38 Years Ago Today: The Moment Kevin Costner Became a Star!

Kevin Costner’s stardom was cemented by this remarkable scene! In Brian De Palma’s “The Untouchables,” the actor-director plays Eliot Ness, tasked with enforcing Prohibition in Chicago and taking down local gangster boss Al Capone, portrayed by Robert De Niro.

For the role of Ness, Costner was recommended by his friend Don Johnson, who was initially offered the role by De Palma. The two would later collaborate in the romantic comedy “Tin Cup” years after. De Palma was initially skeptical but gave him a chance.

And a specific scene from “The Untouchables” at exactly 9 minutes and 45 seconds into the film, immediately made us realize Kevin Costner’s talent:

“I have one last thing to say to you”

“I know some of you might drink. Whatever you’ve done until now is not my concern. But we must be absolutely above reproach, so stay sober. Whether some drinks hurt or not isn’t the issue. Some might not. But alcohol is banned from consumption, and since we must enforce the law, let us be the first to set an example.”

What a performance

In just a few lines and a walk through the small office where he reviews his troops, the character of Eliot Ness is established, and Kevin Costner proves that he is far better than the numerous mediocre comedies he had been seen in before, despite his roles in “Silverado,” John Badham’s “American Flyers,” or the “Amazing Stories” episode he filmed for Steven Spielberg.

Within the same movie, Kevin Costner brilliantly plays the impenetrable lawman whose shell gradually cracks as he experiences the harsh realities of the field. His character also realizes that he cannot defeat Capone and his gang while strictly adhering to legal rules. This realization is reflected in the actor’s performance, making him from that point on, an actor to watch closely.

Three years after “The Untouchables,” he delivered his masterpiece, “Dances with Wolves.”