“They were miles ahead of me”: Kevin Costner Name Drops 5 Hollywood Legends He Had to Compete Against When He First Became an Actor

Kevin Costner began his Hollywood journey with Sizzle Beach, U.S.A. in the year 1981. But it took him a few more years before he became a man of prominence in the movie industry. By the time he had managed to make a place for himself, there were others who were already a big name of movies of that era. Initial years saw him playing minor roles that were just a stepping stones for him to become the legend he is today.

Just a decade into the business, Costner decided it was time for him to make his own movie. And the Western epic, Dances with Wolves, became his directorial debut. The movie went on to secure 12 Oscar nominations, winning 7 of them, including two for Kevin Costner himself. Dances with Wolves became the fourth ever Western to win the Oscar for Best Picture, and won Costner a Best Director award for what was his directorial debut.

Kevin Costner on Hollywood and Competition

Kevin Costner came into Hollywood in the late 70s, and it took him almost a decade to make a name for himself. But at the time he was working, there were a few others who had already made their place in the industry. In a way, he was trying to catch up to others. In a recent interview with GQ, Costner spoke of how when he was working, his competition had way more experience.

All the guys that I was competing with had miles of credits—Mel Gibson and Richard Gere and Nicolas Cage and Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn. They were miles ahead of me, had already been making movies for seven, eight years.

But he was not one to back down. Whether he was competing with Mel Gibson, Richard Gere, Nicolas Cage, Timothy Hutton, or Sean Penn, he knew his own worth. Soon enough, Costner had made a name for himself among the critics as well as the fans. He knew what he wanted, and he went for it with arms wide open. The Yellowstone actor wasn’t going to wait for opportunities, but make them himself.

Dances With Wolves Was a Gamble on Kevin Costner’s Part

Kevin Costner‘s first-ever movie credit was released in the year 1981. And for the next few years, he was only doing small roles – as an extra, or a twice-removed secondary character at best. So when he decided to direct his first movie just a couple of years after becoming a leading hero in Hollywood, it was a big gamble.

He decided to direct Dances With Wolves soon after he started getting steady work, and the movie was released in 1990, only 9 years after his Hollywood debut. It was a very short time in the business, as many pointed out to him, but he was adamant about what he wanted to do. He told GQ,

That wasn’t fast for me at all. If anything, it was late.

Dances with Wolves became a huge hit, going on to become the fourth-highest-grossing film of 1990. It also won Costner two Oscars – one for Best Picture, the other for Best Director. The movie won five additional Oscars that night, and is regarded as an important piece of cinematic history. Dances with Wolves is available for streaming on Fubo TV.