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Candis November 2000
Kevin’s Heaven To most of us, Kevin Costner is a seriously sexy, high octane megastar, but, as he tells Arianna Eisenberg, in real life he’s just a doting dad I didn’t think I'd get this much attention just having lunch," laughed a slightly embarrassed Kevin Costner, after creating a stir in our chosen restaurant. The women still see what he honestly doesn't - that he is, quite simply, sexy as hell. The handsome star is enjoying a break after finishing his ambitious Thirteen Days, the story of the Cuban missile crisis told from the Kennedy administration's point of view. Looking relaxed, he confides that taking time off between projects was a lesson he learned from his old, friend and fellow golf enthusiast, actor Clint Eastwood. ”Clint said that there's no better release than to get out on the green and tee off," explains Costner. "I figure that if it works for Dirty Harry, it'll work for me. I do enjoy sport. I've always loved the outdoors and have a great respect for nature. If you live on this planet, then you're responsible for the care and nurture of our Earth,” says Costner. But this isn't just another celebrity bleating on about the environment Costner has actually put his money where his mouth is by setting up, mostly with his own funds, -a hi-tech oil clean-up firm. He modestly b rushes his contribution aside: "I've always held strong beliefs that I want to pass on to my children. They need to know that, one-person can -make a difference. The ordinary guy does it every day of his life”. Ironically, it is the ordinary guy to whom Costner - appeals most. Women: swoon over him, but men admire him without being threatened. Costner still seems surprised by his public appeal. "I was recently staying at a hotel in New York. There were all these young girls out front with posters and signs. One of them read 'Kevin is Heaven'. Needless to say, I was thrilled - until I was informed that it was for another Kevin. Evidently the Backstreet Boys were staying at the same hotel and one of them is named Kevin," he laughs. "I then had to ask one of my assistants to get their autograph because my two daughters are crazy about them.' When asked about his popularity after so many years, Costner is philosophical. "Look, it's an industry that has its flavors of the month. When I first started, all I wanted to do was to be able to pay the rent. Then you want to be a long-term contender. I always admired the Jimmy Cagneys and Humphrey Bogarts and the John Waynes and Clark Gables. They were real men who had real careers and tremendous respect both from the fans and their peers. Every actor who's serious about his craft wants that respect. The awards and all are nice, but the recognition from the guy who buys the ticket is what really matters to me.' Although he'll talk freely about his professional life, having suffered at the hands of the tabloids he's cagey about his relationships and family. When asked how he manages to keep, his private life under wraps, he sighs, “When you find out, let me know.” Costner adds, “There are times when I want to say the heck with it and stop making movies, but I'm not a quitter. I love the work and I have a good life. I have watched my children grow into great, whole people, but if you're asking me about fame, no, it's not worth it.”
He admits, however, that he leads a pretty good life. "I'm in good shape with the people who care about me. There are times when you think, maybe I won't be able to make this, times when I thought I was going to cave in. But I kept going to work every day. That's what I want my children to learn. They're going to face pressure in life. How are they going to de with it? Hopefully, they won't feel certain pressures that I've felt, but nonetheless they're there." And his children form one subject he takes very seriously indeed. Father to Annie, 15, Lily, 13 and Joe, 11, he is happy to be described as a family man. “When my first wife, Cindy, and I were going through a divorce, it was hell," he says. "Everyone was speculating about why. Cindy is a fantastic lady. She was there in the beginning and withstood a lot of hardships, but still supported me 110 percent while I reached for my dreams. Without her, what I have now would have been close to impossible. But every couple who attain some measure of success have problems at times and I didn't pay attention to the warning signs.” He smiles sadly. “I blame myself entirely. I will always be sorry that I didn't maybe do things differently. But I have three great kids, with Cindy and we're still great friends. Our children are the one bond that really holds everything together” ”What no one ever talked about is how great a mother Cindy is or how good a friend she is to me,” he add “We have a love that doesn’t translate in magazines and won’t ever make sense to anybody else. It’s a pity we had to divorce but we just didn’t solve our problems. It’s been a turbulent five years, but if you have children, you have to go forward. “As parents, Cindy and I are in constant contact and my three kids frequently come over to spend the night” he says, his face lighting up at the thought. “They like to crawl under the covers with me. I've got cookbooks and I know how to choose my children's clothes. But Cindy is a great mother. Things could have turned out very differently. People could have come between us, but she didn’t want acrimony. I admire her in every sense. She has helped us all to move on and we are very much a family again.” But it's not just the children he had with Cindy whom he holds dear. He also has another son, Liam, four, by Aspen socialite, Bridget Rooney. He doesn't see Liam as often as his other children, but he's still keen to be a good father to him. “My children are very important to me - all of my children - and that's all I'll say.” With respect to his current girlfriend, beautiful blonde model Christine Baumgartner, he will only say that she's as beautiful inside as out. "She's a very special lady. However, at the moment I have no plans to marry anyone," he says. So what does the future hold for him? After pondering the question for a moment he says that he will continue to direct and star in films, but will become choosier about which projects he embraces. "I'm only interested in films that have something to say. I took some risks in the past and some worked while others did not," he admits, referring to the fact that he has achieved great success with films such as the epic Western, Dances with Wolves, and rather less with others such as the aquatic epic, Waterworld, which sank so spectacularly. And what does he see happening on a personal level? His answer contradicts some of his earlier statements. "Remarriage? Sure, why not? Will I announce it? Oh, maybe a month or two after the ceremony..."
Does that mean there are more children on the horizon? His answer is engagingly cagey. "I’m easy. Time has a great way of changing everything," he smiles. “I hope I have got over the aggressive, competitive part of my life, that I can sit back and look at the big picture and appreciate that it's family and friends who make life important." And in case there was any doubt about exactly where his loyalties fie, he reiterates, 'Being a dad is the most important thing in my life. I just make sure I remember that my dad was always there for me and my brother, and I want my kids to have the same kind of dad - a dad they will remember."
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