Kevin Costner talks about the ‘promise’ he made to Whitney Houston in ‘The Bodyguard’

Kevin Costner was a supporter of Whitney Houston, on and off screen.

Costner, who co-starred with Houston in the 1992 romantic thriller “The Bodyguard,” discussed his experience working with the pop icon during an interview on the “Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard” podcast released Monday .

The “Yellowstone” actor played bodyguard Frank Farmer, tasked with protecting R&B singer Rachel Marron, played by Houston. Costner, who also served as a producer on the film, said he began working closely with Houston on her performance after feeling that director Mick Jackson was “afraid” of her.

“I started mentoring her. And I wasn’t trying to usurp my principal, but I made her a promise,” Costner said. “I promised Whitney she would be good in (the film). …I was always going to keep my promise to her.

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Released in November 1992, “The Bodyguard” grossed $121.9 million at the worldwide box office, while its Houston-directed soundtrack sold 18 million copies. The film earned two Academy Award nominations for Best Original Song (“I Have Nothing” and “Run to You”).

Costner also discussed building trust with Houston during the film’s production, which included creating a safe environment for the popstar on set.

“I said, ‘Look, you can’t have an entourage, but I’ll take care of you if there’s someone important to you’ – which turned out to be (assistant) Robyn Crawford ” Costner explained. “I said, ‘Let’s have Robyn with you.’ But I said, “I don’t have one.” You won’t get any. And that’s how we started. And I knew it would never be the same for her when she left me.

Costner added that he became Houston’s “imaginary bodyguard” because of the public’s perception of the relationship between their characters. “We had a moment and I realized the world had a better idea of ​​who we were, so I basically embraced it,” he said.

Kevin Costner reflects on his eulogy at Whitney Houston’s funeral

Costner also mulled over the idea of ​​giving Houston’s eulogy at his funeral, two decades after their performance in “The Bodyguard.”

Houston died at the age of 48 in February 2012 after the singer was found dead in a hotel bathtub in Beverly Hills, California, just hours before the music stars began gathering at the hotel for Clive Davis’ annual pre-Grammy party. She died of an accidental drowning caused by heart disease and longtime cocaine abuse, the Los Angeles coroner reported a few weeks later.

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While he was initially reluctant to speak at the Houston memorial, Costner said he took his time to honor his former co-star with his remarks during the ceremony, which lasted nearly 20 minutes .

“There were people who really wanted to talk, and they were kind of glaring at me. What was I going to say? » Costner said. “I started and about 17 minutes later I was done.”

Contributor: Maria Puente, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kevin Costner reflects on making ‘The Bodyguard’ with Whitney Houston