Most fans recognize Kevin Costner from Yellowstone, and while he loved and cherished this role, it doesn’t come close to one of the early characters he played. He claimed Crash Davis from the 1988 sports comedy film Bull Durham as one of the roles he relates to the most.
From acting in films to directing and producing movies, Costner’s prolific career spans four decades and he has proven how versatile he is as a performer, whether he plays the leading man or the main villain.
Kevin Costner’s Role in Bull Durham Hits Close to Home
Kevin Costner reveals Crash Davis in Orion Pictures’ Bull Durham was the role he has a great connection with. The story follows a veteran minor league catcher brought in to teach a rookie pitcher about the game to prepare for the major leagues.
The project helped propel the actor’s career and established him as a worthy leading man. It was also the role that secured his long-term association with baseball-themed movies. More significantly, Davis’ personality matches Costner’s real-life persona. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, he shared: “I feel a real affinity to him.”
As a long-time baseball fan who grew up playing the sport, the film was a dream come true for him. “That was a highlight situation to play Crash — this American rascal, this ne’er-do-well in heroic defeat,” he explained. Bull Durham was loved by fans and critics, even earning a staggering 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but the journey to making it was not smooth sailing.
In a Role Recall interview via Yahoo Entertainment, Coster relived the time every studio rejected the script. Writer Ron Shelton took it to several studios twice, and there was a moment when both of them lost hope. Finally, Orion Pictures picked it up and gave them a $9 million budget, an eight-week shooting timetable, and lots of creative freedom.
It became a huge commercial success with $50 million in global ticket sales. It’s evident now why this project holds a special place in Costner’s heart. Even though Dances with Wolves and Field of Dreams are his most acclaimed works, nothing beats Bull Durham’s significance in his life and career.
Kevin Costner Praised the Script of Bull Durham
While conversing with GQ, Costner talked about how the scriptwriter captured the reality of playing the sport, a narrative that broke the conventional when it comes to movie storytelling.
He did it without the guy getting there. That broke with the tradition. The tradition is, “Oh, they’ll call him up and he’ll hit a home run.” No, he never makes it. The kid makes it. There was something romantic and golden and sad and heroic in it.
This was the other thing that convinced Costner to take on the project. He emphasized the message of the film where one doesn’t have to win to earn the respect of people.