The Yellowstone star rolled into Hollywood without any training or connections — but it was still better than having a normal 9-to-5 that he absolutely despised after trying.Seeing how Kevin Costner has been a very prominent figure in Hollywood for the longest time now, it’s hard to imagine the humble beginnings he had. But just like most other A-list stars, Costner was once a young clueless man trying to figure his life out — long before he became known as a brilliant but difficult-to-work-with actor.
After enrolling in the university, young Kevin Costner picked the business and marketing major thinking he’d grow in that industry after graduating. At the same time, he also discovered his own passion for acting, but seeing how it looked like an unreliable and risky endeavor, Costner decided to leave this dream behind and work.
“I went to college like everybody else. I was in that maze, that sort of white rat thing where you go to high school, got to find a college, got to find a job… I was in that kind of mode like everybody gets into and I had to pick a major. I knew liberal arts wasn’t the deal. I mean, I was smart enough to go [to college]. I might as well be a business guy,” Costner shared on The Tonight Show.
After graduating, the future actor tried to work a regular job in marketing — but he hated it. Kevin Costner only lasted one month on a 9-to-5 and then decided to quit and try himself in the creative industry. His then-wife was not impressed with that.
“I was an equally dumb businessman. I tried. I took a job for about 30 days and I finally came home and I said, ‘I can’t do this thing.’ And Cin says, ‘Well, what are you gonna do?’ I said, ‘I think maybe I’ll try and write.’ She said, ‘You can’t even spell.’ It was a very tough time for us but we sorted it out,” the actor explained.
Kevin Costner’s story is an example of a person who despised being a “white rat” so much that he put everything at stake — and won the bet. Today, Kevin Costner’s net worth is estimated to be over $250M, he has several Oscars and a prominent career. This kind of gamble on the future doesn’t work out for everyone, but Costner definitely hit the jackpot.