Born in 1955 in Lynwood, California, and raised in Compton, Kevin Costner skyrocketed to fame in the late ’80s with “The Untouchables” (1987) and “Bull Durham” (1988) and cemented his status as one of Hollywood’s rugged leading men: Strong, masculine roles with a cowboy style have been his signature trait for decades. His crowning achievement came in 1991 when the film “Dances with Wolves,” which he directed and starred in, won two Academy Awards, Best Picture and Best Director. It even won against fan-favorite and critically acclaimed films, including Martin Scorsese’s “Goodfellas” – not bad for a guy who once got his scenes cut from The Big Chill!

However, it didn’t always seem like Costner was destined for Hollywood stardom. Before he became a household name, he worked regular jobs to make ends meet. In Live With Kelly and Mark, he explained the details of his gigs in the early days: “I had blue-collar jobs. I worked fishing boats, I drove trucks … I sought out adventure wherever I could,” he said. Maybe his blue-collar background helped shape his on-screen persona as an everyman hero. He also used to work as a tour guide in Hollywood and was a stage manager for three years at Raleigh Studio. “I graduated college, and while most of my friends were kind of making the upward trend, my first job was $3.25 an hour, and I was so glad to have it,” he recalled. Decades later, the actor was earning $1.3 million per episode for the TV show “Yellowstone.” 

Beloved Hollywood manager Peter Meyer, known for representing A-listers like Tom Hanks and Kevin Costner, passed away at 68 due to Sarcoma. His sister shared, “After a heroic five-year battle against sarcoma, Meyer found peace surrounded by his family.” His clients and friends mourn his loss.

Meyer, a William Morris talent agent for over a decade, later founded Meyer Management in 1989, representing various talents. A memorial will be held on June 13, 2023, at St. Monica’s Catholic Church in Santa Monica.
Meanwhile, Kevin Costner, amidst his divorce from Christine Baumgartner, has invested significantly in his Western project, Horizon franchise. He mortgaged a 10-acre waterfront plot in Santa Barbara to fund the project, contributing up to $50 million of its $100 million budget, saying,

“I believe in the idea and the story.” He’s committed to making it a success, despite the risks, declaring, “I’m never putting my money in another movie after these four.”