Kevin Costner biography, wife, net worth, age, children, young 2025

Kevin Costner biography

Kevin Costner could've become a professional athlete or a business shark, but he decided to follow his heart and pursue an acting career, becoming one of Hollywood's most successful and highest-paid stars. A hero ready to do anything for love, Robin Hood, and a trusted bodyguard – Kevin Costner is often described as Hollywood's last romantic. Net worth: $250 million.

Early life and childhood

Kevin Michael Costner was born on January 18, 1955, in Lynwood, California. He was the youngest of three sons of William and Sharon (nee Tedrick) Costner. The family was considered pretty prosperous, with his father working as an electrician and his mother serving at the welfare department.

Like every American kid at that time, Kevin was obsessed with baseball, with his father – who used to be a baseball player himself and judged tournaments in his free time – being his biggest role model.

The boy strove to become a professional baseball player, but ultimately followed his father's advice and enrolled in California State University's marketing and finance department. Kevin was one of the best students among his peers and was on a straight path to building a great career as a finance consultant. During his time at the university, he surprisingly found himself interested in arts and acting and even started participating in student theater plays.

He graduated from the university in 1978 and married his former classmate Cindy Silva, his longtime school crush. Cindy worked as a flight attendant, while Kevin got a job in the marketing department of a huge construction firm. Surprisingly, he didn't abandon his student hobby and attended evening acting classes.

The beginning of acting career

Kevin Costner made his big screen debut in the 1981 comedy Sizzle Beach, U.S.A., landing a small role in a film that barely made a ripple. Not even sexy bikini-clad models playing three friends exploring Malibu beaches, or stunning nighttime shots of Los Angeles could save the movie's weak script and paper-thin plot.

Kevin went on to appear in several similar films but gained his first real taste of fame playing Eliot Ness in the crime drama The Untouchables (1986). Director Brian De Palma chose the young actor for his clean-cut looks and good-guy appeal to create a sharp contrast with Robert De Niro, the renowned actor who portrayed legendary Al Capone. The film turned out to be a major disappointment. Critics savaged the film as one of the master director's flattest and most uninspired works, with both Costner and De Niro taking their share of heat. The film would have been a total disaster if not for Sean Connery's powerhouse performance, which ultimately saved the day.

Despite the harsh reviews, sharing the screen with Hollywood's biggest names was exactly what Costner needed to launch his stellar career. His next film, released in 1987, proved far more successful than The Untouchables. In the political thriller No Way Out, Kevin played a U.S. Navy officer having an affair with the mistress of the Secretary of Defense. Gene Hackman played the Secretary, with Sean Young as his lover, who's ultimately killed by the jealous official. In this film, Costner finally had the chance to showcase his dramatic chops, proving he could convey both the anguish of losing a loved one and the burning need for justice.

The film was well-received by both critics and audiences, though some had fun with the movie's shocking twist ending, where decorated American officer Tom is revealed to be a Soviet spy named Yuri.

Mass recognition

Between 1987 and 1990, Costner's career continued its steady climb. During this time, he starred in the drama Bull Durham alongside Susan Sarandon, the fantasy hit Field of Dreams with Ray Liotta and Amy Madigan, and the crime drama The Gunrunner, where he once again embraced the good-guy persona his fans adored.

His next film, Revenge, released in 1990, became a major sensation in Hollywood, catapulting the young actor to A-list status. In this intense and emotionally draining drama, Kevin plays a retired army pilot who falls for his best friend's wife – his best friend being a Mexican crime boss. Unable to resist their passion, the lovers are discovered by the jealous husband, played by Anthony Quinn. Madeleine Stowe plays the unfaithful wife who falls for the pilot and ultimately pays with her life.

In the same year, Costner made his directorial debut with the release of Dances with Wolves. In this Civil War-era historical drama, the actor plays an officer who's adopted by a Native American tribe. The film earned 12 Academy Award nominations and won seven, including Best Picture and Best Director. Beyond the numerous awards and overwhelmingly positive reception, the film earned Costner over $50 million.

Best movies

1991 saw the release of the action-adventure film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, which captivated audiences of all ages. Even now, decades later, Kevin Costner's Robin Hood is still considered the definitive big-screen portrayal of the legendary character. This beautiful and wholesome movie also featured Morgan Freeman, Alan Rickman, and Christian Slater. Much to the disappointment of Costner's legion of female fans, he was replaced by a body double for the fountain scene where Robin Hood appears completely naked.

Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves - Trailer

1992 brought us the legendary film The Bodyguard, which earned its leads a couple of Razzie Awards. The film starred Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston with both of them scoring an infamous mocking award. But neither harsh critics nor negative press could dent the massive popularity of this lavish romantic thriller, still hailed as one of modern cinema's greatest love stories.

The Bodyguard - Trailer

In the 1993 drama A Perfect World, Kevin was cast as Butch, an escaped convict who takes an 8-year-old boy hostage. As with most Clint Eastwood films, this movie doesn't deliver a happy ending. The film's depressing yet realistic conclusion, where Butch dies in the arms of a boy who couldn't bear to let him go, has brought tears to viewers across generations.

In the 1995 fantasy action epic Waterworld, Costner served not only as the star but also as part of the film's directing team. Set in a bleak future where Earth has become one vast ocean after an apocalyptic disaster, the film succeeded thanks to its epic scope and ambitious vision brought to life through stunning execution. The handful of survivors in this post-ice cap world were brought to life by Dennis Hopper, Jack Kehler, and Jack Black.

Waterworld - Trailer

Costner's directorial effort, in which he also starred, was nominated for multiple Golden Raspberry Awards and won them all. We're talking about the post-apocalyptic adventure The Postman, which hit theaters in 1997. Despite being a complete critical and commercial disaster, many viewers were captivated by this film that championed kindness and loyalty, along with its memorable characters brought to life by Giovanni Ribisi, Olivia Williams, and Ryan Hurst.

The decade from 2000 to 2010 proved to be one of Costner's strongest periods, delivering multiple films that have rightfully achieved cult status and are now considered genuine cinematic masterpieces.

In one of the most captivating love stories to hit the big screen, Message in a Bottle, Kevin starred alongside Robin Wright Penn; fantasy drama Dragonfly was called a soul-cleansing movie by critics.

Dragonfly - Trailer

In the drama movie The Guardian, released in 2006, Kevin Costner starred alongside Ashton Kutcher. The film tells the story of a difficult working relationship between young swimmers and seasoned trainers, which ends with the death of the latter. The deeply tragic movie was one of the year's biggest box office successes.

The Guardian - Trailer

Released in 2007, psychological thriller Mr. Brooks was quite the revelation for the actor's fans. In this movie, Kevin appears in a completely new light, portraying a cruel and cynical serial killer hiding behind the persona of a law-abiding, respectable entrepreneur. The movie also starred such Hollywood stars as Demi Moore, William Hurt and Danielle Panabaker.

American historical miniseries Hatfields & McCoys became History Channel's most successful 2012 project according to both critics and viewers. Kevin Costner, playing one of the Hatfield family members waging war on their neighbors the McCoys, was considered the most compelling character in the cast. The project also featured Bill Paxton, Tom Berenger, and Andrew Howard.

Kevin Costner in Hatfields & McCoys series

In action-thriller 3 Days to Kill, released in 2014, Costner plays Ethan Renner, a terminally ill assassin who is ultimately saved by a mysterious drug. The movie, directed by Luc Besson, also featured Connie Nielsen and Amber Heard.

In 2014 and 2015, the actor took part in his favorite type of movies – ones dedicated to sports themes. Draft Day and McFarland, USA belong to the subgenre of inspirational sports movies; Costner was accompanied by Maria Bello, Vincent Martella, Tyler Sellers, and Tom Welling.

Draft Day - Trailer

2016 thriller Criminal allowed Costner to play a dangerous psychopath who agrees to participate in a dangerous experiment, completely changing his personality and becoming someone capable of self-sacrifice and true love. Kevin was accompanied by such actors as Gary Oldman, Michael Pitt, and Tommy Lee Jones.

In 2017, the actor joined Jessica Chastain in drama movie Molly's Game, which tells the story of a woman who runs an underground casino and manages to avoid charges for illegal business. The movie also stars Idris Elba.

In 2018, Kevin became one of the main characters in the Yellowstone TV series. In this western drama, he portrays the owner of America's largest ranch, using every means necessary to save his land from city authorities, construction company claims, and local Native Americans who consider this land their own.

Personal Life

Kevin Costner got married right after graduating from college. His college sweetheart Cindy Silva became his first wife and mother to their three children. In 1994 the couple divorced, stating it was a mutual decision.

The actor also has a son, Liam, from his relationship with actress Bridget Rooney.

Kevin Costner with his wife and children

In 2004 Kevin Costner married Christine Baumgartner, who is almost 20 years younger than him. Kevin met his future wife on a golf course and, as often happens, their chance meeting blossomed into love. The couple is raising three children together and says the sky's the limit.

Kevin Costner now

Kevin Costner continues to star in the Yellowstone series. The show became so successful that it was renewed for several more seasons. In 2019, the crime drama "The Highwaymen" premiered, with Kevin playing Frank Hamer. In addition, in the same year, Costner starred in the drama "The Art of Racing in the Rain" based on the book by Garth Stein.

Bryan Sutton

Well, as an actor Costner is not bad, the only thing I liked was his work in Mr. Brooks

2021-05-08 17:55:33
Cheryl Martin

How I sobbed after Clint Eastwood`s film «A Perfect World» with Kevin Costner... Brilliant team work.

2021-04-16 20:44:55
William Farmer

Costner is great for trying himself as a director and he did a great job. I was even shocked, but pleasant. So I recommend his film Dances with Wolves.

2021-04-16 17:47:20
Alan Day

Revenge with Kevin Costner is a really cool action movie where a former pilot moves to a small village in Mexico to visit an old friend and falls in love with his beautiful wife. And then revenge begins...

2021-04-08 23:31:19
Joanne Anderson

Fell in love with Costner after the movie «No Way Out», sooo beautiful, but how did he play it there!

2021-03-26 20:31:43

Photos: Kevin Costner