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Engraved portrait of Kevin Costner
Film & Screen · 1980s

Kevin Costner

Still with us 1955–present

“Bull Durham, a cornfield, seven Oscars for a Western he directed, then Sunday night again.”

Kevin Michael Costner, Lynwood, CaliforniaBorn
The Untouchables and No Way Out (1987)Breakthrough
Dances with Wolves (1990), seven OscarsDirector triumph
Best Picture and Best Director (1990)Oscars
1981-presentYears active
The Turning Point

Kevin Costner achieved movie-star status in 1987, starring as incorruptible agent Eliot Ness in The Untouchables and as a Navy officer in the thriller No Way Out. His 1990 directorial debut Dances with Wolves won seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.

California Start

Born in Lynwood, California, he worked odd jobs and acted in small roles before his breakout. The Western Silverado in 1985 first drew attention.

Late-1980s Stardom

Two 1987 hits made him a star, and baseball films Bull Durham and Field of Dreams sealed his appeal. He became one of Hollywood's biggest leading men.

Director and Comeback

Dances with Wolves earned him Oscars for directing and producing in 1990. After 1990s ups and downs, Yellowstone made him a television star and he returned to directing with Horizon.

Read The Full Biography

Career Timeline

  1. 1955Born in Lynwood, California.
  2. 1989Field of Dreams.
  3. 1990Dances with Wolves. Picture and Director.
  4. 2018Yellowstone.

Biggest Hits

1987
The UntouchablesBreakthrough as lawman Eliot Ness
1988
Bull DurhamBeloved baseball romantic comedy
1989
Field of DreamsIf you build it; iconic baseball fantasy
1990
Dances with WolvesDirected and starred; won seven Oscars
1992
The BodyguardBlockbuster opposite Whitney Houston
2018
YellowstoneTV smash as patriarch John Dutton
Did You Know
  • His directorial debut, Dances with Wolves, won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Director.
  • Decades after his film heyday, he found new fame on television as rancher John Dutton in the hit series Yellowstone.

Portrait: Bill Ingalls (NASA) · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

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