Kevin Costner defends casting his son, 15, in new film despite never acting before-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro

Filmmaker Kevin Costner’s new movie Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 features his son Hayes among the cast (Picture: Getty)

Kavin Costner has revealed he named his 15-year-old son after a character in his new epic western Horizon: An American Saga because he ‘couldn’t fall out of love with it’.

The Robin Hood actor, 69, premiered the first part of what he hopes will be a four-film series at Cannes Film Festival on Sunday night.

It’s a film that’s been in the works for Costner since 1988, taking 36 years to finally make it to the screen – and over three decades since his seminal Western Dances with Wolves, for which he won the best director and best picture Oscars in 1991.

In Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1, Costner plays cowboy Hayes Ellison, in and among a star-studded cast that also includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington, Jamie Campbell Bower, Danny Huston, Jena Malone and Luke Wilson.

Hayes is also the name of his son with ex-wife Christine Baumgartner, who makes his acting debut in his dad’s movie.

Contrary to reports, he does not play the younger version of Costner’s character, but rather the son of Sienna Miler’s character Frances Kittredge, who defends his mother and sister from a brutal attack alongside his father as just one of several stories about the expanding settlement of the American west.

‘I had trouble making this movie, but for whatever reason I kept the name Hayes – [it] was part of my journey that I wasn’t going to let go this character, Hayes Ellison,’ he told Metro.co.uk and other outlets at the Cannes press conference on Monday.

Explaining what he did to mark his special attachment to the name, the Yellowstone star continued: ‘I started this in 1988 and I couldn’t make it, but I wouldn’t fall out of love with it.

‘I don’t know what that says about me, but I couldn’t fall out of love with Hayes, and so 15 years ago I just named my son Hayes because I couldn’t let go of it.’

Seemingly aware of the lively ‘nepo baby’ debate that’s been in headlines in recent years, whereby the offspring of famous parents get a leg-up when following in their footsteps, Costner insisted it wasn’t an ‘automatic’ decision to give Hayes the role – although he didn’t have to audition.

Hayes is also named after the character Costner plays following a 36-year battle to see his passion project made (Picture: Getty)

‘He had never acted before and I don’t automatically give parts to my children because I know how coveted this is,’ he explained.

‘There’s young people that would do anything to have a part in a movie, and I want those kids to emerge. My children, if they’re not interested in the business, I’m not going to automatically give them something because I know there’s other people that this is a dream for.’

However, he also revealed that there was a practical reason for which, as a father, he picked his son to be in Horizon: An American Saga.

‘I’m also a father and it was a part that wasn’t that long – and I wanted him to be close to me. I was away from home, I needed my family close to me, and it was a way for me to trap him’.

The Western took Costner away from his family and he wanted his son ‘close to me’ (Picture: Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

Horizon’s star-studded cast includes Sienna Miller (Picture: Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

The proud dad was clearly delighted with his son’s first onscreen performance too, adding: ‘I thought he was just beautiful in the movie.’

Costner and Baumgartner also share son Cayden, 17, and daughter Grace, 13, and divorced earlier this year after nearly 20 years of marriage and an acrimonious split that hit headlines.

The Westworld star is also father to Annie, 40, Lily, 37 and Joe, 36, who he had with first wife Cindy Silva.

Son Liam, 27, was then born during Costner’s relationship with philanthropist Bridget Rooney.

Filmmaker Costner was supported by five of his kids on the red carpet for Horizon: An American Saga’s Cannes premiere, after which he became tearful thanks to a reported 10-minute standing ovation following a turbulent few years.

Costner was supported by five of his seven kids at the film’s Cannes premiere: Annie, Hayes, Cayden, Wyatt and Lily (Picture: AbacaPress /Splash)

During a good-natured and lively press conference – for which the star extended his brief stay in Cannes, having shut down production on Horizon’s Chapter 3 – he joked about ‘knocking on every boat in Cannes’ to try and secure further funding for the third part and beyond.

He is just three days into filming on this instalment, calling his move to halt things ‘unheard of’ but that attending Cannes was ‘so important’ to him as a place ‘where movies are viewed in a very open way’.

Costner had vowed to continue with the shoot and ‘go as far as my money takes me’.

Horizon: An American Saga is releasing parts one and two this year, with Costner starting production on part three already while he seeks funding (Picture: Warner Bros. Pictures via AP)

‘I used to get no money to do this, then I used to get a lot of money to do this. Now I have to pay my own money to do this,’ he quipped.

Like Francis Ford Coppola, Costner has invested his own money into this passion project, which will reportedly cost him in the region of $100million (£78.7m).

He noted that he would like to leave four properties he owns to his kids but will ‘risk those homes to make my movies’ and that his children will ‘have to live their own lives’.

Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 1 premiered at Cannes on May 19. It is set for release in cinemas on June 28, with Chapter 2 to follow on August 16.

Got a story?

If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.

Entertainment – MetroRead More