Kevin Costner doesn’t care what you think about his politics

Kevin Costner

A cowboy like Kevin Costner has to march to the beat of his own drum, regardless of his adoring Yellowstone public. Politically, he doesn’t subscribe to any sort of “shut up and act” mentality, no matter which side of the aisle is bothered by his views. The registered Independent has endorsed all sorts of candidates, from Pete Buttigieg to Liz Cheney. And if you don’t like it, well, tough!

“I didn’t really care how the cookie crumbles, that people that liked me now don’t like me,” Costner tells USA Today about his extracurricular political activities. “That’s OK.”

Read more

• Man who ate 40 rotisserie chickens in 40 days: "I just felt like I was doing this for a very important reason"

• "Weird Al" Yankovic's most essential songs: 25 stinging satires that still endure

• The 22 best high school shows of the past 22 years

If you’re not put off by Costner’s DGAF attitude and remain curious about his political motivations, here’s the explanation of his beliefs. “I vote for who I think has the best interests of the country and how we sit in the world. If someone is lying to their base, lying to the general public, then they’re not serving any purpose—other than for themselves,” the actor told The Daily Beast in a 2020 interview. “The Democratic Party doesn’t represent anything that I think, and neither does the Republican Party right now—at all.”

Probably the only person who represents what Kevin Costner thinks is Kevin Costner, but don’t expect him to enter the game himself. Unlike his television counterpart John Dutton, who was recently elected as governor of Montana, he has no aspirations for public office. “No, I don’t think there’s any reason for me to run,” he says, “though I wish the people that did run had a bigger vision and more of a morality about how they see the country evolving. I’m disappointed.”

What morality does he wish to see applied, one wonders? Costner does not elaborate, but he does offer some words on his endorsement of Cheney, who lost her primary race in Wyoming in 2022. “Just because you lose doesn’t mean you’re done; it doesn’t mean you’re even wrong,” Costner says. “I was clear that [Cheney] probably wasn’t going to win her election. But I wanted to let her know, as a citizen, how much I appreciated her brave, clear-headed stance.” If only the election hinged on Kevin Costner’s sole participation... a Swing Vote, if you will. Alas, maybe next time.

More from The A.V. Club

• The 15 best films coming to Prime Video in November 2022

• The 50 best HBO shows of all time

Sign up for The A.V. Club's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.