Who Is Kevin Costner's Son Hayes?
Over the decades, a pattern has been established of movie stars acting alongside their progeny onscreen. It makes sense; children of famous actors are usually brought up in circumstances in which film sets are places where a parent (or sometimes both) go to earn a living, so they are usually familiar with the moviemaking process. There's also a case to be made that these so-called nepo babies are selected to follow in their parents' footsteps because they have a genetic predisposition toward acting ability (to say nothing of their inherited good looks). Then, there are those occasions when actors cast their kids in their films, such as when Will Smith hired his son Jaden Smith for a few of his movies over the years.
All of which leads to Kevin Costner's decision to cast his son, Hayes Costner, in his new big-screen Western. That film — "Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1" — is a three-hour epic that is the first installment of what's planned to be a four-movie tetralogy; Kevin is also behind the camera as director, producer, and co-writer, and claimed to have sunk $38 million of his own money into the project.
As the former "Yellowstone" star and his son make the rounds together on red carpets and junkets to promote the new flick, the question arises: who is Kevin Costner's son Hayes? To find out, keep on reading to find out all about the 15-year-old who just made his acting debut in his dad's ambitious Western.
Hayes Costner is the second-youngest of Kevin Costner's seven children
Hayes Logan Costner is one of Kevin Costner's seven children. Hayes was born on February 12, 2009, the second child of Kevin Costner and second wife Christine Baumgartner (the couple made countless headlines with their fractious 2023 split in 2023 and contentious divorce the following year). Hayes was preceded by older brother Corden Wyatt Costner, born in 2007, while sister Grace Avery Costner arrived the following year.
Prior to his second marriage, Kevin Costner and first wife Cindy Silva welcomed three children. (Kevin and Silva divorced in 1994 after 16 years of marriage.) The first of these is Annie Costner, born in 1984, who appeared in three of her father's films: "Dancing with Wolves," "Waterworld," and "The Postman." She also had a role in "The Baby-Sitters Club." Her younger sister, Lily Costner, was born in 1986, and likewise appeared in "The Postman," and "The Baby-Sitters Club." The youngest child from Kevin's first marriage, Joe Costner, was born in 1988. Now an audio engineer and sound mixer, he also showed up in some of his father's films, including "Tin Cup." He also has a small role in "Horizon."
Kevin has one more child, son Liam Costner, who arrived in 1996. Her mother is Bridget Rooney — niece of the late Dan Rooney, former owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers; Rooney and Kevin had a brief relationship after his first divorce.
Hayes Costner's first name was inspired by Horizon
On first glance, Kevin Costner's decision to cast Hayes Costner in "Horizon: An American Saga" might seem like garden-variety nepo casting. However, given the lifelong connection that the teenager has had with his father's long-gestating movie, it seems like it might've been destiny. During a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival, Kevin revealed that his journey to bring "Horizon" to the screen began way back in 1988. "I couldn't make it, but I couldn't fall out of love with it," he explained, as reported by The Associated Press. The film's protagonist — played by Kevin — is Hayes Ellison, a lone-wolf gunslinger, and over the years he couldn't get the character out of his mind. "I couldn't fall out of love with Hayes," he added.
When his youngest son arrived in 2009, the unmade movie and its protagonist still loomed large within Kevin's mind. "At a certain point in my life, you know, 15 years ago, I just named my son Hayes, because I just couldn't let go of it," he shared.
"I named him after the character I play in this," Kevin reiterated in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, recalling how that led his son to remain a constant reminder to him that, decades after his first attempt to make "Horizon," he still wanted to bring it to life. "So I was watching him grow up and I was thinking, 'Man, I better get with it and make this movie.'"
Hayes Costner got into sports at a young age
Long before Kevin Costner transformed into one of the biggest stars in Tinseltown, he was a kid who loved playing sports. Turns out, the apple does not fall far from the tree. On a 2016 episode of "Today," Kevin shared that some of his kids had begun playing baseball. And wouldn't you know it, the Oscar-winning director attended as many of his kids' sporting events as he could. "We're at all the Little League games, we're in that car constantly, we're trying to get the kids on the same team so we won't have to go to three different practices," Kevin told the outlet. It was for that reason, he explained, that Hayes Costner was typically the youngest kid on his sports teams. "So poor little Hayes, who's in the middle, is having to play with 8- and 9-year-olds, and he's 6 and he can hack it," Kevin boasted.
Hayes remained enthusiastic about sports as he grew from child to teenager. Speaking with People while attending the Cannes Film Festival alongside his dad and siblings in 2024, he revealed that he was into surfing and volleyball, and also enjoyed going fishing with his dad. "It's those quiet, peaceful moments that I cherish the most," he said.
Back in 2014, Kevin brought Hayes and Cayden Costner down to the baseball field where "Field of Dreams" filmed to celebrate the movie's 25th anniversary. As the Des Moines Register reported at the time, the three played catch on the iconic plot.
Kevin Costner had an ulterior motive when he cast his son in Horizon
As previously noted, many of Kevin Costner's kids have popped up in his movies over the years. So, when "Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1," he was more or less keeping with family tradition. And by all accounts, Kevin really likes working with his kids.
Interviewed by People back in 2022, Kevin discussed his decision to cast Hayes. "I kind of did it on purpose, so he could be hanging out with me," he explained. "And the same thing for Cayden, same thing for Grace. I'm like any other parent, I'm trying to figure out, like, 'This is really neat. You should come be with me.'" It seems this approach has worked out well for the Costner family: As Kevin told People, he was impressed with the work Hayes did in "Horizon." "He's very good," he said. "He's 13 years old and the screenplay's been around longer than that."
Two years later, after completing the film, Kevin reiterated that the reason he cast his son in "Horizon" as Nathaniel Kitteridge, teenage son of frontier settlers, was so that they could spend some time together. "Since it was a smaller part, I selfishly wanted him with me," Kevin told "Today." "For the two weeks that he was with me, we would drive to the set every day."
Kevin Costner had mixed feeling about casting his son
While Kevin Costner has expressed no regrets about casting Hayes Costner in his Western epic "Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1," that does not mean he did not give the notion a lot of consideration. In fact, Kevin's son's role may not be big, but it is crucial: He plays the son of Frances Kittredge (played by actor Sienna Miller), who joins his father to defend his mother and young sister when their settlement comes under attack.
"He had never acted before and I don't automatically give parts to my children because I know how coveted this is," Kevin told Metro of casting his son in a role that could easily have gone to a far more experienced child actor. "There's young people that would do anything to have a part in a movie, and I want those kids to emerge," he added. "My children, if they're not interested in the business, I'm not going to automatically give them something because I know there's other people that this is a dream for."
Ultimately, though, Kevin's desire to have Hayes with him on the set in Utah's Moab desert trumped any misgivings he may have had. "I'm also a father and it was a part that wasn't that long — and I wanted him to be close to me. I was away from home, I needed my family close to me, and it was a way for me to trap him," he admitted.
Hayes Costner didn't always have an easy time while shooting Horizon
Because of the nepotistic circumstances surrounding Hayes Costner's casting in "Horizon," he was not required to audition in order to win the role. While gaining the part may have been a piece of cake, that's not to say he didn't have to put in any work. When the teenager showed up on the set, he was expected by the director to deliver the goods, just like any other actor.
Given that the director was Hayes' dad, one might say he had a leg up; though Hayes lacked any prior acting experience, his father, Oscar winner and Hollywood veteran Kevin Costner, could offer plenty of advice and guidance. However, Sienna Miller — Kevin's co-star in the film, who plays the mother of Hayes' character — told Kevin she thought he was taking it a bit too far. "She's our leading lady. She's incredible in the movie. And she came to me one time, she says, 'You're kind of hard on Hayes,'" Kevin recalled in an interview with People. "And I said, 'I know. I need him to be really good, and he's inexperienced and I'm going to help him all the way through.'"
As filming progressed, however, Kevin came to realize that his son was gifted with some natural abilities as an actor, something he hadn't realized previously. "And in the end, Hayes started doing some things on his own that were just magical, and I'm really proud of his performance," the proud dad added.
Hayes Costner said working with his dad in Horizon was 'unforgettable'
When Kevin Costner cast Hayes Costner in "Horizon" despite his inexperience, the actor/director trusted his gut and took a big leap of faith. However, he was confident his son was right for the role. As the Oscar-winning filmmaker said on "CBS Mornings," "I thought we could be together, and that we're locked together in this. I was so proud of him, and every day we'd go to work together. It was a dream."
While some teenagers might side-eye the thought of having their parent as their boss, Kevin Costner's kid was stoked to have a chance for some one-of-a-kind quality time. "It felt like the greatest way that we could bond over something we both love and to create lasting memories together," Hayes gushed to People. "Working with my dad was an unforgettable moment in time." Also memorable was shooting the intense action sequences required for his character's storyline, defending their settlement from a horrific attack. "I mean big action, happening all around me ... like people running, glass breaking, gunfire and all that commotion!" Hayes recalled. "It was an adrenaline rush for sure."
In a separate chat with "Access Hollywood," Hayes shared that he was excited to be a part of his dad's long-awaited directorial return. "I've only seen him act before," he added. In turn, Kevin got choked up at his son's remarks.
Hayes Costner had an 'amazing experience' watching himself on the big screen
Not only was the process of acting on film brand new for Hayes Costner, so too was the experience of seeing himself on a massive screen in his movie debut. Interviewed by Entertainment Tonight after the Cannes Film Festival premiere of "Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1," the teenager was still taking it all in after watching the film along with an audience for the first time. "I just thought it was really cool, and it was an amazing experience," he said of seeing himself on the silver screen.
After its Cannes premiere, "Horizon" was reportedly met with a standing ovation that lasted a stunning seven minutes, and left its star and director, Kevin Costner, in tears. "I was just really proud of my dad, he's been working for so long. I could just only think about him at that moment," Hayes told People. "Seeing my dad's emotional response, hearing and feeling the audience applaud him, the standing ovation, taking it all in."
Whether Hayes continues to pursue acting in the future remains an open question, but his father was thrilled by the way it all worked out. "I'm just so happy that he has it now the rest of his life," the elder Costner told Fox News. "I haven't pushed my children into this, and this might be his only dabble in it, but he's memorable."