Kevin Costner has shared a rare comment about his Christian faith after narrating a TV special about the birth of Jesus.
The actor, 70, said working on the ABC special Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas was deeply personal for him because of his relationship with God, though he rarely speaks about his faith publicly.
“I’ve been a part of all kinds of stories, but to be able to narrate the birth of Christ, it seemed appropriate to me, given my history with the church,” Costner said in an interview with Deseret News published Monday. “I was raised in a church. I haven’t probably proclaimed that to the world, but anybody who knows me, knows that.”
The Yellowstone actor added: “It’s been so much a part of my life — religion that has spread around this world.”
Costner told the outlet that his first performance ever was in his church’s “annual nativity play” when he was four years old. Now, after four decades in Hollywood, he returned to the story of Jesus Christ being born in a manger for the two-hour special.
Fans on social media shared their surprised reactions to Costner’s candid confession, with one writing on X: “Did Kevin Costner just give a gospel message on national TV? This was remarkably good.”
“I just listened to Kevin Costner share the gospel in his Christmas special. I cannot believe Disney allowed that to be aired,” another raved, while a third added: “Well I certainly did not have Kevin Costner as an unapologetic Christian on my 2025 Bingo card.”
In a trailer for the special, which aired Tuesday night on the network and is now available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu, Costner invited audiences to dive into the story with him.
“They say Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. A chance for families to gather together and celebrate the amazing story of a newborn king,” Costner said to the camera. “Whether you’re a believer or just curious about the tradition, journey back with me, Kevin Costner, for the story of the first Christmas like you’ve never seen it before.”
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The special follows Mary and Joseph’s experiences as they were told in the Bible and splices the portrayal with context from experts, as well as commentary from Costner.
“I was proud to be able to do it,” the Oscar winner told USA Today. “I’m sure I’m going to confront the cynics and the nonbelievers, who I invite them to sit down, too, and they can feel how they feel. But I was really happy. This gave me pleasure to do it.”
Costner starred as rancher John Dutton on Paramount’s Western drama Yellowstone from 2018 to 2024, which won him the Golden Globe for best actor in 2023. He rose to fame for his performances in movies like The Untouchables, JFK, and co-starring with singer Whitney Houston inThe Bodyguard. He also directed and starred in the Western epic Dances with Wolves, which won him Oscars for best picture and best director.
