Kevin Costner (Fullerton ’77)
Actor, Producer & Director

"Real heroes are men who fall and fail and are flawed, but win out in the end because they've stayed true to their ideals and beliefs and commitments."

"I'm happy about the things I've done. Not always happy about the results, but happy about the decisions, because I made them myself. And I think that's an important way to go through life."

In real life: Delta Chi Brother Rod Dedeaux, baseball advisor to Delta Chi Brother Kevin Costner’s Field of Dreams film production, says Kevin Costner actually is a pretty good ballplayer -- that he would have been good enough to play at USC, where Dedeaux coached.

Actor:

  1. Open Range (2003) (completed) .... Charley Waite
  2. Frat Boys (2003) (TV)
  3. Dragonfly (2002) .... Joe Darrow
    ... aka Im Zeichen der Libelle (2002) (Germany)
  4. 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) .... Thomas J. Murphy/Jonathan Liebling
  5. Thirteen Days (2000) .... Kenny O'Donnell, Special Assistant to the President
    ... aka Thirteen Days Which Shocked the World (2000) (USA)
  6. For Love of the Game (1999) .... Billy Chapel
  7. Message in a Bottle (1999) .... Garret Blake
  8. The Postman (1997) .... The Postman
  9. Tin Cup (1996) .... Roy 'Tin Cup' McAvoy
  10. Waterworld (1995) .... Mariner
  11. "500 Nations" (1995) (mini) TV Series .... Host
  12. The War (1994) .... Stephen Simmons
  13. Wyatt Earp (1994) .... Wyatt Earp
  14. A Perfect World (1993) .... Robert 'Butch' Haynes
  15. Amazing Stories: Book One (1992) (V) .... Captain (segment "The Mission")
  16. The Bodyguard (1992) .... Frank Farmer
  17. Voices that Care (1991) (TV) .... Choir Member
  18. JFK (1991) .... Jim Garrison
    ... aka JFK (1991) (France)
  19. Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991) .... Robin of Locksley
  20. Dances with Wolves (1990) .... Lieutenant John G. Dunbar/Dances with Wolves
  21. Revenge (1990) .... Michael J. 'Jay' Cochran
  22. Field of Dreams (1989) .... Ray Kinsella
  23. Bull Durham (1988) .... Crash Davis, Catcher Durham Bulls
  24. No Way Out (1987) .... Lt. Cmdr. Tom Farrell
  25. The Untouchables (1987) .... Eliot Ness
  26. Shadows Run Black (1986) .... Jimmy Scott
  27. Sizzle Beach, U.S.A. (1986) .... John Logan
    ... aka Malibu Hot Summer (1986)
  28. American Flyers (1985) .... Marcus
  29. Silverado (1985) .... Jake, Emmett's Brother
  30. Fandango (1985) .... Gardner Barnes, Groover
  31. The Gunrunner(1984) .... Ted
  32. Table for Five (1983) .... Newlywed Husband
  33. Testament (1983) .... Phil Pitkin
  34. Chasing Dreams (1982) .... Ed
  35. Stacy's Knights (1982) .... Will Bonner
    ... aka Double Down (1982)
    ... aka Touch, The (1982) (USA: video title)
  36. Frances (1982) (uncredited) .... Man in Alley
  37. Night Shift (1982) .... Frat Boy #1

Producer:

  1. Open Range (2003) (completed) (producer)
  2. Thirteen Days (2000) (producer)
    ... aka Thirteen Days Which Shocked the World (2000) (USA)
  3. Message in a Bottle (1999) (producer)
  4. Postman, The (1997) (producer)
  5. Waterworld (1995) (producer)
  6. "500 Nations" (1995) (mini) TV Series (executive producer)
  7. Wyatt Earp (1994) (producer)
  8. Rapa Nui (1994) (producer)
  9. Bodyguard, The (1992) (producer)
  10. Dances with Wolves (1990) (producer)
  11. Revenge (1990) (executive producer)

Director:

  1. Open Range (2003) (completed)
  2. Postman, The (1997)
  3. Waterworld (1995) (uncredited)
  4. Dances with Wolves (1990)

Guest appearances:

  1. Shirtless: Hollywood's Sexiest Men (2002) (TV) (uncredited) (archive footage)
  2. Inside the Playboy Mansion (2002) (TV) (uncredited)
  3. John Barry: Licence to Thrill (2000) (TV)
    ... aka Omnibus: John Barry - Licence to Thrill (2000) (TV) (UK: series title)
  4. When It Was a Game 3 (2000) (TV) (voice)
  5. 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Awards (2000) (TV)
  6. AFI's 100 Years...100 Stars (1999) (TV)
  7. Intimate Portrait: Kelly Preston (1999) (TV)
  8. Play It to the Bone (1999) (ringside fan)
    ... aka Play It (1999) (USA: promotional title)
  9. Spirit: A Journey in Dance, Drums & Song (1998) (V) (Narrator)
  10. To Live! America Celebrates Israel's 50th (1998) (TV)
  11. Sean Connery, an Intimate Portrait (1997)
  12. Sean Connery Close Up (1997) (V)
  13. The American Film Institute Salute to Steven Spielberg (1995) (TV) 
  14. A Century of Cinema (1994)
  15. "Rapa Nui: Legends in Stone" (1994) TV Series
  16. Red, White & Boots (1994) (TV) (archive footage)
  17. John Barry: Moviola (1993) (TV)
  18. Beyond 'JFK': The Question of Conspiracy (1992)
  19. Oliver Stone (1992)
  20. The 64th Annual Academy Awards (1992) (TV)
  21. Robin Hood: Myth, Man, Movie (1991) (TV)
  22. Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)
    ... aka In Bed with Madonna (1991) (UK)
    ... aka Truth or Dare (1991)
  23. Earth Day Special (1990) (TV) .... Himself
  24. "The Heaven and Earth Show" (2000) May 26th, 2002
  25. "The Heaven and Earth Show" (2000) May 19th, 2002
  26. "Parkinson" (1971) March 17th, 2001
  27. "Wetten, dass..?" (1981) (episode #129 "Wetten dass..? aus Dornbirm") March 17th, 2001
  28. "Amazing Stories" (1985) playing "Captain" (episode #1.5 "The Mission") November 3rd, 1985



Kevin was born in Lynwood, California on January 18, 1955, the third child of Bill Costner, a ditch digger and ultimately an electric line servicer for Southern California Edison, and Sharon. His older brother, Dan, was born in 1950. His Dad's job required him to move regularly, which caused Kevin to feel like an Army kid, always the new kid at school, which led to him being a daydreamer. As a teen he sang in the Baptist church choir, wrote poetry, and took writing classes.

At 18, he built his own canoe and paddled his way down the rivers that Lewis & Clark followed to the Pacific. Despite his present height, he was only 5'2" when he graduated high school. Nonetheless, he still managed to be a basketball, football, and baseball star.

In 1973, he enrolled at California State University at Fullerton, where he majored in business and became a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity. During that period, Kevin decided to take acting lessons five nights a week. He graduated with a business degree in 1978 and married his college sweetheart, Cindy Silva. He initially took a marketing job in Orange County.

Everything changed when he accidentally met Richard Burton on a flight from Mexico. Burton advised him to go completely after acting if that is what he wanted. He quit his job and moved to Hollywood soon after. He drove a truck, worked on a deep sea fishing boat, and gave bus tours to stars' homes before finally making his own way into the films.

He didn't work for nearly six years, while he waited for a proper break. That break came with "The Big Chill", even though his scenes ended up on the cutting room floor -- he was remembered by director Lawrence Kasdan when he decided to make "Silverado". Costner's career took off after that.