American actor, director, and producer Kevin Costner started his acting career in 1981 by starring in the romantic comedy independent film Sizzle Beach, U.S.A. He went on to appear in the films Testament (1983), and Shadows Run Black (1984) before co-starring in the 1985 ensemble western film Silverado alongside Kevin Kline, Scott Glenn, and Danny Glover. The same year, he starred in the comedy film Fandango with Judd Nelson, as well as American Flyers with David Marshall Grant. In 1987, Costner starred as Eliot Ness in the crime film The Untouchables with Robert De Niro and Sean Connery. In 1988, he played Crash Davis in the romantic comedy sports film Bull Durham with Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. The film is on AFI's 10 Top 10 for Greatest Sports Movies. Costner then starred in the sports fantasy drama film Field of Dreams with James Earl Jones. The film received generally positive reviews from critics, and was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Original Score, and Best Adapted Screenplay. In 2017, it was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". It is also on AFI's 10 Top 10 for Greatest Fantasy Movies.
In the 1990s, Costner starred in numerous films including the 1990 epic Western film Dances With Wolves as Lieutenant John J. Dunbar, which he also directed and produced. The film received 12 Academy Awards nominations with Costner winning Best Picture, Best Director and was nominated for Best Actor. He also starred as: Robin Hood in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves with Morgan Freeman (1991), The Bodyguard with Whitney Houston (1992), Wyatt Earp with Dennis Quaid (1994), Tin Cup with Rene Russo (1996), The Postman with Will Patton (1997), Message in a Bottle with Robin Wright (1999) and For Love of the Game with Kelly Preston (also 1999). In the 2000s, he co-starred in the heist black action comedy film 3000 Miles to Graceland with Kurt Russell (2001), the Revisionist Western film Open Range with Robert Duvall (2003), Rob Reiner's romantic comedy film Rumor Has It with Jennifer Aniston (2005), psychological thriller film Mr. Brooks with Demi Moore (2007), and the comedy-drama film Swing Vote with Kelsey Grammer (2008).
He was cast as Jonathan Kent in Zack Snyder's 2013 superhero film Man of Steel, based on the DC Comics character Superman. In 2014, he co-starred in the films: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit with Chris Pine, 3 Days to Kill with Amber Heard, and Draft Day with Jennifer Garner. For his role in the 2016 biographical drama film Hidden Figures, Costner and the cast won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. He played Jessica Chastain's father in the 2017 biographical crime drama film Molly's Game and he portrayed lawman and Texas Ranger Frank Hamer in the 2019 period crime thriller film The Highwaymen opposite Woody Harrelson. In 2024, he directed the Westerns Horizon: An American Saga.
Costner's television work includes playing Devil Anse Hatfield in the three-part Western television miniseries Hatfields & McCoys, and from 2018 to 2024, he was the lead, John Dutton, on the Western series Yellowstone.
Film Year Title Role Notes 1981 Sizzle Beach, U.S.A. John Logan 1982 Chasing Dreams Ed Night Shift Frat Boy #1 Frances Luther Adler Uncredited 1983 Stacy's Knights Will Bonner Table for Five Newlywed Husband Testament Phil Pitkin The Big Chill Alex Marshall Uncredited 1984 Shadows Run Black Jimmy Scott 1985 Fandango Gardner Barnes Silverado Jake American Flyers Marcus Sommers 1987 The Untouchables Treasury Agent Eliot Ness No Way Out Lieutenant Commander Tom Farrell 1988 Bull Durham Crash Davis 1989 Field of Dreams Ray Kinsella The Gunrunner Ted Beaubien 1990 Revenge Michael "Jay" Cochran Also producer Dances With Wolves Lieutenant John J. Dunbar Also director and producer 1991 Madonna: Truth or Dare Himself Documentary Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Robin Hood Also producer JFK District Attorney Jim Garrison 1992 The Bodyguard Frank Farmer Also producer 1993 A Perfect World Robert "Butch" Haynes 1994 A Century of Cinema Himself Documentary Wyatt Earp Wyatt Earp Also producer The War Stephen Simmons 1995 Waterworld Mariner Also producer 1996 Tin Cup Roy "Tin Cup" McAvoy 1997 Sean Connery: An Intimate Portrait Himself Documentary The Postman The Postman Also director and producer 1999 Message in a Bottle Garret Blake Also producer For Love of the Game Billy Chapel Play It to the Bone Ringside Fan 2000 Thirteen Days Kenny O'Donnell Also producer 2001 3,000 Miles to Graceland Thomas J. Murphy 2002 Dragonfly Joe Darrow 2003 Open Range Charley Waite / Charles Travis Postelwaite Also director and producer 2005 The Upside of Anger Denny Davies Rumor Has It Beau Burroughs 2006 The Guardian Ben Randall 2007 Mr. Brooks Mr. Earl Brooks Also producer 2008 Swing Vote Bud Johnson 2009 The New Daughter John James 2010 The Company Men Jack Dolan 2011 Field of Dreams 2: Lockout lowa Farmer's Dad Short film 2013 Man of Steel Jonathan Kent 2014 Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit U.S. Navy Commander Thomas Harper 3 Days to Kill Ethan Renner Draft Day Sonny Weaver Jr. The Man Who Saved the World Himself Documentary Black or White Elliot Anderson Also producer Hollywood Banker Himself Documentary 2015 McFarland, USA Coach Jim White Fastball Narrator Documentary 2016 Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice Jonathan Kent Cameo appearance Criminal Jericho Stewart Hidden Figures Al Harrison 2017 Molly's Game Larry Bloom 2018 Whitney Himself Documentary 2019 The Highwaymen Frank Hamer The Art of Racing in the Rain Enzo (voice) 2020 Let Him Go George Blackledge Also producer 2021 Zack Snyder's Justice League Jonathan Kent 2024 Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1Hayes Ellison Also director, producer and writer Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 TBA Harry Post-production
Television Year Title Role Notes 1985 Amazing Stories Captain Episode: "The Mission" 1990 The Earth Day Special Bartender Special 1992 Himself Television film Documentary film 1995 500 Nations Presenter & Host 8-part documentary 2012 Hatfields & McCoys Devil Anse Hatfield Miniseries; also producer 2015 Billy the Kid: New Evidence Narrator TV documentary 2018–2024 Yellowstone John Dutton Main role; also executive producer 2025 Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas Host Also executive producer Kevin Costner's the West Narrator Miniseries; also executive producer
Producer +List of film and television credits as producer Year Title Notes 1990 Revenge Executive producer Dances With Wolves 1991 Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves Uncredited producer 1992 The Bodyguard 1994 Rapa Nui Wyatt Earp 1995 Waterworld 1997 The Postman 1999 Message in a Bottle 2000 Thirteen Days 2003 Open Range 2007 Mr. Brooks 2008 Swing Vote 2012 Hatfields & McCoys 2014 Black or White 2018 Yellowstone Executive producer 2020 Let Him Go 2024 Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 Post-production TBA Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 3
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