More than two decades after its release, The Bodyguard is still serving up shocking twists. Kevin Costner revealed that his costar Whitney Houston is not the woman he is pictured holding on the film’s iconic poster.
“That wasn’t even Whitney, actually,” the actor, 64, told Entertainment Weekly in an interview published on Friday, June 21. “She had gone home and that was her double, and her head was buried into my shoulder, which was appropriate anyway. She was frightened.”
Costner selected the photo, himself, though he dealt with pushback from executives. “They didn’t like it at first because you couldn’t see Whitney’s face,” he recalled. “And so they sent me, like, five mockups where they put her head [on it] where she’s looking [out]. I said, ‘Guys, I think we had it the first time.’ That [was it] really, and that ended up being the poster.”
The Yellowstone star and the late singer left a mark on audiences with their undeniable chemistry — something he attributes to the screenplay, written by Lawrence Kasdan. “[It was a] very funny, acidic kind of relationship that was unique. His own rhythm of language that I knew would create [sparks],” he explained. “It just caught [Whitney] at a really high moment or actually created a high moment for her. The words provide the chemistry in a way.”
Costner and Houston starred as bodyguard Frank Farmer and pop star Rachel Marron, respectively, in the 1992 flick. The pair fall in love after the former secret service agent is hired to protect the songstress from a stalker.
The “I Will Always Love You” singer died in February 2012 at age 48 from an accidental drowning and “effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use.” The Oscar winner delivered an emotional eulogy at her funeral. “Off you go, Whitney, off you go,” he said at the time. “Escorted by an army of angels to your heavenly Father. When you sing before him, don’t you worry. You’ll be good enough.”
