Interview: Kevin Costner
The Whole World in His Hands
In Swing Vote, Kevin Costner plays the man who gets to decide whether the Republican or Democratic candidate will become the next President of the United States. In real life, Costner calls George Bush Sr. a friend, but swears it has nothing to do with politics
By Marni Weisz
Kevin Costner says he’s not a particularly political person. Not in the traditional sense, anyway. He’s never publicly supported a candidate, and he decides from election to election whether he’ll vote Democrat, Republican or Independent.
But he does have some very strong feelings about the political process. For one thing, he’s irritated by the fact that Presidential election campaigns take so damn long.
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Kevin Costner and Madeline Carroll in
Swing Vote
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“These are the two best people in the country running. Well, what have they been doing for two years,” asks Costner in a recent Toronto interview. Tall, thin, and dressed smartly in a tailored pinstripe shirt, tan pants and brown cowboy boots, he’s still got that boyish grin that made him irresistible to Susan Sarandon in Bull Durham 20 years ago. But with greying hair and deep creases running down from the corners of his eyes he definitely owns his 53 years.
Costner is here for two reasons. His band, Modern West (he sings), is playing Toronto’s Phoenix Concert Theatre. He’s also here to talk about Swing Vote, his political comedy that comes out this month, three months before Americans finally decide between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.
“They were both voted in to be senators, to represent the ideas of our own citizens, and they’re out there running for two years. To think that these guys are that charismatic, or wield that much influence — certainly we could have passed…” he says, trailing off. “We haven’t passed sh-t with them on the road.”
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Swing Vote, which Costner also produced, is all about the political process, or at least what happens when one election campaign goes ridiculously wrong.
Costner plays Bud Johnson, a somewhat neglectful single father whose 12-year-old daughter Molly (Madeline Carroll) runs the house. While Bud couldn’t care less about the election, Molly could go toe-to-toe with Chris Matthews or Bill Maher (both of whom have cameos) on any of the issues.
On Election Day, Molly convinces Bud to vote, only to have him stand her up at the polling station. So she sneaks into the booth with his ballot. But the machine shuts off, and the vote is not registered. In a twist of electoral fate even stranger than Florida in 2000, at the end of the night the country is deadlocked and the race will be decided by the Johnsons’ district, Texico, New Mexico — which is currently tied. Bud’s voided ballot must be recast…and will be the deciding vote.
So both candidates — the slick incumbent Republican, President Andrew Boone (Kelsey Grammer), and the earnest Democratic hopeful Donald Greenleaf (Dennis Hopper) — descend on small-town Texico to mount an entire campaign directed squarely at Bud.
“All we were exploring was the humanity of two guys vying for the biggest job on the planet,” says Costner. “Who would doubt that they might be willing to switch their positions in order to gain one vote?”
President Boone romances Johnson with a meeting on Air Force One and Greenleaf throws a swanky party in Bud’s honour, at which Bud’s Willie Nelson tribute band (really Costner’s Modern West) is invited to play. It’s completely overwhelming for Bud, as it would be for anyone — even a movie star like Kevin Costner.
As it turns out, Costner, the Oscar-winning director (Dances With Wolves) and star of some seriously fine films (The Untouchables, Field of Dreams, Thirteen Days), was similarly overwhelmed by the first President Bush (George Sr.) on what he describes as “one of the greatest days” of his life.
It was 1991 and Costner was in Baltimore shooting Oliver Stone’s JFK, about the Kennedy assassination, when he was invited to play with the Baltimore Orioles before a game. He shared the field with shortstop Cal Ripken, and even managed to hit a ball over the fence. So it was already a pretty good day. Now he would get to watch the Orioles play their game.
“I was back in the locker room and they said, ‘The President would like to play golf with you,’” recalls Costner. “It’s not something you say no to, but I’m thinking, ‘Well, I would like to see this game.’”
No luck. Within minutes he was showered and heading down the freeway in a Secret Service car with blue lights flashing and the President’s staff arranging to get him golf shoes and lunch. Minutes later they were at Andrews Air Force base boarding a plane for Washington, D.C., and then a short drive to the golf course.
“I literally get out of the car, see Andre Agassi, the President and his future son-in-law…and I’ve got a brownie in my mouth and am putting on my shoes like this [gets up from his chair and hops around].”
After a lightning-fast round of golf Costner assumed the day was over, but the President asked him back to the White House. “So we get in the helicopter and we went over, and he says let’s play some horseshoes.” Then they went for a swim in the pool. And after that Barbara Bush invited Costner to stay for dinner.
“The next day, I’m at the set and Oliver’s really pissed off about something. ‘Ah, they hate me.’ Who hates you Oliver? ‘Ah, the President, they hate me.’ Why do they hate you Oliver? ‘Ah, I went over to the White House yesterday and I wanted to get a tour and they didn’t let me see hardly anything…. They wouldn’t even let me see the pool, there was some guy in the pool.’”
Costner waited a week before telling Stone he was the one splashing around with the First Family. Eight years later, when Costner was making Message in a Bottle in Maine, the Bush family invited him to their Kennebunkport compound to go fishing.
Costner says some people assume he’s a Republican because of his association with the Bushes, but that’s never been true.
“I’m forever grateful for [George Sr.’s] friendship, but it didn’t come out of any political aspiration, or me having ever been supportive, but the way him and Barbara were,” says Costner. “Consequently, I disagree a lot with their son, but [because of] their kindness to me, I’ve never wanted to be forceful publicly against their son…I know it would break their heart.”
Costner reiterates that he’s never endorsed any candidate, but adds, “I might do it this time.”
Really? Who?
“We’re not going there,” he says. “Yet.”
Marni Weisz is the editor of Famous.
David Giammarco’s Big Chill moment
You may recognize David Giammarco, seen here with Kevin Costner at the actor’s Aspen ranch, as the Canadian entertainment reporter formerly with CTV’s eTalk. He was also a regular contributor to Famous for years, and still writes for us from time to time.
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Pals Kevin Costner and David Giammarco
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About 17 years ago, Giammarco struck up a friendship with Costner on the set of JFK, where he was doing research. “David’s been one of my really good friends,” confirms Costner while in Toronto to promote Swing Vote. “He sometimes comes down and vacations with us.”
Last summer, Costner asked Giammarco if he’d like a small role in Swing Vote. “I was playing a behind-the-scenes political operative who helps manipulate the political process in the next U.S. election,” says Giammarco.
He spent a week on the Albuquerque, New Mexico,
set last September and shot scenes with Costner, Kelsey Grammer and Dennis Hopper.
“He had a love scene and a big fist fight,” says Costner. “At least, I told him that was what he was going to have, but he didn’t have that at all.”
Alas, Giammarco’s entire performance was cut and Costner had to break it to his pal.
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“I just called him and said, ‘Hey buddy, you’re out...’ And he said, ‘What am I going to tell everybody in Canada?’ I said, ‘You’re going to tell them this is your damn Big Chill moment,’” Costner says.
He’s referring to his own famous non-appearance in the 1983 ensemble film about seven old friends brought together by the suicide of an eighth friend, Alex. Costner played Alex. It was supposed to be his big break, then all of his scenes were cut but one. Those are his slashed wrists you see as the camera pans a body at the start of the film.
“I could’ve shoved him in there, being the producer,” Costner says of Giammarco. “But at the end of the day, kind of like The Big Chill, it just wasn’t right. So I have to look for [a role for] him some more. He’s going to have years of therapy, because he was really counting on this.”
—Marni Weisz