Kevin Michael Costner
(born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, musician, producer, and director. He has been nominated for three BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards, won two Oscars and a Golden Globe Award. Costner's roles include Lt. John J. Dunbar in the film Dances with Wolves
, Jim Garrison in JFK
, and Ray Kinsella in Field of Dreams
.
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KEVIN COSTNER TICKETS
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Early life
Costner was born in
Lynwood, California, the youngest of the three sons (the middle of whom died at birth) of Sharon Rae (
née Tedrick), a
welfare worker, and William Costner, an
electrician and later
utilities executive.
[1] [2] He has
German,
Irish and
Cherokee ancestry (his
Oklahoma-born paternal grandfather was half Cherokee).
[3] [4] [5] Costner was raised
Baptist.
[6] He attended Cabrillo Jr. High School and
Buena High in
Ventura, California. A poor student, Costner enjoyed sports in spite of his slight stature and took piano lessons, wrote poetry and sang in the First Baptist Choir.
Spending his teenage years in various parts of California as his father's career progressed, Costner lived in
Orange County, then in
Visalia (
Tulare County), attending Mt. Whitney High School, and then back to Orange County, graduating from
Villa Park High School in
Villa Park, California, in 1973. He went on to earn a
B.A. in business from
California State University, Fullerton, in 1978. Member of Delta Chi at Cal State.
Post-graduation
Kevin Costner became interested in acting while in college, and on graduation married Cindy. The couple honeymooned in
Puerto Vallarta 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 him to. 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.
[7]
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.
Career
Costner made his film debut at age 19, in the 1974 film,
Sizzle Beach, U.S.A.
, although the film was not released until 1986 after he became a star.
Costner made a very brief cameo in the 1982
Ron Howard film
Night Shift
, he is listed in the credits as 'Frat Boy #2' and appears at the climax of a Frat-style blow-out party in the N.Y.C. 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 in 1983, and in 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 never made it to 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.
[8] 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
and
Field of Dreams
.
Costner's greatest 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).
Revenge
(1990), in which he starred along with
Anthony Quinn and
Madeleine Stowe, directed by
Tony Scott (Costner had wanted to direct it himself), was another notable film from the same year.
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 huge box office or critical acclaim.
He then took the title role in the biopic
Wyatt Earp
(1994), directed by Kasdan. It fizzled at the summer 1994 box office. The
science fiction epics
Waterworld
(1995) and
The Postman
(1997), the latter of which Costner also directed, were both major commercial disappointments and are both largely regarded by critics as artistic failures. (
Waterworld
in particular has made several critics' "Worst Movies of All Time" lists.)
Costner then starred in the golf comedy
Tin Cup
(1996) for
Ron Shelton, who had previously directed him in
Bull Durham
. The actor 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, though it was only a minor success commercially.
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.
Country music career
Costner is the singer of "Kevin Costner and Modern West," a rock/country band which he founded with the encouragement of his wife Christine. The band began a worldwide tour with the band in October 2007, which included shows in
Istanbul and
Rome. It 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 neither has charted. The single "Superman 14" has been made into a live music video.
In 2009, he went on tour with his band, the Modern West, and special guests
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 wounded.
[9] 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.
[10]
Personal life
Relationships
While in college, Costner was a member of
Delta Chi fraternity.
He started dating fellow student Cindy Silva in March 1975, and their subsequent marriage three years later produced three children: Annie (born in 1984), Lily (born in 1986), and Joe (born in 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.
[11]
In 1996 he dated and lived with supermodel
Elle MacPherson.
[12]
On September 25, 2004, Costner married his girlfriend of four years,
German model and handbag designer Christine Baumgartner,
[13] 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.
[14] Their first child, Cayden Wyatt Costner, was born on May 6, 2007 at a Los Angeles hospital.
[15] Their second son, Hayes Logan, was born on February 12, 2009.
[16]
Baseball
Several of Costner's films have included a baseball theme. They include
Chasing Dreams
,
Bull Durham
,
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 minor league baseball team in the
Northern League. The Fielders name is an homage to
Field of Dreams
, with the logo showing a ballplayer standing amid a field of corn.
[17] [18]
Business interests
Costner owns 93.5% of the
"Midnight Star"
casino, in
Deadwood, 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
and 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 $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.
[19]
NASCAR
Costner was named ceremonial Grand Marshall of the
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series' Auto Club 500 which took place on February 25, 2007, at the
California Speedway.
[20] 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.
Other interests
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 fan of the
London, England, football team
Arsenal F.C. While filming
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
, he was given the opportunity to attend a game and has followed the team ever since.
Since 1992, Costner has financially supported a variety of
Democratic Party politicians, including
Al Gore and
Tom Daschle, but also made contributions to
Republican Party Phil Gramm as late as 1995.
[21] He said publicly in 2008 that he has no ambition to run for political office, adding "I've lived quite a colorful life."
[22]
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."
[23]
Discography
Studio albums
Year
| Album details
| US Country
| US Heat
|
2008
| Untold Truths
- Released: November 11, 2008
- Label: Universal South
| 61 [24]
| 35
|
Singles
Year
| Single
| Album
|
2008
| "Superman 14"
| Untold Truths
|
"Long Hot Night"
|
2009
| "Backyard"
|
Filmography
Year
| Film
| Role
| Notes
|
1982
| Chasing Dreams
| Ed
|
|
Night Shift
| Frat Boy #1
|
|
Struggle
| Joe, Policeman #2
|
|
Frances
| Luther (Man in Alley)
| qualified for Screen Actor's Guild card
|
1983
| Stacy's Knights
| Will Bonner
|
|
Table for Five
| Newlywed husband
|
|
The Big Chill
| Alex
| scenes deleted
|
Testament
| Phil Pitkin
|
|
1984
| The Gunrunner
| Ted
|
|
1985
| Fandango
| Gardner Barnes, Groover
|
|
Silverado
| Jake
|
|
American Flyers
| Marcus Sommers
|
|
1986
| Sizzle Beach, U.S.A.
| John Logan
| originally filmed in 1974
|
Shadows Run Black
| Jimmy Scott
|
|
1987
| The Untouchables
| Eliot Ness
|
|
No Way Out
| Lt. Cmdr. Tom Farrell
|
|
1988
| Bull Durham
| Crash Davis
|
|
1989
| Field of Dreams
| Ray Kinsella
|
|
1990
| Revenge
| Michael 'Jay' Cochran
| also executive producer
|
Dances with Wolves
| Lieutenant John J. Dunbar
| Academy Award for Best Picture (shared with Jim Wilson) Academy Award for Best Director Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Drama (shared with Jim Wilson) Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture Directors Guild of America Award for Best Director Producers Guild of America Award for Motion Picture Producer of the Year (shared with Jim Wilson) Nominated - Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Picture Nominated - BAFTA Award for Best Direction
|
1991
| Madonna: Truth or Dare
| Himself
| documentary (uncredited role)
|
Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
| Robin Hood
| also producer
|
JFK
| Jim Garrison
| Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Drama
|
1992
| Amazing Stories: Book One
| Captain
| Episode: "The Mission", archive footage
|
Oliver Stone: Inside Out
| Himself
| documentary
|
The Bodyguard
| Frank Farmer
| also producer
|
1993
| A Perfect World
| Robert 'Butch' Haynes
|
|
1994
| A Century of Cinema
| Himself
| documentary
|
Wyatt Earp
| Wyatt Earp
| also producer
|
The War
| Steven Simmons
|
|
1995
| Waterworld
| Mariner
| also producer and uncredited director
|
1996
| Tin Cup
| Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy
| Nominated - Golden Globe Award for Best Actor - Motion Picture Musical or Comedy
|
1997
| Sean Connery, An Intimate Portrait
| Himself
| documentary
|
The Postman
| The Postman
| also director and producer
|
1999
| Message in a Bottle
| Garret Blake
| also producer
|
For Love of the Game
| Billy Chapel
|
|
Play It to the Bone
| Ringside Fan
| Cameo
|
2000
| Thirteen Days
| Kenny O'Donnell
| also producer
|
2001
| 3000 Miles to Graceland
| Thomas J. Murphy
|
|
Road to Graceland
| Murphy (voice)
| animated short
|
2002
| Dragonfly
| Joe Darrow
|
|
2003
| Open Range
| Charlie Waite
| also director and producer
|
2005
| The Upside of Anger
| Denny Davies
|
|
Rumor Has It
| Beau Burroughs
|
|
2006
| The Guardian
| Ben Randall
|
|
2007
| Mr. Brooks
| Mr. Earl Brooks
| also producer
|
2008
| Swing Vote
| Bud Johnson
|
|
2009
| The New Daughter
| John James
| post-production
|
References
- Todd Keith, Kevin Costner: The Unauthorized Biography, Ikonprint Publishers: Southwark, London (1991)
- Adherents.com's Guide to Movies
- Costner's Waltz With The West ... He takes the Indians' side in making his directing debut
- Pursuing The Dream Time Magazine Jun. 26, 1989
- Kevin Costner in the Land of `Wolves'; The Director: Reclaiming Boyhood Dreams
- KEVIN COSTNER PLOWS HIS OWN `Field of Dreams'
- "Kevin Costner: 'I'll never make a sequel.'"
- The Big Chill at IMDB, trivia
- "1 Dead, 40 Injured in Canada Stage Collapse"
- Katz likely culprit behind mystery $41,000 bid
- "Kevin Costner, Wife Christine Are Expecting."]
- "Kevin Costner Gets an Elle of a Girl."
- Kappes, Serena and Jason Bane"Kevin Costner Marries Girlfriend in Aspen." ''People''. September 26, 2004.
- "Costner marries at Colorado ranch." ''BBC''. September 27, 2004.
- Nudd, Tim. "Kevin Costner, Wife Have a Baby Boy." ''People''. May 7, 2007.
- Silverman, Stephen M. "It's Another Boy for Kevin Costner." ''People''. February 13, 2009.
- "Major League Hopes Pinned on the Minors." ''New York Times''. April 5, 2009.
- Zion, IL 2010 Northern League Expansion Team Named the Lake County Fielders." Lake County Baseball.com. May 27, 2009.
- Costner appeals in casino wrangle
- Kevin Costner Named Grand Marshal
- FreshMeat:Celebrity Donations
- Comedy Central:Kevin Costner
- "Celebrities, officials push CSU student vote"
- AOL Music:Kevin Costner