The iconic actor, director, and Hollywood heartthrob Kevin Costner has long been known for his audacious decisions in both on- and off-screen roles (such as his Yellowstone exit). But his latest move might leave fans and critics alike with a sense of confusion—and maybe a little bit of envy.
The former star of Yellowstone revealed recently that he did cast his son in Horizon: An American Saga without even holding a traditional audition. The two-part story of the forthcoming flick has been Costner’s passion project. Entertainment Tonight was informed by the two-time Oscar winner about his commitment to the work on this Western epic.
Also, the actor, 69, acknowledged that the character he portrays in the film, Hayes Ellison, inspired the name of his son.
Horizon: An American Saga: Kevin Costner Defends Casting His Son Without an Audition
In an exclusive interview with ET on Tuesday, Kevin Costner revealed that he named his now 15-year-old son Hayes Costner after the name of his character in his long-awaited Western epic. The interview was conducted during Warner Bros. Pictures’ presentation at CinemaCon 2024 in Las Vegas.
And now, in the very movie that Costner began working on back in the late 1980s (see Deadline), his son will be making his film debut. The former told the outlet:
“I named him after the character I play in this. My character’s name is Hayes Ellison. And I named Hayes that character. So I was watching him grow up and I was thinking, ‘Man, I better get with it and make this movie’.”
“He [Hayes Costner] is very good in this small part that he is done,” Costner remarked, “and I captured him and I brought him on.” Continuing, the Waterworld actor added:
“If you see it, I think he has an impact on the movie.”
In addition, Costner’s son, whom he shares with his former wife, Christine Baumgartner, was not required to give an audition. The actor defended himself by saying:
“No, listen. I don’t give great parts away. I understand that there’s young actors out [there] that would kill for these parts.”
This move comes at a time when the industry is under increasing scrutiny for the prevalence of ‘nepo babies’, or those who benefit from familial connections in Hollywood.
Kevin Costner’s Dedication to Building a Close Relationship with His Son
In the same interview, Kevin Costner clarified that he wanted to be “close and so I did it”, implying that his choice was not motivated by nepotism or favoritism. He emphasized:
“I wanted him close and so I did it. So we’re locked together in a film forever. Actually, I’m not in any scenes with him, but I directed him when he was little and now he’s big.”
Danny Huston, Luke Wilson, Ella Hunt, Jamie Campbell Bower, Michael Rooker, Jena Malone, Michael Rooker, Abbey Lee, Will Patton, Tatanka Means, and Ella Miller are among the actors who starred in Horizon: An American Saga.
The ambition behind this film grew to the point where, in May 2023, the Yellowstone star revealed to Deadline that he had mortgaged “10 acres on the water in Santa Barbara” to fund his dream project. Is Costner nervous about the impending release of Chapter One? He told ET:
“No, I feel really good about what this movie, what it does to me. It was the kind of movie that I hoped someone would make for me. That’s what I like to see.”
The first chapter of Horizon: An American Saga will be available in theaters on June 28. The second chapter will follow closely behind on August 16.
