When the Golden Globes were handed out on Jan. 10, Kevin Costner was not seated inside the Beverly Hilton’s international ballroom due to extreme flooding that cut off the freeways near his home in Santa Barbara. As such, the Yellowstone star was not able to make it to the stage to accept a trophy for best actor in a TV drama series when presenter Regina Hall announced his name.
But Costner, seated on his bed, offered up a belated acceptance speech on Monday by posting a heartfelt video on his social media accounts during which he thanks to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for their continued support of his career and shares a bit about what it was like to watch the ceremony from home in their den with wife Christine and their children.
“Because of the flooding, we got cut off in Ventura and up here in Montecito,” he said, adding that his wife had a dress picked out and he was black-tie prepped with a tuxedo. “We felt so horrible about that and there was just nothing we could do, and we watched the time, like a sand in a bottle, go out as our chances dimmed of getting there.”
They watched from home and while the experience “wasn’t the same,” Costner said his wife made the most of their situation by taking $30 down to the local store to purchase 30 balloons in an effort to make it feel celebratory nonetheless. “I never liked to be too cool for school. I wanted to be there and Chris realized that my heart was a little bit low,” he explained of missing a moment that he described as a dream come true to be nominated as an actor. “We watched the whole doggone thing and my kids heard our name be called, and we weren’t at one of the greatest parties in the world. We wanted to be but we found ourself together as a family. My children heard my name called and they stood up and they cheered.”
Costner then unboxed his award that presumably had just arrived in an oversized white box with fragile stickers on the outside. “Believe me, when you’re at a night like that, you all want to win, and it’s kind of a long night when someone doesn’t call your name,” he said, looking at the envelope with his name on it. “And I’ve been lucky enough to have it called, but here it is. I’m so glad I have this. I wish I again could have been there.”
He made no mention of Yellowstone or of his Paramount+ family including creator Taylor Sheridan amid reports that he may be exiting the series — one of the most successful shows currently on television and one that helped launch a franchise — but did close with a heartfelt message of how acting has impacted his life.
“When you first come to Hollywood, you’re just wanting to get your first job. You’ve seen these things and you even wonder if you’re ever gonna get in a room like that,” he explained. “Now I’m holding it, and for everybody who supported me, for the Hollywood Foreign Press for thinking enough of what I did this year, I’m so glad I’ve found the movies in my life that made a difference. I don’t know what would’ve happened to me if I hadn’t found the movies. Thank you to everyone.”
