Kevin Costner’s Reputation For Being Difficult To Work With Was Sparked By Drama On The Sets Of These Movies

Academy Award-winning actor Kevin Costner has been making waves in the media for quite a while now. The renowned actor is not only embroiled in a contentious divorce from his estranged wife, Christine Baumgartner, but also bidding farewell to the popular series Yellowstone, following a tumultuous period of on-set clashes with show creator Taylor Sheridan.

However, this isn’t the first time the acclaimed actor’s off-camera antics have ruffled feathers in Hollywood. From creative differences with directors, to clashes with studio executives, Costner’s career has been marred by a flurry of behind-the-scenes controversies. Read on to find out just how often the Yellowstone star’s fiery temperament has landed him among Hollywood’s most difficult actors to work with.

Director Kevin Reynolds Quit Robin Hood After Months Of Fighting With Kevin Costner

Kevin Costner and director Kevin Reynolds enjoyed a great working relationship in the 1980s, captivating audiences with memorable films like Fandango and the critically acclaimed Dances with Wolves.

It wasn’t until they brought their talents to the epic adventure, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, that the once rock-solid bond between the actor and director began to show signs of strain.

According to Entertainment Weekly, tempers flared over how much of an English accent Costner should adopt for his role as Robin Hood, with Costner determined to sound as English as possible, and Reynolds concerned that a heavy English accent would prove too distracting for audiences.

In addition, clashes erupted with the film’s producers regarding last-minute edits aimed at enhancing Costner’s prominence in the final cut. These conflicts ultimately led to Reynolds’ departure from the project just weeks prior to its highly anticipated cinematic release.

”You know how Hollywood is-‘You go along, you get along’ is sort of the attitude,” Reynolds said of his abrupt departure from the film. ”Sometimes you just reach a point where you say, ‘I’m not going to go along anymore. I think I’ve compromised enough.’ So I’ve moved on to other things.”

Kevin Costner And Kevin Reynolds Viciously Argued While Filming Waterworld

Years after their Robin Hood woes, Kevin Costner and Kevin Reynolds joined forces once again for what ended up becoming one of the biggest high-budget disasters in Hollywood, Waterworld.

Battling soaring budgets, sinking sets, and terrible weather, the cracks in their working relationship deepened, culminating in an explosive argument that forced Reynolds to exit the project prematurely.

Embittered by this unfortunate turn of events, Reynolds couldn’t resist giving Costner a dressing down in the press. “In the future Costner should only appear in pictures he directs himself,” he told Entertainment Weekly ahead of the film’s debut. “That way he can always be working with his favorite actor and his favorite director.”

So intense was the fallout from the ill-fated film, Reynolds and Costner wouldn’t collaborate on another project till 2012. “There was so much pressure on the film itself because at the time it was the most expensive ever made,” Reynolds said of their infamous feud in 2012.

“The press were after us from early on, willing us to fail. He asserted himself. We had discussions, then arguments, and then a falling out. It’s not something I want to go into in detail. But it took years for us to get over it.”

Kevin Costner Refused To Trim The Running Time For The Postman Costing Warner Bros Millions

Kevin Costner penchant for stirring drama behind-the-scenes came on full display yet again when he blatantly refused to trim the running time for his directorial debut, The Postman.

Despite the studio’s concerns about the film’s length, Costner stood firm, insisting that the story required the full 3-hour runtime to be properly told.

“It’s painful to hear people talk about length like it’s the enemy,” he explained to Daily Bruin at the time.

“I don’t think it is. I think with a great book or a great movie, you never want it to end. And end they must. (With the length) you see what my style is. And I hope I don’t conform in a way conventional wisdom would like me to do. I don’t consider myself an elitist as a filmmaker. Sometimes it just takes me longer to tell my story.”

Costner’s refusal to compromise ultimately came at a hefty price, as the extended film went on to become a massive commercial disappointment, grossing a measly $20.8 million at the box office against a $80 million budget. The Yellowstone star’s humiliation would come full circle at the 1998 Razzies, where the film clinched an astounding five Golden Raspberry Awards, including Worst Director, Worst Picture, and Worst Actor.

Kevin Costner Publicly Complained About The Final Edits To For The Love Of The Game

Just two years after the notorious disaster that was The Postman, Kevin Costner landed the lead role in Sam Raimi’s romantic drama, For the Love of the Game, where he’d yet again ignite a perfect storm of controversy.

Frustrated by Universal’s decision to shorten the film’s run-time to 130 minutes, and implement final edits to achieve a PG-13 rating, Costner went against professional protocol and voiced his grievances in the press.

“For Universal, this movie has always been about the length and the rating,” he told Newsweek. “It’s never been about the content. And you feel a studio would want to release the best version of the movie, not the one they think appeals to the biggest common denominator.”

The public dressing down prompted swift retaliation from Universal. “Kevin’s not the director and it’s not fair for him to hijack a $50 million asset,” then-Universal Pictures co-Chairman Stacey Snider told the Los Angeles Times. “Our feeling is that we have backed the filmmaker, and his name is Sam Raimi, not Kevin Costner.”

The public disagreement ultimately took its toll on Costner’s relationship with the studio, leading to a rather intense fallout. “The studio and I don’t even talk. They don’t want to talk to me,” Costner admitted to Newsweek. “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].”