same year, had a small role in the nuclear holocaust film Testament
. Later, he was cast in The Big Chill
and filmed several scenes that were planned as flashbacks, but they were removed from the final cut. His role was that of Alex, the friend who committed suicide, the event that brings the rest of the cast together. All that is seen of him are his slashed wrists as the mortician dresses his corpse in the movie's opening scenes. Costner was a friend of director Lawrence Kasdan
, who promised the actor a role in a future project. That became 1985's Silverado and a breakout role for Costner. He also starred that year in the smaller films Fandango
and American Flyers
.
Full-blown movie star status for Costner arrived in 1987, when he starred as federal agent Eliot Ness
in The Untouchables and in the leading role of the thriller No Way Out
. He solidified his A-list status in the baseball-themed films Bull Durham
(1988) and Field of Dreams
(1989).
Costner's next success came with the epic Dances with Wolves
(1990). He directed and starred in the film and served as one of its producers. The film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards
and won seven, including two for him personally (Best Picture
and Best Director
). The same year saw the release of Revenge
, in which he starred along with Anthony Quinn
and Madeleine Stowe
, directed by Tony Scott
(Costner had wanted to direct it himself).
He followed this with Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
(1991), the Oliver Stone
-directed JFK
(1991), The Bodyguard
(1992), and Clint Eastwood
's A Perfect World
(1993), all of which provided box office or critical acclaim.
He then took the title role in the biopic Wyatt Earp
(1994), directed by Kasdan. It received bad reviews and flopped at the box office. The science fiction
-post-apocalyptic epics Waterworld
(1995) and The Postman
(1997), the latter of which Costner also directed, were both commercial disappointments and both largely regarded by critics as artistic failures. However, The Postman results were worse than Waterworld and ended up "winning" five Golden Raspberry Awards
, including Worst Picture, Worst Actor and Worst Director for Costner.
Costner then starred in the golf comedy Tin Cup
(1996) for Ron Shelton
, who had previously directed him in Bull Durham. He developed the film Air Force One
and was set to play the lead role of the President, but ultimately decided to concentrate on finishing The Postman
instead. He personally offered the project to Harrison Ford
.
His career revived somewhat in 2000 with Thirteen Days
, in which he portrayed a top adviser to John F. Kennedy
. The western Open Range
, which he directed and starred in, received critical acclaim in 2003, and was a surprise success commercially. He received some of his best reviews for his supporting role as retired professional baseball player Denny Davies in The Upside of Anger
, for which he received a nomination from the Broadcast Film Critics Association
and won the San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
.
After that, Costner starred in The Guardian
and in Mr. Brooks
, in which he portrayed a serial killer. In 2008, Costner starred in Swing Vote
. Costner was honored on September 6, 2006 when his hand and foot prints were set in concrete in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre
alongside those of other celebrated actors and entertainers.
In 2010, The Company Men
debuted on the Sundance Festival starring Kevin with Ben Affleck. It had good reviews. It was released in cinemas worldwide in January 2011. The film was considered to be an Oscar contender, but did not get a nomination.
Costner will be returning to the director's chair for the first time in seven years in 2011 with A Little War of Our Own. The film is about a local sheriff who must keep his town from erupting into violence during World War II. The other lead role is that of a German U-boat captain. The screenplay is by Dan Gordon, who co-wrote another sheriff movie for Costner, 1994's Wyatt Earp
.
He will also team up again with director Kevin Reynolds in Learning Italian. Costner will play a CIA agent stationed in a coastal Italian town in order to keep an eye on a KGB operative.
He also appears, as a special cameo, in Funny or Die
s "Field of Dreams 2: Lockout".
Warner Bros.
confirmed that Costner would portray Jonathan Kent in the upcoming rebooted Superman film, " Man of Steel", directed by Zack Snyder
. In 2011, Costner confirmed his role in Quentin Tarantino
's Django Unchained. Later on, it was announced that Kevin had to drop out due to sheduling conflicts, most likely to be the tv-series directed by Kevin Reynolds called 'Hatfields & McCoys'.
band which he founded with the encouragement of his wife Christine. They began a worldwide tour in October 2007, which included shows in Istanbul
and Rome. The group also performed at NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona International Speedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, NC.
The band released a country album, Untold Truths
, on November 11, 2008 on Universal South Records. The album peaked at #61 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and #35 on the Top Heatseekers
chart. Three singles ("Superman 14", "Long Hot Night" and "Backyard") have been released to radio, although none have charted. The single "Superman 14" has been made into a live music video.
In 2009, they went on tour with opening act
The Alternate Routes
. In August, at the Big Valley Jamboree
in Camrose, Alberta
, Costner and the band were scheduled next on stage when a severe thunderstorm struck, collapsing the stage and stands on the main stage. One person was reported dead and forty injured. Later, an auction was held to raise money for the two young sons of the woman killed. A dinner with Costner was auctioned off for $41,000. Two guitars, one autographed by Costner, helped raise another $10,000 each.
A second Kevin Costner and Modern West
album, Turn It On, was released in February 2010 in Europe and was supported by a European tour.
, Field of Dreams
, For Love of the Game
and The Upside of Anger
, in which his character is a former pro baseball player.
He has a home in Austin, Texas
and sometimes appears at University of Texas baseball practices and games. Costner is a close friend of Longhorns baseball coach Augie Garrido
from Garrido's days coaching at Cal State Fullerton, the actor's alma mater. He cast Garrido to play the role of the Yankee manager in For Love of the Game. He tries to attend every College World Series
game that Cal State Fullerton plays in Omaha, Nebraska
.
Costner is a partial owner of the Zion, Illinois
-based Lake County Fielders
independent baseball team team in the North American League
. The Fielders name is an homage to Field of Dreams, with the logo showing a ballplayer standing amid a field of corn.
, South Dakota
. The casino, its sports bar Diamond Lil's, and its restaurant Jake's are named after characters and locations from the movie Silverado. The facility contains posters, costumes, and other memorabilia from Costner's films.
In July 2004, Costner fired Francis and Carla Caneva, who managed the Midnight Star. A judge subsequently ordered Costner to pay a percentage of $6.1 million to buy out the Canevas as his business partners. In October 2006, Costner asked the South Dakota Supreme Court
to re-examine the ruling, as an accountant hired by the actor had determined the market value of the casino to be $3.1 million.
In 1995, Costner began developing oil separation machines based on a patent he purchased from the US government. The machines developed by the company were of little commercial interest until the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
, when BP
took six of the machines from a company in which Costner owned an interest, Ocean Therapy Solutions, for testing in late May 2010. On June 16, 2010 BP entered into a lease with Ocean Therapy Solutions for 32 of the oil-water separation devices.. Although Spyron Contoguris and Stephen Baldwin previously sold their interests in Ocean Therapy Solutions in mid-June to another investor in the company, they filed a lawsuit in Louisiana District Court claiming $10.64 million for securities fraud and misrepresentation. The suit claims that Costner kept a meeting with BP secret from them, and the secret meeting resulted in an $18 million down payment on a $52 million purchase and that after the down payment but before any announcement another investor used part of the downpayment to buy out their shares, thus excluding them from their share of the profits from the total sale. The suit claims that, despite public statements by Costner, Ocean Therapy Solutions, BP and others to the contrary, Baldwin and Contogouris were told that BP was still testing the machines and had not yet committed to lease the machines from Ocean Therapy Solutions and that the other investor in Ocean Therapy Solutions purchased their shares for $1.4 million to Baldwin and $500,000, to Contogouris..
In January 2009, Costner agreed to take part in a commercial that was aired outside of the US for Turkish Airlines. Costner had not flown with Turkish Airlines before, but said, "I have received commercial proposals before. What is important is to work with a company that gives importance to its clients. That is why I have chosen Turkish Airlines." Costner, who is not of Turkish descent, also said that working with Turkish Airlines "is a very important step in my life." (UTC)
. In spring 2011, he recorded two radio spots for the museum that were aired on Kansas City Royals
Radio Network.
of the NASCAR
Nextel Cup
Series' Auto Club 500 which took place on February 25, 2007, at the California Speedway
. In 2008, he worked with the NASCAR Media Group and CMT Films
to help produce the NASCAR Documentary, The Ride of Their Lives which would be released in 2009. Costner would be the narrator for that documentary. Also in 2009, he was named the spokesperson for NASCAR Day which took place on May 15. The next day, May 16, he and his country music band would perform in the infield of Lowe's Motor Speedway
as well as participate as a judge in the 2nd annual Pennzoil
Victory Challenge before the 25th Running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
.
fraternity. He started dating fellow student Cindy Silva in March 1975, and their subsequent marriage three years later produced three children: Anne "Annie" Clayton (born April 15, 1984), Lily McCall (born August 4, 1986), and Joseph "Joe" Tedrick (born January 31, 1988). The couple divorced in 1994 after 16 years of marriage. He has a son, Liam (born in 1996), with Bridget Rooney, with whom he had a brief relationship following his divorce.
In 1996, he cohabited with supermodel Elle MacPherson
.
On September 25, 2004, Costner married his girlfriend of four years, model and handbag designer Christine Baumgartner, at his ranch in Aspen, Colorado
. Costner took his new bride for a canoe ride on a lake following the ceremony. The couple honeymooned in Scotland. Their first child, Cayden Wyatt Costner, was born on May 6, 2007 at a Los Angeles hospital. Their second son, Hayes Logan, was born on February 12, 2009, and their third child, a daughter named Grace Avery, was born on June 2, 2010.
Costner is a fan of the London
football team Arsenal F.C.
While filming Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
, he had the opportunity to attend a game and has followed the team ever since.
politicians, including Al Gore
and Tom Daschle
, but also made contributions to the Republican Party
's Phil Gramm
as late as 1995. He said publicly in 2008 that he has no ambition to run for political office, adding "I've lived quite a colorful life."
In the final days before the 2008 election, Costner campaigned for Barack Obama
, visiting various places in Colorado—a state in which he has a home. In his speech, Costner stated the need for young voters to get to the polls, early and with enthusiasm. "We were going to change the world and we haven't," Costner said at a Colorado State University rally. "My generation didn't get it done, and we need you to help us."
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
s. Costner's roles include Lt. John J. Dunbar in the film Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic western film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 book of the same name by Michael Blake and tells the story of a Union Army Lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post, and his dealings with a...
, Jim Garrison
Jim Garrison
Earling Carothers "Jim" Garrison — who changed his first name to Jim in the early 1960s — was the District Attorney of Orleans Parish, Louisiana from 1962 to 1973. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best known for his investigations into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy...
in JFK
JFK (film)
JFK is a 1991 American film directed by Oliver Stone. It examines the events leading to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and alleged subsequent cover-up, through the eyes of former New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison .Garrison filed charges against New Orleans businessman Clay...
, Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams
Field of Dreams
Field of Dreams is a 1989 American fantasy-drama film directed by Phil Alden Robinson and is from the novel Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella...
, Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 American adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. Kevin Costner heads the cast list as Robin Hood...
, Crash Davis in Bull Durham
Bull Durham
Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy baseball film. It is based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina....
, Robert "Butch" Haynes in A Perfect World
A Perfect World
A Perfect World is a 1993 drama film directed by Clint Eastwood, and starring Kevin Costner as an escaped convict who befriends a young boy , and ends up embarking on a road trip with the child...
, Frank Farmer in The Bodyguard
The Bodyguard
The Bodyguard is a 1992 American romantic-thriller film starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. Costner stars as a former Secret Service Agent turned bodyguard who is hired to protect Houston's character, a music star, from an unknown stalker. Lawrence Kasdan wrote the film in the 1970s,...
and Eliot Ness
Eliot Ness
Eliot Ness was an American Prohibition agent, famous for his efforts to enforce Prohibition in Chicago, Illinois, and the leader of a legendary team of law enforcement agents nicknamed The Untouchables.- Early life :...
in The Untouchables. Costner also founded the band Modern West, and has performed with the band since 2007.
Early life
Costner was born in Lynwood, CaliforniaLynwood, California
Lynwood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 69,772, down from 69,845 at the 2000 census. Lynwood is located near South Gate and Compton in the southern portion of the Los Angeles Basin. Incorporated in...
, the youngest of three sons (the middle of whom died at birth). His mother, Sharon Rae (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Tedrick), was a welfare
Social security
Social security is primarily a social insurance program providing social protection or protection against socially recognized conditions, including poverty, old age, disability, unemployment and others. Social security may refer to:...
worker, and his father, William Costner, was an electrician
Electrician
An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...
and later utilities executive
Senior management
Senior management, executive management, or management team is generally a team of individuals at the highest level of organizational management who have the day-to-day responsibilities of managing a company or corporation, they hold specific executive powers conferred onto them with and by...
at Southern California Edison
Southern California Edison
Southern California Edison , the largest subsidiary of Edison International , is the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California, USA. It provides 14 million people with electricity...
. Costner's paternal heritage originates with German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
immigrants to South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
in the 1700s; he also has English
English American
English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
and Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
ancestry, and has said that one of his ancestors had "married a Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
woman". Costner was raised Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
. He attended Cabrillo Middle School
Cabrillo Middle School
Cabrillo Middle School is considered one of the best middle schools in the Southern California. It has had the highest standardized testing scores in the county. Many of their students go on to honors classes in high school, and make it to prestigious colleges...
and Villa Park High School
Villa Park High School
Villa Park High School is a suburban public high school in Villa Park, California. The school was built in 1964 and is one of four comprehensive high schools in the Orange Unified School District. The campus serves students residing in Villa Park and portions of the cities of Orange and...
. Costner was not academically inclined. Rather, he enjoyed sports, took piano lessons, wrote poetry and sang in the First Baptist Choir. He has stated that a viewing of the film How the West Was Won
How the West Was Won (film)
How the West Was Won is a 1962 American epic Western film. The picture was one of the last "old-fashioned" epic films made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to enjoy great success. It follows four generations of a family as they move ever westward, from western New York state to the Pacific Ocean...
at the age of seven had "formed" his childhood.
Spending his teenage years in various parts of California as his father's career progressed, Costner has described this as a period when he "lost a lot of confidence", having to make new friends often. Costner lived in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, then in Visalia
Visalia, California
Visalia is a Central California city situated in the heart of California’s agricultural San Joaquin Valley, approximately southeast of San Francisco and north of Los Angeles...
(Tulare County), attending Mt. Whitney High School, and then back to Ventura
Ventura, California
Ventura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
, graduating from Buena High School in 1973. He went on to earn a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in marketing and finance from California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Fullerton is a public university located in Fullerton, California. It is the largest institution in the CSU System by enrollment, it offers long-distance education and adult-degree programs...
, in 1978.
Post-graduation
Costner became interested in acting while in his last year of college, and on graduation married Cindy Silva. The couple honeymooned in Puerto VallartaPuerto Vallarta
Puerto Vallarta is a Mexican balneario resort city situated on the Pacific Ocean's Bahía de Banderas.The 2010 census reported Puerto Vallarta's population as 255,725 making it the sixth-largest city in the state of Jalisco...
and on the return plane journey had a chance encounter with actor and fellow passenger Richard Burton
Richard Burton
Richard Burton, CBE was a Welsh actor. He was nominated seven times for an Academy Award, six of which were for Best Actor in a Leading Role , and was a recipient of BAFTA, Golden Globe and Tony Awards for Best Actor. Although never trained as an actor, Burton was, at one time, the highest-paid...
, who had purchased all the seats around him for solitude. Burton agreed to speak to Costner after he finished his book. Costner, who had been taking acting classes, but had not told his wife about his desire to be an actor, watched Burton closely and approached when Burton gestured. Costner told Burton that he would prefer that his life was not filled with the type of drama that had followed Burton and asked if he would have to tolerate that if he became an actor. Burton replied, "You have green eyes. I have green eyes. I think you'll be fine." After landing, Burton's limousine pulled up to the curb where Costner and Cindy were waiting for a taxi, where Burton wished Costner luck. Costner would never see Burton again, but credits Burton with partially contributing to his career.
Having agreed to undertake a job as a marketing executive on return, Costner began taking acting lessons five nights a week, with the support of his wife. His marketing job lasted 30 days. He took work which allowed him to develop his acting skills via tuition, including working on fishing boats, as a truck driver, and giving tours of stars' Hollywood homes to support the couple while he also made the audition rounds.
Acting
Costner allegedly made his film debut in the film Sizzle Beach, U.S.A.Sizzle Beach, U.S.A.
Sizzle Beach, U.S.A is an independent film starring Kevin Costner, Terry Congie, Leslie Brander, and Roselyn Royce.It was not released until 1986 after Costner had become a celebrity...
Although a biography claims it was actually filmed in the winter of 1978-1979, the film was not released until 1986.
Costner made a very brief cameo in the 1982 Ron Howard
Ron Howard
Ronald William "Ron" Howard is an American actor, director, and producer. He came to prominence as a child actor, playing Opie Taylor in the sitcom The Andy Griffith Show for eight years, and later the teenaged Richie Cunningham in the sitcom Happy Days for six years...
film Night Shift
Night Shift (film)
Night Shift is a 1982 comedy film, one of Ron Howard's earliest directorial efforts. It stars Howard's Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler along with Michael Keaton, in his first starring role, and Shelley Long, who later in the year would star as Diane Chambers in the popular sitcom Cheers. Also...
, he is listed in the credits as 'Frat Boy #1' and appears at the climax of a frat-style, blow-out party in the New York City morgue, when the music is suddenly stopped by a frantic Henry Winkler, Costner can be seen holding a beer and looking surprised at the sudden halt of celebration.
He appeared in a commercial for the Apple Lisa
Apple Lisa
The Apple Lisa—also known as the Lisa—is a :personal computer designed by Apple Computer, Inc. during the early 1980s....
and Table for Five
Table for Five
Table for Five is a 1983 American theatrical dramatic film, starring Jon Voight and Richard Crenna.-Plot:J.P. Tannen is a former professional golfer residing in California. He is estranged from his three children, who live in New York with their mother Kathleen and stepfather, attorney Mitchell...
in 1983, and, the same year, had a small role in the nuclear holocaust film Testament
Testament (film)
Testament is a drama film directed by Lynne Littman and starring Jane Alexander.The film tells the story of how one small suburban town near the San Francisco Bay Area slowly falls apart after a nuclear war destroys outside civilization....
. Later, he was cast in The Big Chill
The Big Chill (film)
The Big Chill is a 1983 American comedy-drama film directed by Lawrence Kasdan, starring Tom Berenger, Glenn Close, Jeff Goldblum, William Hurt, Kevin Kline, Mary Kay Place, Meg Tilly, and JoBeth Williams. It is about a group of baby boomer college friends who reunite briefly after 15 years due to...
and filmed several scenes that were planned as flashbacks, but they were removed from the final cut. His role was that of Alex, the friend who committed suicide, the event that brings the rest of the cast together. All that is seen of him are his slashed wrists as the mortician dresses his corpse in the movie's opening scenes. Costner was a friend of director Lawrence Kasdan
Lawrence Kasdan
Lawrence Edward "Larry" Kasdan is an American film producer, director and screenwriter.-Life and career:Kasdan was born in Miami, Florida, the son of Sylvia Sarah , an employment counselor, and Clarence Norman Kasdan, who managed retail electronics stores.His Brother is the writer/producer Mark...
, who promised the actor a role in a future project. That became 1985's Silverado and a breakout role for Costner. He also starred that year in the smaller films Fandango
Fandango (1985 film)
Fandango is a 1985 American film directed by Kevin Reynolds.It was originally a 30-minute black and white student film titled "Proof" made by Reynolds while he was attending USC film school. It was a parody of Greek life at his alma mater Baylor University...
and American Flyers
American Flyers
American Flyers is a 1985 film starring Kevin Costner, David Marshall Grant, Rae Dawn Chong, Alexandra Paul and Janice Rule about bicycle racing....
.
Full-blown movie star status for Costner arrived in 1987, when he starred as federal agent Eliot Ness
Eliot Ness
Eliot Ness was an American Prohibition agent, famous for his efforts to enforce Prohibition in Chicago, Illinois, and the leader of a legendary team of law enforcement agents nicknamed The Untouchables.- Early life :...
in The Untouchables and in the leading role of the thriller No Way Out
No Way Out (1987 film)
No Way Out is a 1987 thriller film about a U.S. Naval officer investigating a Washington, D.C. murder. It stars Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman and Sean Young...
. He solidified his A-list status in the baseball-themed films Bull Durham
Bull Durham
Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy baseball film. It is based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina....
(1988) and Field of Dreams
Field of Dreams
Field of Dreams is a 1989 American fantasy-drama film directed by Phil Alden Robinson and is from the novel Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella...
(1989).
Costner's next success came with the epic Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves
Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic western film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 book of the same name by Michael Blake and tells the story of a Union Army Lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post, and his dealings with a...
(1990). He directed and starred in the film and served as one of its producers. The film was nominated for 12 Academy Awards
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
and won seven, including two for him personally (Best Picture
Academy Award for Best Picture
The Academy Award for Best Picture is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the motion picture industry. The Best Picture category is the only category in which every member of the Academy is eligible not only...
and Best Director
Academy Award for Directing
The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing , usually known as the Best Director Oscar, is one of the Awards of Merit presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to directors working in the motion picture industry...
). The same year saw the release of Revenge
Revenge (film)
Revenge is a 1990 crime-drama-thriller directed by Tony Scott, starring Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn, Madeleine Stowe, Miguel Ferrer and Sally Kirkland. Some scenes were filmed in Mexico. The movie is a production of New World Pictures and Rastar Films and released by Columbia Pictures...
, in which he starred along with Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Antonio Rodolfo Quinn-Oaxaca , more commonly known as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican American actor, as well as a painter and writer...
and Madeleine Stowe
Madeleine Stowe
Madeleine Mora Stowe is an American actress. She rose to prominence appearing in films such as Stakeout, Revenge, Unlawful Entry, The Last of the Mohicans, Blink, China Moon, 12 Monkeys, and We Were Soldiers...
, directed by Tony Scott
Tony Scott
Anthony D. L. "Tony" Scott is an English film director. His films include Top Gun, Beverly Hills Cop II, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, Enemy of the State, Spy Game, Man on Fire, Déjà Vu, The Taking of Pelham 123, and Unstoppable...
(Costner had wanted to direct it himself).
He followed this with Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 American adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. Kevin Costner heads the cast list as Robin Hood...
(1991), the Oliver Stone
Oliver Stone
William Oliver Stone is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Stone became well known in the late 1980s and the early 1990s for directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, for which he had previously participated as an infantry soldier. His work frequently focuses on...
-directed JFK
JFK (film)
JFK is a 1991 American film directed by Oliver Stone. It examines the events leading to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and alleged subsequent cover-up, through the eyes of former New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison .Garrison filed charges against New Orleans businessman Clay...
(1991), The Bodyguard
The Bodyguard
The Bodyguard is a 1992 American romantic-thriller film starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. Costner stars as a former Secret Service Agent turned bodyguard who is hired to protect Houston's character, a music star, from an unknown stalker. Lawrence Kasdan wrote the film in the 1970s,...
(1992), and Clint Eastwood
Clint Eastwood
Clinton "Clint" Eastwood, Jr. is an American film actor, director, producer, composer and politician. Eastwood first came to prominence as a supporting cast member in the TV series Rawhide...
's A Perfect World
A Perfect World
A Perfect World is a 1993 drama film directed by Clint Eastwood, and starring Kevin Costner as an escaped convict who befriends a young boy , and ends up embarking on a road trip with the child...
(1993), all of which provided box office or critical acclaim.
He then took the title role in the biopic Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp (film)
Wyatt Earp is a 1994 American semi-biographical Western film, written by Dan Gordon and Lawrence Kasdan and directed by Kasdan. It stars Kevin Costner in the title role as lawman Wyatt Earp, and features an ensemble cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Isabella Rossellini, Mark Harmon,...
(1994), directed by Kasdan. It received bad reviews and flopped at the box office. The science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
-post-apocalyptic epics Waterworld
Waterworld
Waterworld is a 1995 post-apocalyptic science fiction film. The film was directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It is based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it. It was distributed by Universal Pictures...
(1995) and The Postman
The Postman (film)
The Postman is an American post-apocalyptic epic film based on the 1985 novel of the same name by David Brin. It was filmed in northeastern Washington , Fidalgo Island, Washington, central Oregon and Tucson, Arizona, and was directed by Kevin Costner, who also stars in the film...
(1997), the latter of which Costner also directed, were both commercial disappointments and both largely regarded by critics as artistic failures. However, The Postman results were worse than Waterworld and ended up "winning" five Golden Raspberry Awards
Golden Raspberry Awards
A Golden Raspberry Award, or Razzie for short, is an award presented in recognition of the worst in movies. Founded by American copywriter and publicist John J.B. Wilson in 1981, the annual Razzie Awards ceremony in Los Angeles precedes the corresponding Academy Awards ceremony by one day...
, including Worst Picture, Worst Actor and Worst Director for Costner.
Costner then starred in the golf comedy Tin Cup
Tin Cup
Tin Cup is a 1996 romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Ron Shelton, and starring Kevin Costner and Rene Russo with Cheech Marin and Don Johnson in major supporting roles.-Synopsis:...
(1996) for Ron Shelton
Ron Shelton
Ron Shelton is a U.S. film director and screenwriter, most notable for making movies about sports.Shelton is an alumnus of Santa Barbara High School and of the University of Arizona and Westmont College...
, who had previously directed him in Bull Durham. He developed the film Air Force One
Air Force One (film)
Air Force One is a 1997 American action-thriller film written by Andrew W. Marlowe and directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It stars Harrison Ford, Gary Oldman, and Glenn Close, and also features Xander Berkeley, William H. Macy, Dean Stockwell and Paul Guilfoyle...
and was set to play the lead role of the President, but ultimately decided to concentrate on finishing The Postman
The Postman (film)
The Postman is an American post-apocalyptic epic film based on the 1985 novel of the same name by David Brin. It was filmed in northeastern Washington , Fidalgo Island, Washington, central Oregon and Tucson, Arizona, and was directed by Kevin Costner, who also stars in the film...
instead. He personally offered the project to Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford is an American film actor and producer. He is famous for his performances as Han Solo in the original Star Wars trilogy and as the title character of the Indiana Jones film series. Ford is also known for his roles as Rick Deckard in Blade Runner, John Book in Witness and Jack Ryan in...
.
His career revived somewhat in 2000 with Thirteen Days
Thirteen Days (film)
Thirteen Days is a 2000 docudrama directed by Roger Donaldson about the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, seen from the perspective of the US political leadership. Kevin Costner stars, with Bruce Greenwood featured as John F. Kennedy....
, in which he portrayed a top adviser to John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. The western Open Range
Open Range
Open Range is a 2003 American Western film co-starring, co-produced, and directed by Kevin Costner, based on the novel The Open Range Men by Lauran Paine. Starring alongside Costner are Robert Duvall, Annette Bening, and Michael Gambon....
, which he directed and starred in, received critical acclaim in 2003, and was a surprise success commercially. He received some of his best reviews for his supporting role as retired professional baseball player Denny Davies in The Upside of Anger
The Upside of Anger
The Upside of Anger is a 2005 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Binder and set in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan...
, for which he received a nomination from the Broadcast Film Critics Association
Broadcast Film Critics Association
The Broadcast Film Critics Association is the largest film critics organization in the United States and Canada , representing approximately 250 television, radio and online critics....
and won the San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor
The San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor, given by the San Francisco Film Critics Circle, honors the finest achievements in filmmaking.-2000s:-2010s:...
.
After that, Costner starred in The Guardian
The Guardian (2006 film)
The Guardian is a 2006 action-adventure drama film starring Kevin Costner, Ashton Kutcher, and Melissa Sagemiller. The film was released on September 29, 2006, and was directed by Andrew Davis, director of The Fugitive...
and in Mr. Brooks
Mr. Brooks
Mr. Brooks is a 2007 thriller film directed by Bruce A. Evans starring Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, and William Hurt. It was released on June 1, 2007...
, in which he portrayed a serial killer. In 2008, Costner starred in Swing Vote
Swing Vote (2008 film)
Swing Vote is a 2008 comedy-drama film about an entire U.S. presidential election determined by the vote of one man. It was directed by Joshua Michael Stern and starred Kevin Costner, Paula Patton, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez and Madeline Carroll...
. Costner was honored on September 6, 2006 when his hand and foot prints were set in concrete in front of Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre
Grauman's Chinese Theatre is a movie theater at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. It is on the historic Hollywood Walk of Fame.The Chinese Theatre was commissioned following the success of the nearby Grauman's Egyptian Theatre which opened in 1922...
alongside those of other celebrated actors and entertainers.
In 2010, The Company Men
The Company Men
The Company Men is an American drama film written and directed by John Wells. It premiered at the 26th Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2010 and had a one-week run in December 10, 2010 to be eligible for the year's Academy Awards...
debuted on the Sundance Festival starring Kevin with Ben Affleck. It had good reviews. It was released in cinemas worldwide in January 2011. The film was considered to be an Oscar contender, but did not get a nomination.
Costner will be returning to the director's chair for the first time in seven years in 2011 with A Little War of Our Own. The film is about a local sheriff who must keep his town from erupting into violence during World War II. The other lead role is that of a German U-boat captain. The screenplay is by Dan Gordon, who co-wrote another sheriff movie for Costner, 1994's Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Earp
Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known...
.
He will also team up again with director Kevin Reynolds in Learning Italian. Costner will play a CIA agent stationed in a coastal Italian town in order to keep an eye on a KGB operative.
He also appears, as a special cameo, in Funny or Die
Funny or Die
Funny or Die is a comedy video website founded by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay's production company, Gary Sanchez Productions with original and user-generated content. Funny or Die contains exclusive material from a number of famous contributors and also has its own Funny or Die Team, which creates...
s "Field of Dreams 2: Lockout".
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
confirmed that Costner would portray Jonathan Kent in the upcoming rebooted Superman film, " Man of Steel", directed by Zack Snyder
Zack Snyder
Zachary Edward "Zack" Snyder is an American actor, film director, screenwriter, and producer. After making his feature film debut with the 2004 remake Dawn of the Dead, he gained wide recognition with the 2007 box office hit 300, adapted from writer-artist Frank Miller's Dark Horse Comics...
. In 2011, Costner confirmed his role in Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
's Django Unchained. Later on, it was announced that Kevin had to drop out due to sheduling conflicts, most likely to be the tv-series directed by Kevin Reynolds called 'Hatfields & McCoys'.
Country music
Costner is the singer in Kevin Costner & Modern West, a country rockCountry rock
Country rock is sub-genre of popular music, formed from the fusion of rock with country. The term is generally used to refer to the wave of rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s, beginning with Bob Dylan and The Byrds; reaching its greatest...
band which he founded with the encouragement of his wife Christine. They began a worldwide tour in October 2007, which included shows in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
and Rome. The group also performed at NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Daytona International Speedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, NC.
The band released a country album, Untold Truths
Untold Truths
Untold Truths is the debut country album from actor-turned-singer Kevin Costner & Modern West. The album was released on November 11, 2008 on Universal South Records. The album reached #61 on the U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums, and #35 on the U.S...
, on November 11, 2008 on Universal South Records. The album peaked at #61 on the Billboard Top Country Albums and #35 on the Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
chart. Three singles ("Superman 14", "Long Hot Night" and "Backyard") have been released to radio, although none have charted. The single "Superman 14" has been made into a live music video.
In 2009, they went on tour with opening act
Opening act
An opening act or warm-up act is an entertainer or entertainment act that performs at a concert before the featured entertainer...
The Alternate Routes
The Alternate Routes
The Alternate Routes are an American rock band out of Bridgeport, Connecticut formed by Tim Warren and Eric Donnelly in 2002 while studying at Fairfield University....
. In August, at the Big Valley Jamboree
Big Valley Jamboree
The Big Valley Jamboree is a large country music festival located in Camrose, Alberta, Canada, a city located south east of Edmonton. Created in 1992, the Jamboree is held each year during the August long weekend, and features country singers from all over North America. It is one of the largest...
in Camrose, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Costner and the band were scheduled next on stage when a severe thunderstorm struck, collapsing the stage and stands on the main stage. One person was reported dead and forty injured. Later, an auction was held to raise money for the two young sons of the woman killed. A dinner with Costner was auctioned off for $41,000. Two guitars, one autographed by Costner, helped raise another $10,000 each.
A second Kevin Costner and Modern West
Kevin Costner and Modern West
Kevin Costner & Modern West is a rock/country band which Kevin Costner founded with the encouragement of his wife Christine. He began a worldwide tour with the band in October 2007, which included shows in Istanbul and Rome...
album, Turn It On, was released in February 2010 in Europe and was supported by a European tour.
Baseball
Several of Costner's films have included a baseball theme. They include Chasing Dreams, Bull DurhamBull Durham
Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy baseball film. It is based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina....
, Field of Dreams
Field of Dreams
Field of Dreams is a 1989 American fantasy-drama film directed by Phil Alden Robinson and is from the novel Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella...
, For Love of the Game
For Love of the Game (film)
For Love of the Game is a 1999 American drama sports film based on the novel of the same title by Michael Shaara...
and The Upside of Anger
The Upside of Anger
The Upside of Anger is a 2005 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Binder and set in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan...
, in which his character is a former pro baseball player.
He has a home in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and sometimes appears at University of Texas baseball practices and games. Costner is a close friend of Longhorns baseball coach Augie Garrido
Augie Garrido
August Edmun Garrido, Jr. is a coach in NCAA Division I college baseball. As of June 12, 2011, Garrido has compiled a record of 1,817 wins, 823 losses, and 8 ties. He is currently in his 43rd season of collegiate coaching...
from Garrido's days coaching at Cal State Fullerton, the actor's alma mater. He cast Garrido to play the role of the Yankee manager in For Love of the Game. He tries to attend every College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
game that Cal State Fullerton plays in Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
.
Costner is a partial owner of the Zion, Illinois
Zion, Illinois
Zion is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,866 at the 2000 census, and estimated at 24,303 as of 2005. The city was founded in July 1901 by John Alexander Dowie. He also started the Zion Tabernacle of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church, which was the only...
-based Lake County Fielders
Lake County Fielders
The Lake County Fielders are a professional minor league baseball team based in Zion, Illinois, located in Lake County in the northern reaches of the Chicago area...
independent baseball team team in the North American League
North American League
The North American League is an independent baseball league that began play in the 2011 season...
. The Fielders name is an homage to Field of Dreams, with the logo showing a ballplayer standing amid a field of corn.
Business interests
Costner owns 100% of the Midnight Star casino, in DeadwoodDeadwood, South Dakota
Deadwood is a city in South Dakota, United States, and the county seat of Lawrence County. It is named for the dead trees found in its gulch. The population was 1,270 according to a 2010 census...
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. The casino, its sports bar Diamond Lil's, and its restaurant Jake's are named after characters and locations from the movie Silverado. The facility contains posters, costumes, and other memorabilia from Costner's films.
In July 2004, Costner fired Francis and Carla Caneva, who managed the Midnight Star. A judge subsequently ordered Costner to pay a percentage of $6.1 million to buy out the Canevas as his business partners. In October 2006, Costner asked the South Dakota Supreme Court
South Dakota Supreme Court
The South Dakota Supreme Court is the highest court in the state of South Dakota. It is composed of a chief justice and four associate justices appointed by governor and selected from five different appointment districts. Justices face a nonpolitical retention election three years after appointment...
to re-examine the ruling, as an accountant hired by the actor had determined the market value of the casino to be $3.1 million.
In 1995, Costner began developing oil separation machines based on a patent he purchased from the US government. The machines developed by the company were of little commercial interest until the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
, when BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
took six of the machines from a company in which Costner owned an interest, Ocean Therapy Solutions, for testing in late May 2010. On June 16, 2010 BP entered into a lease with Ocean Therapy Solutions for 32 of the oil-water separation devices.. Although Spyron Contoguris and Stephen Baldwin previously sold their interests in Ocean Therapy Solutions in mid-June to another investor in the company, they filed a lawsuit in Louisiana District Court claiming $10.64 million for securities fraud and misrepresentation. The suit claims that Costner kept a meeting with BP secret from them, and the secret meeting resulted in an $18 million down payment on a $52 million purchase and that after the down payment but before any announcement another investor used part of the downpayment to buy out their shares, thus excluding them from their share of the profits from the total sale. The suit claims that, despite public statements by Costner, Ocean Therapy Solutions, BP and others to the contrary, Baldwin and Contogouris were told that BP was still testing the machines and had not yet committed to lease the machines from Ocean Therapy Solutions and that the other investor in Ocean Therapy Solutions purchased their shares for $1.4 million to Baldwin and $500,000, to Contogouris..
In January 2009, Costner agreed to take part in a commercial that was aired outside of the US for Turkish Airlines. Costner had not flown with Turkish Airlines before, but said, "I have received commercial proposals before. What is important is to work with a company that gives importance to its clients. That is why I have chosen Turkish Airlines." Costner, who is not of Turkish descent, also said that working with Turkish Airlines "is a very important step in my life." (UTC)
Philanthropy
Costner serves on an honorary board for The National World War I Museum in Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. In spring 2011, he recorded two radio spots for the museum that were aired on Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
Radio Network.
NASCAR
Costner was named ceremonial Grand MarshalGrand Marshal
Grand Marshal is a ceremonial, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "Marshal" with the first usage of the term "Grand Marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders...
of the NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
Nextel Cup
NEXTEL Cup
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing . The series was originally known as the Strictly Stock Series and Grand National Series . While leasing its naming rights to R. J...
Series' Auto Club 500 which took place on February 25, 2007, at the California Speedway
California Speedway
Auto Club Speedway is a two-mile , low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California which has hosted NASCAR racing annually since 1997. The track was also used for open wheel racing events until 2005. The racetrack is located near the former locations of Ontario Motor Speedway and...
. In 2008, he worked with the NASCAR Media Group and CMT Films
CMT Films
CMT Films is the motion picture production division of Country Music Television. Its films are usually released by fellow Viacom division Paramount Vantage....
to help produce the NASCAR Documentary, The Ride of Their Lives which would be released in 2009. Costner would be the narrator for that documentary. Also in 2009, he was named the spokesperson for NASCAR Day which took place on May 15. The next day, May 16, he and his country music band would perform in the infield of Lowe's Motor Speedway
Lowe's Motor Speedway
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a motorsports complex located in Concord, North Carolina, United States 13 miles from Charlotte, North Carolina. The complex features a quad oval track that hosts NASCAR racing including the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend and the Sprint All-Star Race...
as well as participate as a judge in the 2nd annual Pennzoil
Pennzoil
Pennzoil is an American oil company founded in Los Angeles, California in 1913. In 1955, it was acquired by Oil City, Pennsylvania company South Penn Oil, a former branch of Standard Oil. In 1963, South Penn Oil merged with Zapata Petroleum; the merged company took the Pennzoil name. During the...
Victory Challenge before the 25th Running of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race XXV
The NASCAR Sprint Showdown and Sprint All-Star Race XXV was the 25th Anniversary running of NASCAR's special non-points race involving winners of the 2008 and 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races through the 2009 Southern 500 presented by GoDaddy.com as well as Sprint All-Star Race XV-XXIV winners,...
.
Relationships
While in college, Costner was a member of Delta ChiDelta Chi
Delta Chi or D-Chi is an international Greek letter college social fraternity formed on October 13, 1890,at Cornell University, initially as a professional fraternity for law students. On April 29, 1922, Delta Chi became a general membership social fraternity, eliminating the requirement for men...
fraternity. He started dating fellow student Cindy Silva in March 1975, and their subsequent marriage three years later produced three children: Anne "Annie" Clayton (born April 15, 1984), Lily McCall (born August 4, 1986), and Joseph "Joe" Tedrick (born January 31, 1988). The couple divorced in 1994 after 16 years of marriage. He has a son, Liam (born in 1996), with Bridget Rooney, with whom he had a brief relationship following his divorce.
In 1996, he cohabited with supermodel Elle MacPherson
Elle Macpherson
Elle Macpherson is an Australian model, actress, and businesswoman nicknamed "The Body". She is perhaps best known for her record five cover appearances for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue beginning in the 1980s...
.
On September 25, 2004, Costner married his girlfriend of four years, model and handbag designer Christine Baumgartner, at his ranch in Aspen, Colorado
Aspen, Colorado
The City of Aspen is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Pitkin County, Colorado, United States. The United States Census Bureau estimates that the city population was 5,804 in 2005...
. Costner took his new bride for a canoe ride on a lake following the ceremony. The couple honeymooned in Scotland. Their first child, Cayden Wyatt Costner, was born on May 6, 2007 at a Los Angeles hospital. Their second son, Hayes Logan, was born on February 12, 2009, and their third child, a daughter named Grace Avery, was born on June 2, 2010.
Sports
The actor plays regularly in celebrity golf tournaments, including the PGA Tour's annual pro-am at Pebble Beach, California and the BMW Pro-Am held each April in Greenville County, South Carolina. Costner is a member at Birnam Wood Golf Club in California.Costner is a fan of the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
football team Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
While filming Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 American adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. Kevin Costner heads the cast list as Robin Hood...
, he had the opportunity to attend a game and has followed the team ever since.
Political activism
Since 1992, Costner has financially supported a variety of Democratic PartyDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
politicians, including Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
and Tom Daschle
Tom Daschle
Thomas Andrew "Tom" Daschle is a former U.S. Senator from South Dakota and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
, but also made contributions to the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
's Phil Gramm
Phil Gramm
William Philip "Phil" Gramm is an American economist and politician, who has served as a Democratic Congressman , a Republican Congressman and a Republican Senator from Texas...
as late as 1995. He said publicly in 2008 that he has no ambition to run for political office, adding "I've lived quite a colorful life."
In the final days before the 2008 election, Costner campaigned for Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, visiting various places in Colorado—a state in which he has a home. In his speech, Costner stated the need for young voters to get to the polls, early and with enthusiasm. "We were going to change the world and we haven't," Costner said at a Colorado State University rally. "My generation didn't get it done, and we need you to help us."
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Malibu Hot Summer | John Logan | |
| 1982 | Chasing Dreams | Ed | |
| 1982 | Night Shift Night Shift (film) Night Shift is a 1982 comedy film, one of Ron Howard's earliest directorial efforts. It stars Howard's Happy Days co-star Henry Winkler along with Michael Keaton, in his first starring role, and Shelley Long, who later in the year would star as Diane Chambers in the popular sitcom Cheers. Also... |
Frat Boy #1 | |
| 1982 | Struggle | Joe, Policeman #2 | |
| 1982 | Frances Frances Frances is a 1982 American drama film starring Jessica Lange, Kim Stanley, and Sam Shepard. When it was released this film was advertised as a purportedly true account of actress Frances Farmer's life but the script was largely fictional and sensationalized... |
Luther (Man in Alley) | qualified for Screen Actor's Guild card |
| 1983 | Stacy's Knights | Will Bonner | |
| 1983 | Table for Five | Newlywed husband | |
| 1983 | Alex | scenes deleted | |
| 1983 | Testament Testament (film) Testament is a drama film directed by Lynne Littman and starring Jane Alexander.The film tells the story of how one small suburban town near the San Francisco Bay Area slowly falls apart after a nuclear war destroys outside civilization.... |
Phil Pitkin | |
| 1984 | Ted | ||
| 1985 | Fandango Fandango (1985 film) Fandango is a 1985 American film directed by Kevin Reynolds.It was originally a 30-minute black and white student film titled "Proof" made by Reynolds while he was attending USC film school. It was a parody of Greek life at his alma mater Baylor University... |
Gardner Barnes, Groover | |
| 1985 | Silverado | Jake | |
| 1985 | American Flyers | Marcus Sommers | |
| 1986 | Sizzle Beach, U.S.A. Sizzle Beach, U.S.A. Sizzle Beach, U.S.A is an independent film starring Kevin Costner, Terry Congie, Leslie Brander, and Roselyn Royce.It was not released until 1986 after Costner had become a celebrity... |
John Logan | filmed in 1974 |
| 1986 | Shadows Run Black Shadows Run Black Shadows Run Black is a 1986 crime thriller directed by Howard Heard and starring Kevin Costner.The film follows a tough Los Angeles detective as he races against time to discover who is behind a string of brutal serial slayings. Costner plays the film's main suspect.Tagline: Pray he kills you... |
Jimmy Scott | |
| 1987 | Eliot Ness Eliot Ness Eliot Ness was an American Prohibition agent, famous for his efforts to enforce Prohibition in Chicago, Illinois, and the leader of a legendary team of law enforcement agents nicknamed The Untouchables.- Early life :... |
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| 1987 | No Way Out No Way Out (1987 film) No Way Out is a 1987 thriller film about a U.S. Naval officer investigating a Washington, D.C. murder. It stars Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman and Sean Young... |
Lt. Cmdr. Tom Farrell | |
| 1988 | Bull Durham Bull Durham Bull Durham is a 1988 American romantic comedy baseball film. It is based upon the minor league experiences of writer/director Ron Shelton and depicts the players and fans of the Durham Bulls, a minor league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina.... |
Crash Davis | |
| 1989 | Field of Dreams Field of Dreams Field of Dreams is a 1989 American fantasy-drama film directed by Phil Alden Robinson and is from the novel Shoeless Joe by W. P. Kinsella... |
Ray Kinsella | |
| 1990 | Revenge Revenge (film) Revenge is a 1990 crime-drama-thriller directed by Tony Scott, starring Kevin Costner, Anthony Quinn, Madeleine Stowe, Miguel Ferrer and Sally Kirkland. Some scenes were filmed in Mexico. The movie is a production of New World Pictures and Rastar Films and released by Columbia Pictures... |
Michael 'Jay' Cochran | also executive producer |
| 1990 | Dances with Wolves Dances with Wolves Dances with Wolves is a 1990 epic western film directed by and starring Kevin Costner. It is a film adaptation of the 1988 book of the same name by Michael Blake and tells the story of a Union Army Lieutenant who travels to the American frontier to find a military post, and his dealings with a... |
Lieutenant John J. Dunbar | |
| 1991 | Madonna: Truth or Dare Madonna: Truth or Dare Madonna: Truth or Dare is a 1991 American documentary film chronicling the life of American singer-songwriter Madonna during her 1990 Blond Ambition World Tour... |
Himself | documentary (uncredited role) |
| 1991 | Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves is a 1991 American adventure film directed by Kevin Reynolds. Kevin Costner heads the cast list as Robin Hood... |
Robin Hood Robin Hood Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes.... |
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| 1991 | JFK JFK (film) JFK is a 1991 American film directed by Oliver Stone. It examines the events leading to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy and alleged subsequent cover-up, through the eyes of former New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison .Garrison filed charges against New Orleans businessman Clay... |
Jim Garrison Jim Garrison Earling Carothers "Jim" Garrison — who changed his first name to Jim in the early 1960s — was the District Attorney of Orleans Parish, Louisiana from 1962 to 1973. A member of the Democratic Party, he is best known for his investigations into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy... |
Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Drama |
| 1992 | Amazing Stories: Book One | Captain | Episode: "The Mission", archive footage |
| 1992 | Oliver Stone: Inside Out | Himself | documentary |
| 1992 | Frank Farmer | also producer | |
| 1993 | Robert 'Butch' Haynes | ||
| 1994 | Himself | documentary | |
| 1994 | Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp (film) Wyatt Earp is a 1994 American semi-biographical Western film, written by Dan Gordon and Lawrence Kasdan and directed by Kasdan. It stars Kevin Costner in the title role as lawman Wyatt Earp, and features an ensemble cast that includes Dennis Quaid, Gene Hackman, Isabella Rossellini, Mark Harmon,... |
Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp was an American gambler, investor, and law enforcement officer who served in several Western frontier towns. He was also at different times a farmer, teamster, bouncer, saloon-keeper, miner and boxing referee. However, he was never a drover or cowboy. He is most well known... |
also producer |
| 1994 | Steven Simmons | ||
| 1995 | Waterworld Waterworld Waterworld is a 1995 post-apocalyptic science fiction film. The film was directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It is based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it. It was distributed by Universal Pictures... |
Mariner | |
| 1996 | Tin Cup Tin Cup Tin Cup is a 1996 romantic comedy film co-written and directed by Ron Shelton, and starring Kevin Costner and Rene Russo with Cheech Marin and Don Johnson in major supporting roles.-Synopsis:... |
Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy | Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy |
| 1997 | Sean Connery, An Intimate Portrait | Himself | documentary |
| 1997 | The Postman | ||
| 1999 | Message in a Bottle Message in a Bottle (film) Message in a Bottle is a 1999 American romantic drama film directed by Luis Mandoki. Based on a novel with the same name by Nicholas Sparks, the film stars Kevin Costner, Robin Wright Penn, and Paul Newman... |
Garret Blake | also producer Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Actor |
| 1999 | For Love of the Game For Love of the Game (film) For Love of the Game is a 1999 American drama sports film based on the novel of the same title by Michael Shaara... |
Billy Chapel | Nominated—Razzie Award for Worst Actor |
| 1999 | Play It to the Bone Play It to the Bone Play It to the Bone is a 1999 sports/comedy-drama film, starring Antonio Banderas and Woody Harrelson, written and directed by Ron Shelton.... |
Ringside Fan | Cameo |
| 2000 | Thirteen Days Thirteen Days (film) Thirteen Days is a 2000 docudrama directed by Roger Donaldson about the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, seen from the perspective of the US political leadership. Kevin Costner stars, with Bruce Greenwood featured as John F. Kennedy.... |
Kenny O'Donnell | also producer |
| 2001 | 3000 Miles to Graceland 3000 Miles to Graceland 3000 Miles to Graceland is a 2001 American crime film, starring Kurt Russell, Kevin Costner, Courteney Cox, David Arquette, Bokeem Woodbine, Christian Slater, and Kevin Pollak. It is a story of theft and betrayal, revolving around a plot to rob the Riviera Casino during a convention of Elvis... |
Thomas J. Murphy | |
| 2001 | Road to Graceland | Murphy (voice) | animated short |
| 2002 | Dragonfly | Joe Darrow | |
| 2003 | Open Range Open Range Open Range is a 2003 American Western film co-starring, co-produced, and directed by Kevin Costner, based on the novel The Open Range Men by Lauran Paine. Starring alongside Costner are Robert Duvall, Annette Bening, and Michael Gambon.... |
Charlie Waite | also director and producer |
| 2005 | Denny Davies | San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor The San Francisco Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor, given by the San Francisco Film Critics Circle, honors the finest achievements in filmmaking.-2000s:-2010s:... |
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| 2005 | Rumor Has It… | Beau Burroughs | |
| 2006 | Ben Randall | ||
| 2007 | Mr. Brooks Mr. Brooks Mr. Brooks is a 2007 thriller film directed by Bruce A. Evans starring Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, Dane Cook, and William Hurt. It was released on June 1, 2007... |
Mr. Earl Brooks | also producer |
| 2008 | Swing Vote Swing Vote (2008 film) Swing Vote is a 2008 comedy-drama film about an entire U.S. presidential election determined by the vote of one man. It was directed by Joshua Michael Stern and starred Kevin Costner, Paula Patton, Kelsey Grammer, Dennis Hopper, Nathan Lane, Stanley Tucci, George Lopez and Madeline Carroll... |
Bud Johnson | |
| 2009 | John James | ||
| 2010 | Jack Dolan | ||
| 2013 | Man of Steel | Jonathan Kent |