Editing Kevin Costner (section)

==Early life and education==
Costner was born on January 18, 1955,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/fans-bombarding-kevin-costners-instagram-000000750.html|title=Fans Are Bombarding Kevin Costner's Instagram After His Latest Photo Post|date=January 25, 2021|website=Yahoo Sports}}</ref> in [[Lynwood, California]], and grew up in [[Compton, California]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://samoaglobalnews.com/today-in-history-kevin-costner-born-in-lynwood-california-and-grew-up-in-compton/|title=Today in History: Kevin Costner born in Lynwood California and Grew Up in Compton |website=Samoa Global News|date=January 18, 2023}}</ref> His parents were William and Sharon Costner.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/sharon-costner-and-bill-costner-parents-of-kevin-costner-news-photo/77731228|title=Sharon Costner and Bill Costner, parents of Kevin Costner|website=Getty Images|date=November 6, 2007 |access-date=July 3, 2023}}</ref> He is the youngest of three boys, the second of whom died at birth. Sharon Rae Costner (née Tedrick) was a welfare worker, and William Costner was an electrician and a utilities executive.<ref name="autobiog">Todd Keith, Kevin Costner: The Unauthorized Biography, Ikonprint Publishers: Southwark, London (1991)</ref>{{page needed|date=July 2023}}<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.adherents.com/people/pc/Kevin_Costner.html | title = The religion of Kevin Costner, actor and film director | work = adherents.com | access-date = April 28, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100707180324/http://www.adherents.com/people/pc/Kevin_Costner.html | archive-date = July 7, 2010 | url-status = usurped }}</ref> Costner's father's heritage originates with German immigrants to [[North Carolina]] in the 1700s,<ref name=tca>Stated on ''[[Inside the Actors Studio]]'', 2001</ref>{{better source|date=July 2023}} and Costner also has English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh and [[Cherokee]] ancestry.<ref name="ref2">{{Cite news | last = Barnes | first = Harper | title = Costner's Waltz with the West ... He takes the Indians' side in making his directing debut | newspaper = [[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]] | date = November 18, 1990 | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SL&p_theme=sl&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB04CED393C1005&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D | access-date = December 9, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last1=Corliss |first1=Richard |date=June 26, 1989 |title=Pursuing The Dream |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,958004-4,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070614031331/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,958004-4,00.html |archive-date=June 14, 2007 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}} "The Costners, of Irish and German descent (with a hint of Cherokee blood) (...)"</ref> Costner was raised [[Baptist]].<ref name="ref3">{{Cite news | title = Kevin Costner Plows His Own 'Field of Dreams' | publisher = The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution | date = May 6, 1989 | url = http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=AT&p_theme=at&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB7C3D42F4B4921&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D | access-date = December 9, 2007}}</ref><ref name="ref1">{{Cite news | last = Kempley | first = Rita | title = Kevin Costner in the Land of 'Wolves'; The Director: Reclaiming Boyhood Dreams | newspaper = The Washington Post | date = November 9, 1990 | url = http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1157798.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121105151012/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1157798.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 5, 2012 | access-date = December 9, 2007}}</ref> He was not academically inclined in school, but did play sports (especially football), take piano lessons, write poetry, and sing in the First Baptist Choir.<ref name="autobiog"/><ref>{{cite web | url = http://bestmediareviews.org/databases/cgi-bin/main.asp?searchtype=kwq.asp&qu=@recnumber%20MRD05052940&FreeText=&sc=%2Fpierianp%2Fmrd%2F | title = Kevin Costner biography | date = May 18, 1743 | work = bestmediareviews.org, The Pierian Press, 2003. videocassette. Traveling Light Media, 2003. Media Review Digest, MRD05052940. | access-date = September 5, 2010}}{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He has said that watching the 1962 film ''[[How the West Was Won (film)|How the West Was Won]]'' as a child inspired his love for Western films.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://outsider.com/entertainment/yellowstone-star-kevin-costner-explained-how-how-the-west-was-won-inspired-his-love-westerns-western-heritage-awards/|title='Yellowstone' Star Kevin Costner Explained How 'How the West Was Won' Inspired His Love of Westerns at Western Heritage Awards|first=Madison|last=Miller|date=April 1, 2021|website=Outsider}}</ref>

Costner has stated that he spent his teenage years in different parts of California as his father's career progressed. He has described this time as a period when he "lost a lot of confidence", having to make new friends often. Costner lived in [[Ventura, California|Ventura]], then in [[Visalia, California|Visalia]]. Costner attended [[Mt. Whitney High School]] where he was in the marching band.<ref name=tca/>{{better source|date=July 2023}} Costner graduated from [[Villa Park High School]] in 1973.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ocregister.com/2011/02/14/see-which-stars-lived-or-still-live-in-villa-park/|title=See which stars lived or still live in Villa Park|website=OCRegister.com |date=February 14, 2011}}</ref> He played baseball at Villa Park and was teammates with [[Dennis Burtt]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Perlman |first1=Jeffrey A. |last2=Eng |first2=Lily |title=Who Was That Guy? |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-03-27-mn-1028-story.html |access-date=November 28, 2022 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 27, 1991}}</ref> He earned a [[Bachelor of Arts|BA]] from [[California State University, Fullerton]] (CSUF) in 1978.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-03-26-mn-1073-story.html|title=Some Cal State Fullerton Alumni Proudly Recall One of Their Own|first=Tammerlin|last=Drummond|date=March 26, 1991|website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://calstate.fullerton.edu/news/inside/gallery/Kostner/2.html|title=Alumnus Kevin Costner Returns to Campus|website=calstate.fullerton.edu|access-date=July 3, 2023}}</ref> While at CSUF, he became a brother in the [[Delta Chi]] fraternity.<ref name="autobiog"/>

Costner became interested in acting and dancing while in his last year of college.<ref name=tca/>{{better source|date=July 2023}} In 1978, while on an airplane returning from his honeymoon in [[Puerto Vallarta]], Costner had a chance encounter with actor [[Richard Burton]]. At that time, Costner was uncertain about whether he should become an actor, and he approached Burton to ask his advice. Costner has said that Burton encouraged him to pursue acting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://yahoo.com/entertainment/blogs/movie-news/richard-burton-helped-kevin-costner-soar-221845684.html|title=How Richard Burton Helped Kevin Costner Fly|date=January 15, 2014|website=Yahoo Entertainment}}</ref> Costner has also stated that he asked Burton whether it was possible to be an actor without experiencing turmoil in one's private life; according to Costner, Burton replied that he thought it was possible. Costner credits Burton with inspiring him to become an actor.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.deseret.com/2004/1/15/19806568/richard-burton-inspired-kevin-costner-s-career|title=Richard Burton inspired Kevin Costner's career|date=January 15, 2004|website=Deseret News}}</ref>

Having agreed to undertake a job as a marketing executive, Costner began taking acting lessons five nights a week, with the support of his wife. His marketing job lasted 30 days. He took jobs that allowed him to develop his acting skills,  by paying his tuition, including working on fishing boats, as a truck driver, and giving tours of movie stars' Hollywood homes.  This work supported the couple while Costner attended auditions.{{cn|date=July 2023}}