Besides being a successful actor, filmmaker, and certified hunk, Kevin Costner has a long laundry list of peculiar hobbies, unique accomplishments, and fascinating obsessions that most people don’t know about. In this facts-packed video, we’ll be taking a look at some of his lesser-known talents.
As far as his Hollywood career goes, though, Costner is best known for his roles in critically acclaimed offerings like Dances With Wolves, Field Of Dreams, The Untouchables, The Bodyguard, JFK, and Bull Durham – to name a few. According to IMDB, he’s appeared in, directed, produced, or written the scripts for over 64 films and television shows
Since 2018, Costner has starred as the main character, John Dutton, on the hit Paramount-produced Western series Yellowstone.
For his work in cinema and television, Costner has received two Academy Awards. And two Golden Globes, a Primetime Emmy, and two SAG awards.
It’s undeniable that acting is in his blood. The 67-year-old always puts all of his heart and soul into his various side projects and business ventures. He’s a man of many skills who can quite possibly do just about anything he puts his mind to.
Let’s take a look at some of his many passions, fixations, and avocations. We’re pretty confident that after watching this video, you’ll never look at Kevin Costner the same way again. But first, we’re going to take a peek back in time at his upbringing and rise to fame. Join facts Verse to know more details about Kevin Costner Works Weird Jobs When He’s Not Acting.
Costners’s Early Years
Kevin was born on January 18, 1955, in the city of Lynwood, California, and grew up in Compton, California. His mom, Sharaon Rae, worked as a welfare worker while his dad, William Costner, worked himself to the bone as a ditch digger and electrician to provide for his family.
Kevin was the youngest of three boys, the second of whom sadly died at birth. Family was always very important to Kevin growing up. Not only did his parents instill within him a profound respect for life and a solid work ethic. But his Baptist roots also pointed his moral compass in the right direction from an early age.
He never very academically inclined in school, but he was particularly drawn to sports – especially football. In his free time, Kevin took piano lessons, wrote poetry, and sang in his church’s choir. At one point, he expressed that watching the 1963 film How The West Won at an early age ‘formed’ his childhood.
During his teen years, Costner struggled to make friends and had little confidence in himself. Since his dad’s job often required his family to move around, Costner attended a number of schools before finally graduating from Villa Park High School in Orange County in 1973.
He then earned his BA in marketing and finance at California State University in Fullerton, California. While in his final year of college, Costner took an interest in acting and dancing. After graduating, he married his first wife, Cindy Silva, who worked at Disneyland performing as Cinderella.
On their returning flight from their honeymoon in Puerto Vallarta. The couple had a chance encounter with actor Richard Burton who had bought up all the seats around him so he could have some solitude.
Burton agreed to talk with Costner after he got done reading his book. Costner was at the time taking acting classes. But he had yet to inform his new bride that his dream was to become an actor.
Once Costner got the chance to speak to Burton. He asked him how he could avoid the kind of drama that always seemed to follow him. Burton replied by saying that since he had blue eyes like he also did, he should be fine. What he actually meant by that is unknown. Your guess is as good as mine, but apparently that statement really resonated with young Costner.
After the plane landed, Burton’s limo pulled up to the curb where Costner and his wife were waiting for a cab and wished Kevin good luck. The two never spoke again, but Costner still credits Burton with helping start his career.
Reinvigorated by the meeting, Costner started taking acting lessons five nights a week while working a marketing job to support himself and his wife.
Costner finally made his film debut in the film Sizzle Beach USA which was filmed in 1978 but wasn’t released until 1986. His breakout role, however, was in 1985s Silverado. That same year, he also starred in Fandango and American Flyers. From that point onward, Costner experienced a meteoric rise in fame, ultimately becoming the living legend that he is today.
But enough about his film career, let’s talk about his other passions.
Kevin Costner: Country Music Star
Kevin has been a lifelong music lover. Like we mentioned earlier, he started taking piano lessons when he was just a young boy. Even though he’s this big-time acting star and certified sex symbol these days. He hasn’t given up on his love for all things musical.
In 2007, Costner started the band Kevin Costner & Modern West. And he’s been recording and touring with the band ever since. The country-rock outfit embarked on it’s first world tour in October of 2007 and released their first full-length album, Untold Truths, in November of 2008.
They have since put out an additional four studio albums and have performed live at various venues across the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Costner’s band’s latest release is titled Tales From Yellowstone. And it’s clear that his role on the Yellowstone TV show has influenced his music in a large way. Each of the album’s 16 tracks was written from the perspective of his character John Dutton.
If you listen real closely while watching the third season, you’ll hear several songs from the album featured in a handful of episodes.
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And don’t you even think about switching to another video. Stay tuned to learn all about some of Kevin Costner’s weirdest side jobs.
Costner Used To Be A Partial Owner Of A Minor League Baseball Team
Much like his love for music, Kevin Costner has never lost interest in his boyhood love for sports. And his favorite sport happens to be baseball.
As you’re probably already aware, Costner has appeared in several films that include a baseball theme. A few of which, like Chasing Dreams, Field of Dreams, and Bull Durham, are even considered to be among his best.
Since Costner has a home in Austin, Texas, he tries to make it to as many Texas Longhorn games and practice sessions as possible. Since he was good friends with former Longhorns coach Augie Garrido from back in his Cal State days. Costner cast Garrido to play the role of the Yankees manager in his 1999 film For Love of the Game.
Costner used to be a partial owner of the now defunct Zion, Illinois minor league team the Lake County Fielders. The Fielders were a member of the since-disbanded Northern League in 2010 and joined the North American League the following year. In April 2012 the team announced that they would not be fielding a team that season, and they subsequently disbanded.
Costner Developed Tech To Clean Up The Ocean
In 1995, Costner began work developing oil separation machines based upon a patent that he had purchased from the United States government. While his machines were of little interest commercially at first, after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, BP bought five devices from the company Costner had ownership in, Ocean Therapy Solutions. Later that year, BP entered into a leasing agreement with the company for 32 of the oil-water separation machines.
Costner Opened Museum In South Dakota
In 2004, Costner opened up a 3,000 square ft. museum called Tatanka: The Story of the Bison a mile south of Deadwood, South Dakota, along US Route 86. His intention was for the attraction to serve as an educational and emotional place for people to learn the history of America’s historic expansion westward.
The facility has a large interactive center featuring hands-on exhibits, a retail section, a dining area, and a small theater. The museum’s centerpiece is a large bronze sculpture of a buffalo jump commissioned by artist Peggy Detmers.
Costner Opened A Casino And Restaurant
In 1991, Kevin opened the Midnight Star Casino and Restaraunt in Deadwood, South Dakota. After establishing the business, Costner hired a couple named Francis and Carla Caneva to manage the business while giving them each an ownership share of the company while also paying them salaries and bonuses.
Costner terminated their employment in 2004 while requesting that they agree to an amicable disassociation. They declined and ended up suing Costner to buy their shares based upon double the amount of their fair market value.
They won their case in the lower court, but after Costner appealed, they lost in the South Dakota Supreme Court. Costner subsequently closed the business in 2017 and sold it in 2020.
Costner Wrote A Book And Narrates A Podcast
In 2015, Costner co-authored a hybrid adventure novel/graphic novel entitled The Explorer’s Guild: A Passage to Shambhala alongside author John Baird, researcher Stephen Meyer, and chief illustrator Rick Ross. No relation to the rapper.
More recently, in 2020, Costner teamed up with Woody Sears to launch the audio entertainment travel app HearHere. Costner narrates some of the audio podcasts for the service. And which provides travelers exploring the United States with stories, information, and history about the people and places that they encounter in their voyages.
Who knew that Kevin Costner had so many different interests and hobbies? It’s a wonder that he has the time to devote to all of these things considering how much of his life is already devoted to his acting and filmmaking career!
Did you know that Kevin Costner was once a co-owner of a minor league baseball team? And were you aware that he developed machinery meant to help clean up the ocean after an oil spill? Let us know in the comments.
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