Kevin Costner has earned a reputation of being hard to work with – years before he made headlines with his alleged Yellowstone drama.
The two-time Academy Award-winning actor’s off-camera antics have ruffled more than a few feathers in Hollywood over the years.
It’s safe to say that his career is marred with many behind-the-scenes rifts.
One such rift happened on the set of 1991’s Robin Hood.
Initially, Costner and director Kevin Reynolds had a successful friendship and working partnership, working together on 1985’s Fandago.
Reynolds even helped Costner on his directorial debut, Dances With Wolves, which later gave the actor his two Oscars.
However, their relationship soured during the making of the period drama.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Costner and Reynolds began fighting about how much of an English accent Costner should have in the film.
The actor wanted to go all in, but the director argued that the heavy accent would distract viewers.
That wasn’t the only thing the pair squabbled over, as there were tensions over the movie’s story and Costner’s screen time.
Eventually, Reynolds departed from the film just weeks before its release.
The one-time friends still weren’t over the behind-the-scenes drama of Robin Hood when Waterworld was first pitched to them.
However, something made them bury the hatchet and agree to work together again – this time on one of the most infamously disasterous, high-budget movies in film history.
Working on Waterworld, with its growing budget and sinking set, pushed Costner and Reynolds’ working relationship to the max.
On top of all that, Costner and Reynolds started having fights about creative differences and it ultimately led to Reynolds quitting again.
Before Waterworld hit theaters Reynolds told Entertainment Weekly: ”In the future Costner should only appear in pictures he directs himself. That way he can always be working with his favorite actor and his favorite director.”
Somehow, the pair managed to reconcile 17 years later, collaborating on a miniseries, Hatfields & McCoys, ironically based on America’s most famous feud.
Costner told EW: ”We had differences. It happens, especially when the stakes are as high as they were with Waterworld. But out of fire comes steel. And I’ve always had a real belief in him as a director.”
The Bodyguard actor, who is also dealing with a messy divorce now, hasn’t just been difficult with Reynolds-related projects.
He blatantly refused to trim the running time for his second directorial endeavor, 1997’s The Postman (according to The Things).
The three-hour film flopped, but Costner insisted time wasn’t an “enemy.”
Next, Costner caused a stir about the final edits of Sam Raimi’s romantic drama, For the Love of the Game.
He told Newsweek: “For Universal, this movie has always been about the length and the rating. It’s never been about the content.”
Then-Universal Pictures co-Chairman, Stacey Snider, clapped back at the star’s public comments, telling the LA Times: “Kevin’s not the director and it’s not fair for him to hijack a $50 million asset. Our feeling is that we have backed the filmmaker, and his name is Sam Raimi, not Kevin Costner.”
Eventually, Universal cut ties with the actor, with Costner adding to Newsweek: “The studio and I don’t even talk. They don’t want to talk to me. Maybe they think my considerations are just purely narcissistic. But the truth is, these aren’t even my lines or my scenes [that were cut].”
Now, Costner is embroiled in Yellowstone drama. In June 2022, the actor said he’d be interested in leaving his character, John Dutton, behind if he didn’t find the show narratively “interesting” anymore.
Things started to get even more fishy when reports started alleging that Yellowstone could come to an early end.
According to ET, Costner allegedly requested one week of shooting to complete the remaining eight episodes of Season 5, but his request was allegedly denied by Paramount Network. The actor’s lawyers called the allegations lies.
Eventually, Yellowstone creator Taylor Sheridan opened up about the disspointing reality of Costner leaving the show.
Now, a Matthew McConaughey Yellowstone series is moving forward.
Costner is now working on Horizon – a Western saga he is writing, directing and producing himself.