Kevin Costner Opens Up About Struggling in School Before Discovering His Passion
Kevin Costner Reflects on Parenting, Passion, and His Deep Connection to the American West
While promoting his latest History Channel series, The West, Kevin Costner opened up about raising seven children, his struggles in school, and how he leads by example.
Costner, known for his role in Yellowstone, revealed that he didn’t always feel confident in school. “I was a public school guy. I was often at the wrong end of the bell curve. There was too much math, not enough history—and I was made to feel like a dumbbell,” he shared. “But I was a daydreamer. I hoped to find my yellow brick road. And I tell my kids the same: find what you love, and don’t let money make your decisions for you.”
As a father of seven, Costner’s parenting philosophy centers around showing rather than telling. “I’d like them to see how I do my work. I take it seriously,” he said. He shares his three oldest children—Annie, Lily, and Joe—with ex-wife Cindy Silva, and his son Liam with ex-girlfriend Bridget Rooney. With his estranged wife Christine Baumgartner, Costner has three younger children: Cayden, Hayes, and Grace.
Reflecting on life at home, Costner joked about how his kids run the show. “I can’t shame my kids who want the keys to the car. Their social schedule is more important than mine. They just rule me,” he said with a laugh. He even joked that the family dog, Bob, gets away with more than he does.
In The West, Costner serves as narrator and executive producer alongside historian Doris Kearns Goodwin. The eight-part docuseries explores the fierce struggle for land in the American West and how it continues to shape America today. His passion for the subject is evident.
“I’ve always loved sports because they’re honest—you know who wins,” Costner explained. “And when you look at the West, there’s an honesty in that history too. It was dangerous, raw, and real. People had to be resourceful. Their best and worst traits came out when survival was on the line.”
Costner believes this gritty history still resonates today. “They went in groups, and sometimes they perished in groups. Their humanity was alive.”
With The West, Costner hopes to bring a deeper understanding of that time—and his own journey, both personal and professional, continues to reflect the rugged spirit of the frontier he so admires.
