Happy Birthday!

Western hero with a directing Oscar: Kevin Costner is 70

Kevin Costner celebrates his 70th birthday this Saturday.

(Bild: APA/AFP/Marco BERTORELLO)

Kevin Costner moved into Hollywood's top ranks with the western "Dances with Wolves". His celebrated directorial debut won seven Oscars straight away in 1991. He himself triumphed with two trophies - Best Director and Best Picture Producer. But that was a long time ago. Costner, who celebrates his 70th birthday on January 18, is not in the spotlight this trophy season. 

In recent years, Costner has poured his heart and money into the ambitious western epic "Horizon". Last May, he presented the first part of his long-awaited mammoth project at the Cannes Film Festival. "'Horizon, An American Saga' is a story that began 35 years ago, and I can't think of a better place than Cannes to present the result of such a wonderful adventure to the world," the festival quoted Costner as saying.

Obsessed with "Horizon"
He invested large sums of money from his own pocket because no studio wanted to finance the planned four-part film. He was so obsessed with the project that he even named his son after it.

He himself plays a taciturn cowboy called Hayes Ellison. His son - 15-year-old Hayes Costner - can also be seen in a role. Over the years, he has developed an obsession with the project, said Costner in Cannes.

Kevin Costner's son Hayes not only plays in "Horizon", he was also named after the title character.

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"I started it in 1988, and I couldn't attach it, but I haven't stopped loving it," he said. "I don't know what that says about me, but I couldn't tear myself away from Hayes. And so at a certain point in my life, 15 years ago, I just named my son Hayes because I couldn't let him go."

Costner does not follow trends
The film, planned as a four-part series, is a story of the American West: about settlers, indigenous people, soldiers, cowboys and outlaws. "I don't lose faith in what I think is a good idea," he said in an interview with dpa in the summer. "So if I read something or develop something that I think is good, I don't give up on it, even if it might not be trendy, even if it's not the most popular kind of movie."

Kevin Costner doesn't rely on trends, but "doesn't lose faith in what I think is a good idea" - just like his film project "Horizon".

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At the box office, the project didn't really work out. The first part flopped, the second was not released in cinemas in the USA, but celebrated its premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September. Costner assured the audience that he would shoot all four chapters.

Celebrated with "Bambi"
Costner was recently celebrated in Munich. At the "Bambi" awards in November, he was honored in the "Actor International" category. "For his acting excellence, his visionary thinking and his outstanding commitment to the film industry," was the citation. "I won't forget this night", the star later gushed

Difficult separation
His private life made headlines in 2023 when wife Christine Baumgartner filed for divorce after 18 years of marriage. They have two sons and a daughter together. Costner has four other children from previous relationships. They fought in court over residential rights and alimony.

The separation of Kevin Costner and his wife Christine Baumgartner made many headlines.

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He attached great importance to his family life, he told dpa last August. "I have friends, and I have kids who go to school and play sports, and I make sure I can take them there. I drive them to school in the morning." People would have a different idea of his life, but it would be very similar to hers, the star assured.

Highlights and flops
Costner first came to Hollywood's attention 40 years ago with Lawrence Kasdan's western "Silverado". In 1987, he put a stop to Al Capone in Brian de Palma's "The Untouchables". In the early 90s, he was the legendary "Robin Hood - King of Thieves", the tenacious prosecutor in the political thriller "JFK" and the protector of a black superstar (Whitney Houston) in the thriller romance "Bodyguard". By then he was already a celebrated Oscar winner, but not for his acting. He received his only two Oscars as director and producer of "Dances with Wolves".

But Costner also had to put up with expensive flops. The futuristic adventure "Waterworld" (1995), which he produced, was a flop, as was the dark epic "Postman" (1998), which Costner directed and starred in. He stepped behind the camera again in 2003 for the western "Open Range".

Kevin Costner played his way into the hearts of fans as John Dutton in the TV series "Yellowstone"

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He did not like to be tied down in his roles. As a lonely message in a bottle sender in "Message in a Bottle" (1999), he became a romantic hero, and as "Mr. Brooks - The Murderer in You" (2007), a serial killer with a double life.

And then, of course, 'Yellowstone': from 2018, Costner played a leading role in the acclaimed western series from director Taylor Sheridan. Fans loved his portrayal of the toxic yet likeable patriarch and ranch owner John Dutton. The role earned him a Golden Globe for Best Actor in 2023.

From cowboy to surfer
Now he is swapping the prairie for surfing waves. As lead actor, producer and co-writer, he is tackling the thriller "Headhunters", which is set in the Indonesian surfer's paradise of Bali. Costner is to play a cranky US expatriate who takes a group of surfers to an unexplored island in search of the perfect wave. There lives a tribe of headhunters who will defend their land at all costs.

And 20 years ago, Costner discovered another artistic career. With his rock and country band "Kevin Costner & Modern West", he frequently goes on tour as a singer and guitarist.