Kevin Costner Recalls Fond Meeting with Prince William and Reflects on His Iconic Career
When Kevin Costner learned that Prince William wanted to meet him for a private meeting some years ago, the Oscar winner didn’t hesitate. “I happened to be in England, and I got this message that the prince would love to talk, and I said, ‘What?’… and then I went, ‘Okay,'” Costner recalls.
Kevin Costner
The star, 69, who tops PEOPLE’s annual 100 Reasons to Love America list, shares fond memories of the encounter in this week’s cover story. “We met in this room, and it was just us,” he says. “He walked up, and we shook hands… The first line out of his mouth was, ‘You know, my mom kind of fancied you.'”
Reflecting on the private chat, Kevin Costner describes the experience with the Prince of Wales as “very sweet.” Calling William “quite a young man,” he was left with “such fond memories of who he was, how I was approached, and what we talked about.”
Years earlier, Costner had been in contact with Princess Diana about collaborating on a sequel to “The Bodyguard,” his 1992 hit co-starring Whitney Houston. “There was a moment that that was really flying down the tracks, very quietly, because it’s how I operate,” says Costner, who was introduced to Princess Diana by Sarah Ferguson.
“It was so sweet. Sarah was the one that set this up. Sarah was very cool… when she could have been going, ‘Well, I’m a princess too. What about me?’ She didn’t do that at all. Diana and I began to talk.”
“I’ve had an incredibly unusual, and for the most part, beautiful life,” says Costner, who looks back on his life and iconic 40-year Hollywood career in this week’s cover story. The star of classics like “The Untouchables,” “Dances with Wolves,” and “Field of Dreams” is also looking forward: he’s got back-to-back movies opening this summer — two ambitious installments of his Western epic “Horizon: An American Saga,” for which he’s cowriter, director, and star.
For more of Kevin Costner’s exclusive interview and to read the rest of PEOPLE’s Reasons to Love America issue, please pick up the magazine, on stands Friday.
