Kevin Michael Costner

Kevin Costner is an iconic American actor and filmmaker known for his rugged everyman quality and deep involvement in passionate, sprawling projects. Raised in Compton, California, he studied business at Cal State Fullerton before unexpectedly entering the film industry. After small roles in The Big Chill (1983)—most of his performance was cut—he broke out as the gunslinger Jake in Silverado (1985). He became a dominant star of the late 1980s and early 1990s with a remarkable run of box-office and critical hits, including The Untouchables (1987), Field of Dreams (1989), and Dances with Wolves (1990), the latter of which he directed and produced, winning Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Director.

Costner’s career is defined by both soaring highs and famous gambles. He followed the Oscar-winning epic Dances with Wolves with ambitious films like Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) and the polarizing, post-apocalyptic Waterworld (1995), which, despite its legendary production troubles and huge budget, eventually recouped its losses. He later starred in The Bodyguard (1992), which featured one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time. After a commercial dip, Costner reinvented himself in the 2010s, starring in the hit TV miniseries Hatfields & McCoys (2012), for which he won an Emmy, and receiving an Oscar nomination for Hidden Figures (2016).

In the 2020s, he experienced a massive resurgence as John Dutton in Taylor Sheridan’s mega-hit neo-Western Yellowstone (2018–2024). Known for his steadfast commitment to passion projects, including the ambitious four-part Western saga Horizon: An American Saga, Costner is also the frontman of the country-rock band Kevin Costner & Modern West. His legacy is that of a movie star who made grand, uncompromising American epics.