At his appearance in Cannes on May 19, 2024, Kevin Costner has the best company he could wish for: At the “Horizon” premiere, the actor beams next to five of his seven children.
A rare sight on the red carpet: Kevin Costner, 69, brought very special guests with him to the premiere of his latest film “Horizon: An American Saga” on Sunday evening, May 19. He posed for photographers with five of his seven children at the Cannes Film Festival.
A few days later, the actor revealed on the “Jimmy Kimmel Live” show that he was looking forward to the family trip. But the trip to France turned out differently than expected.
Kevin Costner in Cannes: Coordinated looks with his children
“Horizon” is a very special project for Costner that he has worked on for years. Not only does he play the lead role, but he is also the producer and director and co-wrote the script. An important evening for the Hollywood star – which was underlined by the participation of his children. Costner also confirms this to Kimmel. “I wanted them to see me work. I got them tuxedos and dresses,” said the 69-year-old.
Costner, who still wore a western-style moustache, was accompanied by his daughters Annie, 40, and Lily, 37, whom he shares with his first wife Cindy, 67, as well as Cayden, 17, Grace, 13, and Hayes, 15, who are from his second marriage to Christine Baumgartner, 50. Only son Joe, 36, from his first marriage and son Liam, 26, from a relationship with Bridget Rooney, 62, were missing.
© Marc Piasecki/FilmMagic / Getty Images
The patchwork clan was also a fashion eye-catcher: Costner and his sons wore classic black tuxedos with bow ties, while the daughters wore light dresses. In addition to the 69-year-old, his son Hayes was particularly in the spotlight in Cannes, as he plays the younger version of Costner’s role in the film. The 15-year-old is making his acting debut.
This happened behind the scenes
For the audience at the film festival, the performance was a successful highlight of the evening. For Costner himself, the day was more like an obstacle course – because his children quickly became independent in France. “The minute they arrived, my two sons went fishing. […] My three daughters landed on a boat and said they would see me around three or four o’clock,” the Hollywood star summed up on TV. But it was getting later and later. There was no sign of Costner’s children. “Then I got a call and they were drinking “We already had drinks at that point, so they showed up around eight o’clock,” explains the father of seven.
The trip became so chaotic that the actor jokingly commented that he wished he had a “tour guide” for the family trip. His offspring saw it very differently. “I said: ‘We came to France to be a family.’ They said: ‘It’s going great, Dad. What are we going to do next?'” Kevin Costner gives an insight into his hardships away from the red carpet.
Costner received a seven-minute standing ovation
In the film hall itself, things got emotional for the Hollywood star when he received a seven-minute standing ovation for the western drama, as the industry portal “Variety” reported, among others. The actor had tears in his eyes because of the applause and numerous shouts of “Kevin”. During his speech he then thanked the audience and promised “three more” parts of the “Horizon” series. “I’m sorry you had to clap for so long to get me to understand that I should speak,” Costner said with a laugh. “Such good people. Such a beautiful moment, not only for me, but also for the actors who accompanied me, for people who believed in me and continued to work.”
He further emphasized how incredible his stay in Cannes was for him: “There is no place like this. I will never forget it – neither will my children.” The festival also became something very special for him because of his children, who watched him from the front row. “They all look so beautiful, are so well dressed. They are so pretty,” he gushed as a proud father.
“Horizon” marks the Oscar winner’s return to directing feature films since “Open Range” in 2003. The western will be in German cinemas from August 22nd.
Sources used: Variety, getty-images.de, pagesix.com