Kevin Costner’s Biggest Movie Regret: “I Wasn’t the Right Guy”

Kevin Costner has only directed five films in the span of 35 years — a surprisingly small number for a man who has spent decades in the heart of Hollywood. But for anyone familiar with his body of work behind the camera, it becomes immediately clear that Costner is nothing if not selective. His directorial projects have all shared a common DNA: a deep commitment to the American West, sweeping landscapes, and morally anchored storytelling. From his Oscar-winning directorial debut Dances with Wolves to his self-financed epic saga Horizon, Costner has consistently invested not only his creative energy but also his personal fortune into his work. His approach to filmmaking is as much about passion and legacy as it is about storytelling.

Yet, in the early 1990s, Kevin Costner came remarkably close to taking a sharp turn away from the frontier. At the height of his stardom — fresh off Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and JFK — Costner made an unexpected pitch: he wanted to direct and star in Schindler’s List, the Holocaust drama that would ultimately become one of Steven Spielberg’s most acclaimed films. According to industry insiders and later interviews, Costner believed deeply in the story and saw himself as the right man to bring it to life. So much so, he reportedly offered to screen test for the part of Oskar Schindler — bald cap and all — in Spielberg’s own kitchen.

This was more than a passing fancy. Costner’s offer wasn’t casual Hollywood chatter over cocktails — it was a serious commitment. He was willing to step outside his established genre, adopt a radically different persona, and potentially reshape his career. At the time, it was a bold move. Costner was one of the most bankable stars in the world. Taking on such a weighty and politically sensitive project — especially one rooted in European history and trauma — would have been a considerable gamble.

Fortunately for the history of cinema, Steven Spielberg had his own vision. The famed director, known for his meticulous approach to casting and storytelling, politely passed on Costner’s offer. Instead, he chose Irish actor Liam Neeson to portray Oskar Schindler — a decision that proved to be transformative. Neeson’s haunting performance, coupled with Spielberg’s uncompromising direction, helped Schindler’s List become one of the most powerful and enduring films of the 20th century. It won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and is widely considered one of the greatest films ever made.

Years later, Costner himself acknowledged that Spielberg had made the right call. In a moment of candid humility, he reflected, “I wasn’t the right guy.” It’s a rare admission in an industry where ego often rules, and it demonstrates a level of self-awareness that only time and perspective can bring.

Still, the near-miss offers a fascinating “what if” scenario in cinematic history. What might Schindler’s List have looked like with Costner at the helm? Would his sentimental leanings have softened the film’s brutal honesty? Would his onscreen charisma have undermined the quiet complexity required of Schindler’s character? We’ll never know — and perhaps that’s for the best.

For Costner, the road not taken only reinforced his strengths. Rather than veer off course, he returned to the genre that had always inspired him. Over the years, he poured more of his own money into films like Open Range and now Horizon: An American Saga, an ambitious multi-part Western epic he has been trying to bring to life for decades. Each project has deepened his identity as a filmmaker committed to telling stories of American grit, land, and legacy.

And while his brief detour into Holocaust drama never materialized, it remains a curious footnote in Hollywood history — a moment when one of America’s most iconic actors almost stepped into the shoes of Europe’s most unlikely wartime hero.

Kevin Costner has only directed five films in the span of 35 years — a surprisingly small number for a man who has spent decades in the heart of Hollywood. But for anyone familiar with his body of work behind the camera, it becomes immediately clear that Costner is nothing if not selective. His directorial…