Kevin Costner sits casually from the comfort of his California home in a white short-sleeve shirt, a cup of coffee on the counter. He’s just arrived back to the states from Europe after “about an 18-hour flight” that “felt forever.”
The first thing he did when he woke up, he tells TODAY.com over Zoom, was his “little daily habit of having a coffee in the morning.” The movie star doesn’t drink a lot of coffee, he says, “But I have that one, and I think I actually feel a little bit off center if I don’t.”
Life is good for the 69-year-old movie star, who's been a busy man as of late. He was just in Italy for the Magna Graecia Film Festival, has been promoting his passion project of 36 years “Horizon: An American Saga” and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters collab, as well as has plans to film the third and fourth installment of his Western films.
Despite his packed schedule, he listens with intention and lights up when speaking about the future of “Horizon,” reflecting on a milestone birthday coming up, and has a wholesome laugh when asked if he goes on coffee dates.
The promise he made to himself about 'Horizon'
The actor and director isn’t letting the critics have the last say on the future of “Horizon.” The first film in the four-part saga, “Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1,” premiered on June 28 to less than desirable box office numbers. “Chapter 2” was scheduled to premiere Aug. 16, before it was pulled from its release, according to Variety.
However, the drama will premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September, which Costner calls “a beautiful surprise.”
“I love the journey of this thing. It’s been the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but I love this movie,” Costner says. “I love the second one — and the third one’s even harder than the first two, and the fourth one completes the story.”
“I made a promise to myself, I’m trying desperately to keep it, and to bring it to people, these kind of giant stories, and I hope that people fall in love with these characters.”
The film’s inclusion at the Venice Film Festival, Costner says, is a testament to the people who have “trusted the movies that I’ve been in.” Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera said in a statement to Variety that he selected the film as “a heartfelt and respectful tribute to the visionary project of a great actor and director.”
“It’s nice in life to be surprised.”
Naming films like “Field of Dreams” and his Oscar-winning “Dances With Wolves,” Costner says viewers can be moved by what they see on screen — even if it's later down the line.
“A lot of times the things that you want to make don’t immediately resonate with anyone else,” he says about deciding to move forward with the rest of the films. “It’s only after you’re done that people begin to understand what it was, and almost, they take ownership themselves, of ‘I love this movie. I love these characters. I didn’t know where this story was going.’”
He adds, “It’s nice in life to be surprised.”
If people missed the first chapter in theaters, the Western will stream on Max on Aug. 23.
He will continue to develop the third and fourth films, completing his project the way he wants to.
“The plan is, I’ve already shot a little bit of the third,” he says. “And to perhaps shoot them back to back next spring.”
A milestone 70th birthday for a 'great life' he's had
Costner has tried to live a full life, he says. The Hollywood star is an Oscar winner, musician, dog lover and father to seven children.
“I’ve lived an unusual life being able to act and direct, and to write and to do these things,” he says, feeling grateful ahead of his milestone 70th birthday in January.
“Not sure what to even say about it. I mean, what am I going to do about that except be with the people I love. And wherever we’re at will make sense because that’s all we really need,” he says, adding that he's taking care of himself, “because I’d like to live forever, because this has been a great life.”
"I’ve always done the things that I felt moved me — and they weren’t about what was trending at the moment."
As for how Costner's perspective on success and aging has changed over time, he stays true to himself. He always has.
“If you try to stay a success, you’re going to lose yourself. If you try to follow the trend, what’s trending, what’s popular, I think you’re going to lose yourself,” he says. “And I think for me, I’m pleased with how people treat me, but I’ve always done the things that I felt moved me — and they weren’t about what was trending at the moment.”
And while reflecting on his life and career, Costner says he's also been “bruised like anybody else.” But despite those lows, “The life I’ve been able to live has been pretty cool.”
“I was hoping it would be special, my life, and it has been.”
Westerns, not coffee dates
Costner collaborated with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters while promoting “Horizon,” because he enjoys his morning routine that starts with a cup of joe.
The “Yellowstone” star takes his coffee “with an inordinate amount of sugar,” he cracks. “No, not true. I put cream. I put cinnamon. But I like it when it’s got that base flavor that I like... Certainly, I’m no connoisseur of what this stuff is. I just respond to my own taste.”
If you’ve ever wondered what a coffee date with Costner would look like, it’d be early in the morning.
“I should remind you: I do make Westerns. I don’t make coffee dates,” he says with a hearty laugh after being asked what his ideal coffee date would be. “That’s funny... although I think that might be a thing that goes on. I don’t do that. I don’t do, ‘Let’s meet for coffee.’”
His reasoning? “Because I’ve already had (coffee). It’s the first thing (I do) when I’ve gotten up. Nobody wants to come have coffee with me at 7 in the morning.”
Some might disagree.