[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kevin-costner-a-hollywood-genius-3_6541.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:256:[[Series/BreakingBad Not to be confused with]] [[Series/BetterCallSaul James McGill.]]]]
->''"When I played Robin Hood, I knew the great role was Creator/AlanRickman's and it didn't bother me. I always think that leading actors should be called the best supporting actors."''

Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955 in Lynwood, UsefulNotes/{{California}}) is a multiple-[[UsefulNotes/AcademyAward Oscar]]-winning American actor/director/producer and honorary member of the Sioux Nation, perhaps best known for ''Film/DancesWithWolves'', for which he did all of those things. Quite popular during the late 1980s and early 1990s for starring in films such as ''Film/TheBodyguard'', ''Film/TheUntouchables1987'', ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves'', ''Film/BullDurham'', ''Film/FieldOfDreams'', ''Film/TinCup'', ''Film/WyattEarp'' and Creator/OliverStone's ''Film/{{JFK}}''.

In the mid-to-late 90's he hit a slump with lesser received movies, starting with ''Film/{{Waterworld}}'', an AfterTheEnd ScienceFiction [[SummerBlockbuster blockbuster]] which was fraught with production problems and ended up being the most expensive movie ever made at its time, only to flop in the United States. However, it eventually made its money back worldwide. ''Film/ThePostman'' was similarly received, although both films have been looked more fondly in later years.

After starring in ''Film/ThreeThousandMilesToGraceland'', in the 00's and past, Costner has earned his reputation back with lower-key films such as heroic Coast Guard rescue film ''Film/{{The Guardian|2006}}'', the historical thriller ''Film/ThirteenDays'', the {{western}} ''Film/OpenRange'' and the cerebral SerialKiller drama ''Film/MrBrooks''. He also starred in the 3-part miniseries ''Series/HatfieldsAndMcCoys'' based on the [[FeudingFamilies infamous backcountry feud]] on Creator/TheHistoryChannel, had a supporting role in ''Film/HiddenFigures'', played [[Franchise/{{Superman}} Clark Kent/Superman]]'s adopted father Jonathan in the Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse, and has had his biggest role in years in Creator/ParamountNetwork's SleeperHit NewOldWest series ''Series/{{Yellowstone}}'' as family patriarch and ruthless Montana rancher John Dutton.
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!!Filmography:

[[folder:As Actor]]
* ''Film/{{Night Shift|1982}}'' (1982) as Frat Boy#1
* ''Film/{{Frances}}'' (1982) as Luther
* ''Film/TheBigChill'' (1983) as Alex Marshall[[note]]Scenes did not appear in the final cut[[/note]]
* ''Film/{{Testament}}'' (1983) as Phil Pitkin
* ''Film/{{Fandango}}'' (1985) as Gardner Barnes
* ''Film/{{Silverado}}'' (1985) as Jake
* ''Film/AmericanFlyers'' (1985) as Marcus Sommers
* ''Series/AmazingStories'' (1985) Episode - "The Mission" as Captain
* ''Film/{{The Untouchables|1987}}'' (1987) as Eliot Ness
* ''Film/{{No Way Out|1987}}'' (1987) as Tom Farrell
* ''Film/BullDurham'' (1988) as Lawrence "Crash" Davis
* ''Film/FieldOfDreams'' (1989) as Ray Kinsella
* ''Film/TheEarthDaySpecial'' (1990) as Bartender
* ''Film/DancesWithWolves'' (1990) as Lieutenant John J. Dunbar / Dances with Wolves
* ''Film/{{Revenge|1990}}'' (1990) as Michael "Jay" Cochran
* ''Film/RobinHoodPrinceOfThieves'' (1990) as Robin of Locksley
* ''Film/{{JFK}}'' (1991) as Jim Garrison
* ''Film/TheBodyguard'' (1992) as Frank Farmer
* ''Film/APerfectWorld'' (1993) as Robert "Butch" Haynes
* ''Film/WyattEarp'' (1994) as Wyatt Earp
* ''Film/TheWar'' (1994) as Stephen Simmons
* ''Film/{{Waterworld}}'' (1995) as The Mariner
* ''Film/TinCup'' (1996) as Roy [=McAvoy=]
* ''Film/ThePostman'' (1997) as The Postman
* ''Film/MessageInABottle'' (1999) as Garret Blake
* ''Film/ThirteenDays'' (2000) as Kenny O'Donnell
* ''Film/ThreeThousandMilesToGraceland'' (2001) as Thomas J. Murphy
* ''Film/{{Dragonfly|2002}}'' (2002) as Dr. Joe Darrow
* ''Film/OpenRange'' (2003) as Charley Waite
* ''Film/RumorHasIt'' (2005) as Beau Burroughs
* ''Film/{{The Guardian|2006}}'' (2006) as Ben Randall
* ''Film/MrBrooks'' (2007) as Earl Brooks / The Thumbprint Killer
* ''Film/SwingVote'' (2008) as Bud Johnson
* ''Film/TheNewDaughter'' (2009) as John James
* ''Film/TheCompanyMen'' (2010) as Jack Dolan
* ''Series/HatfieldsAndMcCoys'' (2012) as William Anderson "Devil Anse" Hatfield
* Franchise/DCExtendedUniverse as Jonathan Kent
** ''Film/ManOfSteel'' (2013)
** ''Film/BatmanVSupermanDawnOfJustice'' (2016)
** ''Film/ZackSnydersJusticeLeague'' (2021, voice)
* ''Film/JackRyanShadowRecruit'' (2014) as Thomas Harper
* ''Film/ThreeDaysToKill'' (2014) as Ethan Renner
* ''Film/DraftDay'' (2014) as Sonny Weaver Jr.
* ''Film/BlackOrWhite'' (2014) as Elliott Anderson
* ''Film/McFarlandUSA'' (2015) as Jim White
* ''Film/{{Criminal|2016}}'' (2016) as Jerico Stewart
* ''Film/HiddenFigures'' (2016) as Al Harrison
* ''Film/MollysGame'' (2017) as Larry Bloom
* ''Series/{{Yellowstone}}'' (2018-present) as John Dutton
* ''Film/TheHighwaymen'' (2019) as Frank Hamer
* ''Literature/TheArtOfRacingInTheRain'' (2019) as Enzo (voice)
* ''Film/LetHimGo'' (2020) as George Blackledge
* ''Film/HorizonAnAmericanSaga'' (2024)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:As Director]]
[[index]]
* ''Film/DancesWithWolves''
* ''Film/ThePostman''
* ''Film/OpenRange''
* ''Film/HorizonAnAmericanSaga''
[[/index]]
[[/folder]]
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