Before Kevin Costner rode off into the sunset in "Yellowstone," won two Oscars for "Dances with Wolves," lured baseball stars of the past to a cornfield, or slept in a trailer on Sunset Boulevard while dreaming of Hollywood fame, the seed of stardom was planted in the church.
"I think I was about 4 years old when I was chosen to be the pastor in our church's annual Nativity play," he says in ABC's "Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas." "It would be my acting debut, and I would say one line: 'Listen!'"
Director: David L. Cunningham
Stars: Kevin Costner, Gia Patel, Ethan Thorne
The two-hour special, which premieres December 9 (8 p.m. ET/PT and available the next day on Hulu and Disney+), combines a reenactment of the birth of Jesus with expert context and Costner's commentary. Working on "The First Christmas" lit the actor up like a Christmas tree.
"We all think we know [the story]," Costner tells USA TODAY. “We all look forward to this time of year, and then we also get annoyed, because now I have so many things to do that I hate this. It’s like too many people come to the house. There’s another story that changed the world, a big part of the world.”
“I felt proud to be able to do it,” adds Costner, 70. “I’m sure I’m going to confront the cynics and the non-believers, whom I invite to sit down as well, and they can feel what they feel. But I felt very happy. It gave me pleasure to do it.”
The church that Costner says his family helped build in the 1950s was his “foundation.” “Our friends came from church,” he says. “The church was central to our lives.” Costner’s grandmother was the choir director, and his mother, Sharon Costner, sang as a member. Sharon, who appeared in two of Costner's films, "Tin Cup" and "For Love of the Game," passed away in 1998. "I loved watching my mother sing," Costner says. "I wish I could see her sing now."
Her performances live on in Costner's memory, and the teachings of the church remain in his heart.
"These fantastic stories of faith and believing... it's beautiful to believe in something," he says. "I would hate to live in a world where I don't believe in anything."
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