How does Kevin Costner prepare for a role? He revealed the details during an interview in 2014.
Most of us can agree that Kevin Costner is a great actor. Certainly, Hollywood agrees. Costner has won three Academy Awards, two Golden Globes, and a Primetime Emmy Award. Whether he’s playing a pro-baseball pitcher, a civil war soldier, a coach, a father, or a ruthless rancher, Costner doesn’t cut corners with his portrayals. During an interview in 2014, Costner revealed how he prepares for roles. He said that it’s taken him a long time to grow into his process but he has learned what works best for him.
“I’ve always felt like I’ve gotten better. I think that all of us can get better. And I feel like, in my acting, I’m better than I was three pictures ago. I think about it. I’m a slow study. It takes me a long time to grasp the material, in order to perform it. But when I come to the set, on the first day, I know the whole movie. That’s why I have to start so early.”
Undoubtedly, taking a little more time to learn the movie and get into character has paid off for Kevin Costner. He added that he’s also learned a lot from watching other skilled actors.
“So, I have learned my own patterns, and I have watched other good actors. I have done what every good actor does and stolen ideas. You see things. You stand on the shoulders of people.”
Kevin Costner Said He Knew He Was Getting Older For This One Reason
A few years before the interview, Kevin Costner announced that he was taking some time off to raise his kids. After returning to acting, he didn’t waste any time lining up more movies. He said that, even after taking time off, his love for acting never diminished.
“But yeah, I had the babies and did that. And then, I went and did Hatfields & McCoys. And then, I lined up these movies. I wish they weren’t so packed, but on the other hand, I’m glad I did them. That’s just the way it plays out. I’m not re-energized. I’ve always loved the business. I’m a romantic about it. But for me, this business is always pushing a rock uphill, it feels like.”
However, he did say that he could tell he was getting older because he became more cautious about stuntwork.
“I’ve been evolving in my stunt career. It used to be that my stunt guy and I would talk about it, and talk about when it was time for him to take over. The way you know you’re getting older, we’d look at the thing and he’d go, ‘You could make it.’ I could tell that he’s started getting scared. I said, ‘I can’t.’ So, there is an evolving thing,” said Costner.
Kevin Costner said that he definitely wouldn’t avoid stunts. But he approaches them in a more measured manner than he did when he was just starting out as an actor.
“…But stunts have always had their place, and I have to measure them now. I’ve done things where, if I make a mistake, I could die. You really need to look at each thing. That usually is a mechanical failure,” said Costner. “So, I have gone from doing everything to listening and saying, ‘Maybe I shouldn’t do this.'”
