Kevin Costner says he’s ‘lucky to be getting another birthday’ in heartfelt tribute to former co-star

Kevin Costner has marked his birthday by sharing a throwback photo of himself with his former co-star Whitney Houston, admitting that he is “lucky”.

Costner, who recently left his the now-completed Yellowstone amid a shroud of controversy, turned 70 on 18 January and celebrated the occasion by looking back at his own life and celebrating Houston’s.

Houston and Costner starred together in the hit romantic thriller The Bodyguard in 1992, which became a major box office success and was nominated for two Academy Awards.

To celebrate his birthday, Houston’s Instagram account, which her estate now runs, shared a behind-the-scenes photo of the pair while they were shooting The Bodyguard, along with Ellin LaVar, the film’s hairstylist.

Costner reposted the image on his Instagram Stories, adding in the caption: “This photo reminds me of how lucky I am to be getting another birthday. We lost such a light when we lost Whitney.”

Houston died in 2012, aged 48, and Costner has continued to pay tribute to the celebrated singer ever since her untimely passing.

In 2024, Costner was persuaded by Dionne Warwick to deliver a moving, 17-minute eulogy at a memorial service for Houston at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.

“I remember being in the pews, and I had never been in a church that was more electric,” he told People at the time. “Two bands were playing … I thought this place was on fire.”

In his own post about his birthday, Costner shared a childhood picture of himself dressed as a cowboy. The actor wrote: “Thank you guys for the birthday wishes. If you can believe it, this is me. I was chasing the cowboy life just about as soon as I could walk, and here I am doing it still.”

“Here’s to another year of keeping our sights set on our dreams,” he added.