Kevin Costner talks music, movies and growing up in Compton

Yellowstone actor Kevin Costner is an Oscar winning Director and Film Maker. With more than three decades in Hollywood, the 65-year-old has starred in and directed some of the most-loved movies including Field of Dreams, Dances with Wolves, The Bodyguard, to name a few. But for Kevin, there’s one leading role that he really enjoys. MUSIC. Costner tells Gentry Thomas “I grew up in the church singing, making music and trained classically on piano.” For a long time now Kevin Costner has felt the need to connect with people in a more meaningful way more than just an autograph. Costner tell us that he found himself traveling around the world in different situations where the only exchange has been just that… a quick signature on the run usually followed by a “gee, he’s taller than I thought.” The Dances with Wolves actor always thought that music could build a stronger, more personal moment. It would create the opportunity for a genuine exchange much greater than the movie, TV interview or magazine. It would be real, full of mistakes and without apology. But most of all there would be the chance to have some fun. Kevin Costner tells Gentry Thomas on the Podcast the music he grew up on was set during the Vietnam War and he remembers listening to his tunes on 8-tracks cassettes. His playlist included artists like The Four Seasons, The Doors, CREAM, Simon & Garfunkel and Marvin Gaye. During our time with Costner he also talked about the current state of movie making and the now abnormal way of releasing a new film. Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic movie goers can’t go see their favorite stars on the BIG screen. Kevin, says “it’s never good when people can’t go where they want to go.” He admits that this is a “legitimate problem. How can we get 1,000 people to go sit in the dark and dream the same dream.” The movies Costner makes he says “are made for the big screen.” Somehow he hopes that the flag can drop and we can feel secure about going to see a movie again. He feels like it will be a vaccine moment that hopefully will make people feel safe enough to get their popcorn and friends together to sit back, relax and enjoy the movies again.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.