Kevin Michael Costner was born on January 18, 1955 in Lynwood, California, the third child of Bill Costner, a ditch digger and ultimately an electric line servicer for Southern California Edison, and Sharon Costner (née Tedrick), a welfare worker. His older brother, Dan, was born in 1950. A middle brother died at birth in 1953.
His father's job required him to move regularly, which caused Kevin to feel like an Army kid, always the new kid at school, which led to him being a daydreamer. As a teen, he sang in the Baptist church choir, wrote poetry, and took writing classes. At 18, he built his own canoe and paddled his way down the rivers that Lewis & Clark followed to the Pacific. Despite his present height, he was only 5'2" when he graduated high school. Nonetheless, he still managed to be a basketball, football and baseball star. In 1973, he enrolled at California State University at Fullerton, where he majored in business.
After making one soft core sex film, he vowed to not work again if that was the only work he could do. He didn't work for nearly six years, while he waited for a proper break. That break came withThe Big Chill (1983), even though his scenes ended up on the cutting room floor -- he was remembered by director Lawrence Kasdan when he decided to make Silverado (1985). Costner's career took off after that.
Kevin Michael Costner is an iconic American actor, director, and producer known for his memorable roles in films like, YellowStone,
The Untouchables (1987), Bull Durham (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), JFK (1991), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), The Bodyguard (1992), and A Perfect World (1993). During this time, he directed and starred in the western epic Dances with Wolves (1990), for which he won two Academy Awards: Best Picture and Best Director. He then starred in and co-produced Wyatt Earp (1994) and Waterworld (1995), and directed The Postman (1997), Open Range (2003), and Horizon: An American Saga (2024)
With multiple Academy Awards and a career spanning decades, Costner has left an indelible mark on Hollywood, showcasing his versatility across drama, sports, and western genres. 
