Who dances with the western
Kevin Costner turns 70
Copy the current link
Kevin Costner seemed to sink into insignificance until his comeback with “Yellowstone.” Today the star turns 70.
At the beginning of the 1990s he was one of the biggest – if not the biggest – Hollywood stars on the planet, rushing with works such as “Dances with Wolves” (1990), “Robin Hood: King of Thieves” (1991) or – unforgettable – “Bodyguard” (1992) from success to success. But then his acting career stalled for many years until a neo-Western series helped him gain new prominence.
Global success “Dances with Wolves”
His home country, the United States, with all its myths and traditions, seems to be constantly on his mind. Films in which he has appeared are dedicated to such diverse yet quintessentially American themes as baseball (“For the Love of the Game”, 1999, “Annie’s Men”, 1988) and US presidents of the past (“JFK”, 1991, “Thirteen Days”, 2000) as well as the West/Western and more generally the history of the USA.
Kevin Costner turns 70 today, January 18th. He doesn’t seem to be thinking about quitting for a long time.
Oscar win, sports films and work as a director
The Western, the original film genre, helped Kevin Costner’s breakthrough in Hollywood in the mid-1980s. In Lawrence Kasdan’s (76) traditional Wild West film “Silverado” (1985), he presented his century-old charisma and his impressive athletic abilities to film audiences worldwide for the first time.
“I wasn’t an academic kid. I knew I wouldn’t do well in school, so sports took over. I enjoyed playing sports,” Costner once revealed, looking back on his youth in California.
Having become a star through “Silverado” and “The Untouchables” (1987), which appeared shortly afterwards, he appeared in a number of baseball films. The fairytale-like “Field of Dreams” (1989, original: “Field of Dreams”) was particularly remembered here.
In the genre classic, Costner, as a corn farmer in Iowa, builds a baseball field on his farm, whereupon deceased baseball legends suddenly wander out of the cornfield and play thrilling games in the middle of nowhere. The classic sports film is so popular in the baseball-crazy United States that Major League Baseball has opened . The popularity of the All-American Boy Costner grew and grew.
Crash landing with “Waterworld” and “Postman”
He then created a cinematic monument for himself in 1990. The multi-talented Costner directed, produced and played the leading role in “Dances with Wolves”. He took home two Oscars, for best director and best film of the year. “Dances with Wolves” was at the same time a milestone in the representation of indigenous peoples and, from today’s perspective, a problematic white savior film – Costner became one of the biggest stars on the planet.
As a result, he rushed from success to success. The audience adored him in “Bodyguard” alongside Whitney Houston (1963-2012). The soundtrack, with songs such as “I Will Always Love You”, became the best-selling album of all time in the United States.
In Oliver Stone’s (78) “JFK – Tatort Dallas”, he cast a controversial light on the assassination of John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) as District Attorney Jim Garrison. In “Robin Hood – King of Thieves” he played probably the most un-English Robin Hood of all time.
In the mid-1990s the tide turned. His directorial work “Waterworld” (1995), which was the most expensive film in history at the time with a budget of 175 million US dollars, barely broke even. But the strange “Postman” (1997), about a fake postman in the lost United States, turned out to be an extremely expensive flop and financial disaster, grossing 30 million US dollars against a budget of 80 million, from which the director and actor escaped Costner would not recover for a long time.
In the following years he was often seen in supporting roles – for example in Zack Snyder’s (58) “Man of Steel” (2013) as Superman’s father. Although regularly busy, Costner seemed to slowly but surely disappear into obscurity. If it hadn’t been for a certain aspiring series creator named Taylor Sheridan (54), who cast the great American Western legend as family patriarch John Dutton in his neo-Western series “Yellowstone” (2018-2024).
Privately scandal-free
“Yellowstone” became one of the biggest hits on US television in recent years. Trump voters from the so-called flyover states in the middle of the USA, far from the elite west and east coasts, are particularly enthusiastic about the series, which is set on a ranch in rural Montana.
Costner wanted to convert his newfound “Yellowstone” popularity into his own Western project “Horizon” (2024), which he had developed for decades. But the first part of the four-film series failed miserably at the box office in 2024. It only grossed just under $40 million against a budget of $50 million. It was also a personal fiasco for director, actor and producer Costner, as, according to media reports, he also invested $38 million from his private assets into the work.
Privately, Costner has also made headlines in recent years with his divorce from Christine Baumgartner (50). He shares three children with his second wife – as well as with his first, Cindy Costner (68). Another comes from a relationship with Bridget Rooney (63).
Not much is known about Costner the person. He has kept his private life well under wraps and there have been no scandals. “When I want to relax, I play basketball with friends or go hunting and fishing. I shoot capercaillie and pheasants in South Dakota, Nebraska and California,” Costner, who is considered to be close to nature, once told the Guardian about his leisure activities.
SpotOnNews
Source: Stern

I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.