The Oscar-winning actor has revealed that his morning coffee comes with cinnamon and cream, explaining his real-life routine is a world away from the rugged characters he has portrayed throughout his career.
Kevin Costner is “not a hardcore guy” despite building a career portraying rugged Western heroes.
Insisting he is nothing like many of the characters he has portrayed on screen, the Oscar-winning actor, 71, also revealed he doesn’t drink whiskey unlike his movie heroes.
Kevin, whose career has been defined by acclaimed Westerns including Dances with Wolves, Open Range and the ongoing Horizon film series, made the comments as he discussed his continuing partnership with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
He said his real-life coffee habits are far removed from the tough frontier figures he has spent decades playing, with his remarks coming as the filmmaker continues work on his ambitious Horizon: An American Saga project following the release of its first chapter, while he also remains closely associated with the hit television drama Yellowstone, in which he played ranch patriarch John Dutton.
Speaking about his daily routine, Kevin said: “I jazz (my coffee) up sometimes with cinnamon.”
He added: “I have this coffee that’s really pleasant to me in the morning and kind of gets me going.”
Comparing himself with the cowboys he has portrayed throughout his career, Kevin said: “I make Westerns, but I don’t drink black coffee.
“I make Westerns, but I don’t drink whiskey.”
Kevin explained his on-screen characters would never have had access to the extras he enjoys with his morning drink.
He said: “The Western characters, they didn’t have all the frills. They ain’t gonna have creams. They ain’t gonna have anything like that, and I don’t take my coffee black. I just don’t do it.”
He added: “A lot of people might think because of the image, you know, I make Westerns, I do this, that that’s how I take it.
“I want to run away from that. I’m not a hardcore guy, and it’s something very pleasant that I have in the morning.”
Kevin also reflected on the approach he takes when developing the characters he portrays, saying authenticity remains central to every performance.
He said he always has to “connect with (his) character” and understand their motivations.
Speaking about portraying villains, Kevin said: “I wanna make sure that my bad guy is understood in his own way.”
He added: “It’s such a word that’s being tossed around a lot right now, but it does mean something. It means there’s an honesty.”
He also explained he tries to show the “history” behind every character he plays.
The same emphasis on authenticity, Kevin said, is what persuaded him to continue working with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
The actor appears in a new social media campaign for the company, featuring scenes of him playing guitar, spending time by the beach and relaxing with a dog.
Discussing the campaign, Kevin said: “Shooting this campaign with Green Mountain Coffee Roasters felt authentic to me in every sense.”
He continued: “What stood out was not only the brand’s commitment to quality and craftsmanship, but their willingness to allow me to just be myself. At the end of the day, great coffee doesn’t need to be embellished – it just needs to be good, and Green Mountain Coffee Roasters always gets the job done right.”
Kevin, who has partnered with the coffee company since 2023, said there was a natural progression to the collaboration.
He added: “I don’t fall out of love that easy.
“As long as something feels right, as long as I’m enjoying what I’m doing, and it feels authentic to me, you know, I’ll continue to do stuff.”
Reflecting on how the partnership developed, Kevin added: “It just made sense.”
He continued: “I walked down the road and met Green Mountain on their terms, they met me on my terms, and it was a bit of a slow walk towards each other, but I liked what they did, and they brought me in and were very honest about creating a flavor with me.”
Working with the company, Kevin helped develop the Horizon Blend, inspired by the American West, before later introducing the Mountainside Mocha Latte flavour.
Away from coffee, Kevin said he continues writing and developing new projects.
He said: “I’m pretty entrepreneurial in the business, so I only kind of do the things I want to do, and I do them for as long as they make sense to me.”
Kevin Costner declares he’s ‘not a hardcore guy’ despite his tough Western image
