Kevin Costner had cast his parents in some of his iconic films, giving us another reason to adore him
It looks like Kevin Costner cannot stop giving us reasons to like him! The 'Yellowstone' actor has always spoken well of his relationship with his parents, Sharon and William "Bill" Costner. But did you know that he cast his parents in his movies? Well, as a tribute to both his parents, Kevin cast them in minor but memorable roles in some of his biggest projects. His mother, Shannon, and father, Bill, both had background roles in the 1996 film ‘Tin Cup’ and the 1999 movie ‘For Love of the Game’. One of the most touching scenes was in ‘Dances with Wolves’ back in 1990, in which Bill had a cameo that stole the scene.
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For the unversed, As Kevin’s character is in a life-or-death situation, a soldier played by none other than Bill saves him during a very critical point in the movie. In an interview on ‘The Late Late Show’, Kevin shared the sweet meaning behind the scenes, stating, “In Dances with Wolves when I’m actually riding, I’m about to give up my life, and I do that Catholic thing and then the soldier who’s about to shoot me gets shot in the forehead. He does that and I cut back, and it’s my father with the gun.” Seems like these were much more than cameo appearances; they spoke volumes of the deep love that Kevin had for his parents. “I said ‘You want to be in the movie, you want to save me?’ and he said, ‘Yeah.’ There’s little things that you can throw people into.”
Throughout his career, Kevin has gone on to speak at great length about the influence his parents had on his life, especially in terms of instilling in him a strong work ethic and a sense of determination. He often shared about his father, who was always deeply invested in his career. When Kevin’s hit show ‘Yellowstone’ started gaining attention, Bill reportedly didn't hold back, offering blunt advice: “You’re gonna lose your audience, fella. That is a naughty show. They’re gonna drift away son…You mark my words that’s naughty,” he said, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Though the critique stung at first, Kevin appreciated the honesty, even if Bill softened over time.
Kevin’s father guided and toughened him up, always urging him to think critically about his projects. Kevin also opened up about his mother, and how she had always been there for him, supporting him through every step in life and his career. Like her husband, Sharon was very much a part of Kevin’s journey and was always rooting for him- be it attending his Little League games or following him to movie sets. Even when Kevin was filming on location in South Dakota, Sharon and her husband were never far away, as noted by Hello Magazine.
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“My parents followed me…they saw my little league games and everything,” Kevin said on 'The Late Late' show. “When I went out to direct a movie, they got a trailer and took it out to South Dakota. They go, ‘We won’t be in your way, we’ll be on a hill over here and we’ll watch you’ and it was like, ‘I’m a grown man. I would look up on the hill in the morning, and they had two lawn chairs and a motor home, and I go work with all the guys, and I see my mom wave at me, and I [wave] to my mom,” he added. While Sharon and Bill have since passed, they continue to live on through Kevin’s films and memories.