“A lot of it was ego”: Kevin Costner Learned the Hard Way That He Was No Tom Cruise in His $80M Disaster That Won Worst Picture

Kevin Costner’s ambition backfired as The Postman flopped at the box office, faced harsh criticism, and was largely blamed on his ego.

The acting genius of Kevin Costner knows no bounds, as evident from his John Dutton role in the Yellowstone universe.

But while he may be one of the most respected actors in Hollywood, even his credibility cannot always guarantee box office success. He learned this the hard way when one of his $80 million projects crashed at the box office.

Kevin Costner in Yellowstone | Credits: Paramount+

Not only that, but it also earned the title of Worst Picture, serving as a startling reminder that he wasn’t exactly in Tom Cruise’s league when it came to big-budget blockbusters.

Kevin Costner’s passion project that bombed at the box-office

In Hollywood, many actors have taken on the challenge of both directing and starring in the same project.

But while some manage to handle this effortlessly, for others, it becomes a major task, especially when they don’t want any help from others.

The same happened with actor Kevin Costner during the filming of the movie The Postman. He directed as well as acted in the movie, and it was expected to be a big hit.

Kevin Costner in The Postman | Credits: Warner Bros.

Released in 1997, everyone had high hopes for The Postman, but instead, it flopped at the box office and earned only a fraction of its $80 million budget.

While audiences did not watch it, critics also tore it apart, and to make matters worse, it won the Razzie Award for Worst Picture. People who worked on the production of the movie mentioned that it was mostly due to the fact that the actor refused to take any help from others.

The actor has a huge passion for Western and frontier dramas, evident from his participation in Yellowstone, Dances with Wolves, and more. Some also added that because the actor complicated the script, it might have played a part in its failure.

According to an interview via Far Out Magazine, his former agent Ron Mardigian revealed that the original script of the movie was much simpler.

Beyond the storytelling, the actor also wanted to perform his own stunts, even when he was advised against it for safety reasons. One of the most dangerous stunts was him riding a zipline basket down from the Boundary Dam in Washington. Not only this, but insurance experts also warned him, yet he didn’t listen. They said:

Because that’s Kevin, the $80 million gorilla. Just to do his version of Tom Cruise or something. I think a lot of it was ego.

While Cruise is famous for his death-defying stunts, Costner’s could have taken a different turn altogether. But his ego was apparently the main reason why the movie failed at the box office.

Kevin Costner pays tribute to late actor Gene Hackman

Hollywood is mourning the loss of legendary actor Gene Hackman, and among the many tributes pouring in, one from actor Kevin Costner has caught the attention of fans. Costner, who shared the screen with Hackman in No Way Out, took to Instagram to express his admiration for the late actor. He recalled the impact Hackman had on him both professionally and personally.

Gene Hackman and Kevin Costner in No Way Out | Credits: Orion Pictures

In his post, Costner shared a clip from a 2017 interview with Rich Eisen, where he spoke about Hackman’s incredible talent.

Costner also reflected on a memorable moment from the set of No Way Out. During filming, he fought to change the location of a scene just so Hackman could be included. Later that day, the late actor approached him in the parking lot and shared how much that moment had meant to him.

Alongside the video, Costner also called Hackman his favorite actor and expressed how much he had learned from him over the years. He shared his condolences with Hackman’s family and said he felt lucky to have worked alongside him.

Hackman was found dead earlier this week in his Santa Fe home, along with his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and one of their dogs.

You can rent The Postman on Amazon Video.