Kevin Costner defends giving his son, 15, acting debut in new movie

Horizon: An American Saga trailer

kevin costner, kevin costner defends giving his son, 15, acting debut in new movie

Kevin Costner has defended casting his son in his new self-financed passion project film Horizon: An American Saga.

Costner’s 15-year-old son, Hayes, appears in the two-part film as a character named Hayes Ellison, who plays Sienna Miller’s on-screen son.  Horizon is a four-part Western drama spanning the 15 years pre and post the American Civil War, written, directed and starred in by Costner.

The Yellowstone Actor, who previously said he cast his son so they could spend more time together, has denied the idea that he automatically gives parts to his children.

“[Hayes] had never acted before and I don’t automatically give parts to my children because I know how coveted this is,” Costner told Metro.co.uk.

Seemingly aware of the discourse surrounding nepotism babies – children of successful parents who are given a leg-up in life – Costner said he didn’t want his children to take up roles that other people dream of.

“There’s young people that would do anything to have a part in a movie, and I want those kids to emerge. My children, if they’re not interested in the business, I’m not going to automatically give them something because I know there’s other people that this is a dream for.”

He continued: “I’m also a father and it was a part that wasn’t that long – and I wanted him to be close to me. I was away from home, I needed my family close to me, and it was a way for me to trap him. I thought he was just beautiful in the movie.”

kevin costner, kevin costner defends giving his son, 15, acting debut in new movie
Costner and his son Hayes (Getty Images)

The actor revealed that the connection between his son and the film runs deeper than the casting, and that he named his son after the character he conceived long ago.

“I had trouble making this movie, but for whatever reason I kept the name Hayes – [it] was part of my journey that I wasn’t going to let go this character, Hayes Ellison,” he explained.

kevin costner, kevin costner defends giving his son, 15, acting debut in new movie

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

kevin costner, kevin costner defends giving his son, 15, acting debut in new movie

Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days

New subscribers only. £8.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled

Try for free

“I started this in 1988 and I couldn’t make it, but I wouldn’t fall out of love with it. I don’t know what that says about me, but I couldn’t fall out of love with Hayes, and so 15 years ago I just named my son Hayes because I couldn’t let go of it.”

kevin costner, kevin costner defends giving his son, 15, acting debut in new movie
Kevin Costner at Cannes Film Festival with his children Annie, Hayes, Kevin, Cayden, Grace and Lily (Getty Images)

The Yellowstone star shares three adult children – Annie, 39, Lily, 37, and Joe, 36 – with his ex-wife Cindy Silva, as well as son Liam, 26, with former partner Bridget Rooney. He and his ex-wife Christine Baumgartner share three children: Cayden Wyatt, 15, Hayes Logan, 15, and Grace Avery, 13.

After premiering at Cannes Film Festival, Horizon part one has been mauled by critics, with one calling it the “dullest cinematic vanity project”.

“The film moseys blankly along and, aside from some mildly diverting moments, it spends 180 keeping you guessing as to when and whether it is going to be interesting,” wrote Peter Bradshaw in his two-star review for The Guardian.

kevin costner, kevin costner defends giving his son, 15, acting debut in new movie
Hayes Costner in ‘Horizon’ part one (WARNER BROS. PICTURES/YOUTUBE)

The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney called the film “a clumsy slog beyond saving”, adding: “It plays like a limited series overhauled as a movie, but more like a hasty rough cut than a release ready for any format.”

Costner has revealed he mortgaged one of his four properties in order to fund the movie, and is on track to spend $98m of his own money on the first three movies. By the time he’s done with the fourth, he said he will have surpassed $100m.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 will debut in cinemas on 28 June, followed by Chapter 2 on 16 August.

OTHER NEWS

21 minutes ago

Taylor Swift's surprise songs from Night 2 of the Eras Tour in London, including a Hayley Williams appearance

21 minutes ago

England: Scholes selects new position to start ‘wasted’ Alexander-Arnold in three changes for Slovenia

21 minutes ago

Angela Rayner comments on election date gambling allegations

21 minutes ago

Ukraine vs Belgium: Euro 2024 prediction, kick-off time, TV, live stream, team news, h2h results, odds

21 minutes ago

Barcelona fear Arsenal as race hots up to sign sensational Spain midfielder

21 minutes ago

Matvei Michkov Signing Changes Trajectory Of Flyers Rebuild Timeline

21 minutes ago

Giovanni Pernice cuts dreary figure as he returns to stage with Anton Du Beke amid Strictly probe

21 minutes ago

Harry Kane sends firm warning to Gary Lineker after BBC star's brutal England criticism

21 minutes ago

Holders Dublin get quarter-final tie with Galway after edging clear of Mayo

21 minutes ago

Just one term? There is a strategy that can get Keir Starmer to No 10 – and keep him there

21 minutes ago

Boris Johnson demands Starmer denounce Jeremy Corbyn in latest column

21 minutes ago

'James had been very supportive of me'

21 minutes ago

Labour: Conservatives have utterly let renters down

21 minutes ago

Armagh power past Mayo to reach first All-Ireland minor final since 2009

21 minutes ago

PSL Awards: Sundowns and Pirates stars big winners

21 minutes ago

Tories have 'no leadership from top' as General Election betting scandal deepens

21 minutes ago

WATCH: DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small’s dancing video

21 minutes ago

Fired-up New Yorkers protest troublesome migrant tent city: ‘we’re going to keep the pressure on’

25 minutes ago

Rapper Foolio killed in Tampa shooting

25 minutes ago

‘I can’t move’: Ontario woman opens up about stiff person syndrome fight

27 minutes ago

Video: Katy Perry puts on a leggy display in Paris ahead of the Vogue World event after sparking Ozempic speculation

28 minutes ago

Labour would have to raise taxes to fill immediate £2bn black hole, Tories claim

28 minutes ago

Duda arrives in China to discuss trade, security in Europe

28 minutes ago

England suffer fresh injury concern ahead of Slovenia fixture

28 minutes ago

Russia vows military and legal response against US, holds it responsible for Kyiv attack

30 minutes ago

Tesla, opponents of Musk's pay package clash over resolving compensation lawsuit

34 minutes ago

Darwin Nunez is 25/1 with Sky Bet to score a hat-trick - as Uruguay open their Copa America 2024 campaign against Panama in Miami

35 minutes ago

Medicaid spending on migrants in Florida plummets after DeSantis crackdown on illegals: report

35 minutes ago

Illinois may return land stolen 175 years ago from a Prairie Band Potawatomi chief

36 minutes ago

Justin Reid opened the Chiefs “ChampionsHaus” pop-up in Frankfurt, Germany

36 minutes ago

Chelsea go ALL-IN on Nico Williams - Gianluca Di Marzio

36 minutes ago

Golden Nuggets: Ten more Sundays without real 49ers football

36 minutes ago

Chelsea ask Barcelona about signing young forward after Michael Olise snub

36 minutes ago

Ukraine reports successful attack on Russian military command post in Belgorod

36 minutes ago

Mailbag: Biggest villain in 2024, Jahmyr Gibbs or Jameson Williams?

36 minutes ago

Micah Parsons named NFL's ninth-best player by CBS Sports

36 minutes ago

A 4-year-old boy was rescued after surviving nearly 24 hours alone in California woods

39 minutes ago

Arsenal and Liverpool eye Joshua Kimmich transfer - but he's 'not interested' in Man Utd

39 minutes ago

Benoot's candid assessment: "Van Aert not at last year's level, Visma | LAB does not dare to bet money on Vingegaard"

39 minutes ago

Daniel Lismore arrives at the V and A summer party