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Sunday 27 July 2014

Kevin Costner

Kevin Costner was born in Lynwood, California on January 18, 1955. He is the youngest of three boys (the middle of whom died at birth) of Bill and Sharon Costner.


At 18, Kevin Costner built his own canoe and paddled his way down the rivers that Lewis and Clark followed to the Pacific.

Despite his present height of 6' 1", Costner was only 5'2" when he graduated high school. Nonetheless, he still managed to be a basketball, baseball and football star.

In 1978 he graduated from university with a BA in marketing and finance.

Before hitting it big in the acting business Kevin Costner worked as a skipper on the ride, the Jungle Cruise, at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.  Funnyman Steve Martin once held the same job.

Costner also gave bus tours to the Los Angeles homes of stars, before he found fame.

His first film role was in the 1981 low-budget softcore film Sizzle Beach (aka. Malibu Hot Summer).

Costner's break came with The Big Chill (1983), even though his scenes ended up on the cutting room floor -- he was remembered by director Lawrence Kasdan when he decided to make Silverado (1985).

Costner at the premiere of Hidden Figures, December 2016

He won Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Picture in 1990 for Dances With Wolves

The Sioux nation gave Costner a tract of land after making Dances with Wolves. Costner built a golf course on that land.

A skilled equestrian, Costner did his own riding in The Postman (1997).


He founded Kevin Costner & Modern West in 2007. The band's debut album, Untold Truths was released on November 11, 2008 by Universal South Records and peaked at #61 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.

Whilst better known as a movie actor and director, Kevin Costner made one huge contribution to popular music when he convinced Whitney Houston to cover Dolly Parton's country tune, "I Will Always Love You."

Costner is also known for his philanthropic work, including his support for environmental causes and disaster relief efforts. He spent years funding oil-water separation technology that was used to help clear up the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. 

Sources Songfacts, IMDB

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