Television May 28, 2012
Kevin Costner Talks 'Hatfields and McCoys,' 'Bodyguard 2'
Actor Kevin Costner is no stranger to feuds, onscreen and off. Not only is he starring in the new miniseries "Hatfields and McCoys," based on one of the longest running feuds in history, but he once unknowingly landed in hot water with the royal family, too.
Talking with "Extra's" Jerry Penacoli, Costner revealed that it was the "Bodyguard" sequel that got him in trouble with Buckingham Palace. It turns out the Oscar winner was in talks with Princess Diana about playing herself in the film around the time that she died in 1997, but the royals denied it.
"It was something she and I had talked about and she was highly interested in it," he explained. "She would have been great and so that's the truth."
Eventually the royal family came around, and "they finally acknowledge that Diana was talking about it," he said.
While "The Bodyguard" dispute is behind him, the TV drama is just beginning. Costner's miniseries "Hatfields and McCoys" premieres Monday on the History Channel. The show will shed light on the bloody feud between Devil Anse Hatfield (Costner) and Randolph McCoy (Bill Paxton) during the Civil War era.
Veteran actors Costner and Paxton couldn't be better buds off screen, though. While Paxton joked about how fast his beard grew while shooting in Romania and the hazards of eating spaghetti and linguine with so much facial hair, Costner got in a few jabs.
"He doesn't eat well [with all that hair]," Costner laughed. "He's practically in a home already. You could see Bill wandering at any point in time [on set]. You've got to pull crumbs out [of his beard]."
