Kevin Costner Revealed What Robert De Niro Was Really Like To Work With On The Set Of Untouchables

Summary

• Working with Robert De Niro on "The Untouchables" proved challenging for Kevin Costner due to the actor's improv.
• Sean Connery supported Costner during filming, recognizing his devotion yet also challenged the young actor to elevate his performance.
• "The Untouchables" marked a turning point in Costner's career.

Kevin Costner and Robert De Niro are both household names. Two of Hollywood's most prominent actors, it is unsurprising that they worked together on a project. The film was The Untouchables, and it starred a young Costner. The film's massive success proved to be vital to Costner's career and helped him become one of the biggest stars of his era.

Working with a seasoned De Niro proved to be a unique experience for Costner, and he has been open about his time filming The Untouchables. In this article, we will discuss what Kevin Costner has said about working with Robert DeNiro, and how The Untouchables helped his career.

What Has Kevin Costner Said About Making The Untouchables With Robert De Niro?

While Kevin Costner made his first film in the late 1970s, it was The Untouchables that helped skyrocket his career. A promising Hollywood star, Costner was ever the professional on set, but found difficulty working with Robert De Niro. They only had a few scenes together in the film as well, yet Costner struggled to act opposite De Niro as Al Capone.

In an article for CinemaBlend, Costner said the following:

"I had trouble with some of the scenes with [De Niro], because my character was very straight-arrow and Robert was able to jump off the page. I was trying to survive my straight-arrow language against someone who was throwing a level of street language at me that had a level of improv to it. So it was hard for me to survive in some of those scenes, and Sean [Connery] talked to me a little bit about it."

Costner's struggle with matching De Niro's eccentric performance was justified. De Niro had more creative freedom with his character, and Costner had to play a traditional government official role. Costner couldn't deviate from the script, when De Niro was able to use improv when appropriate.

Another legendary co-star of Costner's, Sean Connery, understood the actor's frustrations, according to /Film. Connery discussed De Niro as well as the craft of acting with the young Costner and tried to help him. Connery recognized Costner's devotion to his craft and spoke highly about his time working with the young actor. According to Connery,

"All the actors were very experienced and professional. Everybody played an important element in the film."

Costner reportedly admires Connery and found it to be an amazing experience working with him. When Connery passed away in October 2020, Costner wrote the following:

"Sean was a crafted actor who was enormously proud of his body of work, particularly his work on stage. And although he was a very no-nonsense person, he was incredibly inclusive with me professionally and personally. He was the biggest star that I ever worked with and I will be forever grateful to be linked with him on a film."

Interestingly, Costner and De Niro have not worked on a lot of projects together throughout their careers. While whether they refuse to work together cannot be determined, De Niro reportedly has refused to work with actors before. He allegedly refused to work with Mickey Rourke because he found the actor to be too aggressive. Additionally, Costner has earned a reputation for being challenging to work with himself.

How Did The Untouchables Help Kevin Costner's Career?

Kevin Costner received commercial and critical praise for his performance as Eliot Ness in The Untouchables. According to an original Hollywood Reporter review, "As Eliot Ness, Kevin Costner plays it tight to the vest...But to Costner's considerable credit, he defers to the staid traits of character throughout; ultimately, it is these small, relentlessly Sunday School qualities that make his ultimate victory against the seemingly invincible Capone believable — the tortoise vs. the hare."

Sean Connery received immense praise for his role in The Untouchables and even won his only Oscar for his portrayal of Jim Malone, according to Collider.

The Untouchables proved to be an important step in Costner's career. According to Entertainment Weekly, it was the first project where Costner earned a considerable salary of $1 million for his performance. Costner spoke candidly about having the influence to request a million-dollar salary for The Untouchables.

"Three years earlier than that, I had no money... I said, 'You know what? I don't know if this is ever going to happen to me again, but I'd like a million.' There's still that kind of number, I think, in the psyche of Americans. It certainly was with me."

Due to his appearance in 1985's Silverado, Costner recalled an easier casting process for The Untouchables. "I didn't have to read for it; all of a sudden, the career felt pretty good," Costner elaborated.

Costner became a household name after his The Untouchables performance. More so, he became an in-demand actor in Hollywood. Projects that followed, which only increased his fame, include:

• Bull Durham
• Field of Dreams
• JFK
• The Bodyguard
• Dances With Wolves

Costner, who starred and directed in Dances With Wolves, would win Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture, according to the New York Times. This would prove to be a pinnacle moment in the entertainer's storied career.

Costner, who experienced a resurgence in popularity due to his involvement with the Yellowstone franchise, has remained relevant in the 2020s, more than forty years since entering the entertainment business. While Costner is not immune to controversy, his work is beloved by fans of all ages. Furthermore, he remains active in the industry.