Kevin Costner
Race
In an interview with Square Mile, talking about his movie about the little-known story of three brilliant black female NASA mathematicians, Kevin Costner said
These young black women were so smart that their talent was recognised – and they had success in between the raindrops of racism.[…]
I’ve been humiliated before in my life by a teache. I was in the fourth grade (aged nine), I remember I was scared, so can you imagine being humiliated everyday of your life? Racism is alive and well in America.
[…]
I said the N-word a thousand times as a child. That’s how you talked. But there comes a moment when you choose how you are going to be yourself. All of a sudden, telepathically you knew that word wasn’t funny; it fell flat like a coke that had no more bubbles in it, and it was gone, eliminated. Some people weren’t happy that I picked Whitney Houston to be my love interest in The Bodyguard – and that I kissed her; who wouldn’t want to kiss her? I don’t think those people were happy that I would do Hidden Figures.