Kevin Costner Reveals Why Whitney Houston Beat Julia Roberts For Bodyguard Role

July 15, 2024, 2:10 p.m.

It wouldn’t have been the same movie without her.

Looking back, it’s hard to imagine anyone other than the incredible Whitney Houston taking on the role of superstar singer Rachel Marron in The bodyguard.

Whitney was of course a pop sensation in her own right, so she had the credentials and real-life experience to bring to the film.

With her immaculate voice, she transformed the soundtrack of the 1992 film. The bodyguard in the best-selling soundtrack of all time, a record that remains remarkably intact today.

Who can forget his poignant rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” a song that dominated charts around the world for months.

There was skepticism that Whitney would be cast in a blockbuster film, given her lack of “acting talent,” as co-star Kevin Costner put it.

But in a recent interview with Howard Stern on his SiriusXM show, Costner revealed why he chose her for the role over Julia Roberts and Michelle Pfeiffer.

“It could have been Michelle Pfeiffer, it could have been Julia Roberts, it could have been anybody, but when I looked at it, I was like, ‘No, it should be Whitney Houston,'” the actress said. Dances with Wolves admitted actor.

“For me, it was so easy to say, ‘Well, she’s the most beautiful girl, she’s the one who can sing. She’s the girl,’ even though I had no prior experience as an actress at that point.

Kevin was very active behind the scenes of the film, not only in casting Whitney for the role but also the director in Mick Jackson.

He then revealed how his relationship with Whitney blossomed on set, with Kevin taking on a similar protective role to his on-screen character as her bodyguard.

Whitney Houston – I Will Always Love You (Official 4K Video)

“I said, ‘If you’re not sure about anything, Whitney, just look at me and tell me, and we’ll go away and I’ll work it out for you.'”

The choice of a newcomer over a star with “better acting talent” shocked studios that were in negotiations to work on the film.

Despite this, Kevin had full confidence in Whitney’s on-screen abilities, saying he didn’t think it was “that big of a deal” in another interview with CBS Sunday.

“I like to think that’s what happened,” he said, rather than the studios not wanting to hire a young black singer. “I didn’t see it as a risk at all.”

“What I saw was that Whitney was the only one. I didn’t think she was that brave. I think backing down would have been cowardly.”

Kevin also said that it was his idea to have Whitney sing “I Will Always Love You” a cappella to show her character’s vulnerability in proving her love for Costner’s character, Frank Farmer.

He and Whitney became incredibly close on the set of The bodyguardand maintained a close bond until his tragic death on February 11, 2012.

Costner even delivered a eulogy at Whitney’s funeral, refusing to cut his 17-minute speech short despite pressure from national broadcasters.