Kevin Costner is a legendary actor known for his roles in Hollywood classics like The Untouchables, The Bodyguard, and Dances with Wolves. But few are quite as iconic as Field of Dreams, which is widely considered one of the best baseball movies of all time. Costner’s portrayal of Ray, a farmer who hears a mysterious voice telling him to build a baseball diamond in his cornfield, moved audiences to tears and reinforced his status as a leading man. Although according to Costner, the role could’ve gone to another established leading man in Hollywood: Robin Williams. Now he’s explaining why the casting director ultimately went to Costner instead.
In a recent interview with GQ, the Yellowstone star talked about some of his memorable movies over the years, and Costner opened up about what some of the fan favorites meant for him and his career. When reflecting on Field of Dreams, Costner told some behind-the-scenes anecdotes from the 1989 baseball classic, and chatted about what drew him to the script. He also talked about a moment where he asked the director, Phil Alden Robinson, why he didn’t go after Robin Williams for the role. He said:
There was an interesting thing ’cause Robin Williams, bless his heart, there was a moment when I asked the director, I said, “You know, Robin Williams is a big star, as big as you ever wanna get.” So when he picked me to do it, kind of over Robin Williams, ’cause it seems like a natural for Robin Williams, and he said, “I’m pretty sure that Robin Williams hears voices in the corn. I’m kind of sure that you don’t. They’re gonna end up believing you, Kevin, because they’re gonna see how it works.
This explanation actually makes perfect sense and truly captures the movie star reputations of both of the actors at the time. Williams was famous for his kooky, over the top personality. His quick wit was part of his charm and he shined in movies like Dead Poets Society, where he was meant to be an off-kilter quirky professor in an otherwise straight-laced environment. The audience already had a background with Williams, so when he would hear voices in the corn in the film, it would’ve been too expected, because it sounds like a Robin Williams routine he may do on stage.
On the other hand, Kevin Costner had a completely different reputation. Before Field of Dreams, the actor had done masculine All-American roles like The Untouchables and Bull Durham. He was a movie star everyman, feeling like a representation of small town America. Somewhat of an aspirational ideal, Costner represented something very different than Robin Williams. If anyone was going to go crazy on film, it definitely wasn’t Kevin Costner, which is why the audience may be more apt to believe his character’s experience in Field of Dreams.
Both actors are phenomenal, never needing to reach for emotionality and connection with an audience, it just comes naturally. However, there was something about Costner that just made sense for Field of Dreams. While casting Robin Williams’ for his warmth and star power may have been a natural instinct for a casting director, they saw something unique and special about Costner, which made him right for emotional sports film that still hits hard today (no pun intended). It remains one of Costner’s best performances, and it’s truly hard to imagine anyone else in the role.
You can revisit Kevin Costner’s performance in Field of Dreams now, as the movie is available to rent now on Amazon. Fans of the actor should also check out his latest directorial project, Horizon: An American Saga, which is in cinemas nationwide now. For more information about movies heading to the big screen this year, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule.