Monthly Archives: July 2021

After more than 10 years living alone, Kevin Costner finally found his way to love

Kevin Costner has been the protagonist of many great love stories on screen, ones that we’ll always remember.

Who can forget the romantic scenes he shared with Whitney Houston in ‘The Bodyguard’? I can tell you something: Houston wasn’t the only one falling in love with this strong, yet tender bodyguard …

But the success of this actor goes well beyond simply being easy on the eye. Costner has proven himself to be a wonderful performer, but also a fantastic movie director and producer.

Nevertheless, his real love life has been full of ups and downs. The actor found and lost love several times, which drove him into a long period of loneliness. This is the touching side of his story we hardly hear of.

Kevin Costner’s youth
Kevin Costner was born on January 18, 1955, in Lynwood, California, and from a young age planned to have a career in finance.

Following that plan, a youthful Kevin enrolled at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) for a BA in marketing and finance.

But when he got there, things took a different direction. In his time at college, he started acting and dancing. The actor-to-be discovered that he was very good at performing. Not only that, but he loved it.

Kevin Costner’s first wife
Acting wasn’t the only discovery he was to make during his years in college. In 1975, Costner met another student, Cindy Silva, and they fall in love. Three years later, the couple got married.

“She was beautiful, she was sweet, she was smarter than me. She represented everything about women that I like,” Costner told Closer Weekly about his first wife.

Little could Cindy imagine that one day her husband would become one of the most attractive and famous actors in the world.

Kevin Costner and his ex-wife Cindy Costner

The happy couple had three children, Joe, Annie and Lily, and the actor told Closer Weekly that “being a dad is the most important thing in my life”.

Kevin’s personal life was strong and full of love, but his acting career wasn’t taking off. The actor needed to work other jobs as a carpenter and a gofer for Raleigh Studios.

Finally, in 1983, Costner landed a role in the movie The Big Chill, which also featured great actors such as Kevin Kline, William Hurt, Jeff Goldblum and Glenn Close. Sadly, Costner’s scenes were cut from the film.

And yet during these difficult times, Cindy was always there for him, supporting him and giving him strength.

Even though those scenes never saw the light of day, they opened the door to his acting career. The director of the film, Lawrence Kasdan, didn’t forget him. Kasdan called Kevin for the western movie Silverado. It was 1985 and Costner’s career was finally taking off.

Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston
After that movie, the actor entered a successful period in his career, being part of the cast of big titles such as The Untouchables (1987), Bull Durham (1988) and Field of Dreams (1989).

In 1990, Kevin starred in one of his most mythical movies, Dances with Wolves, which got him two Academy Awards — Best Picture and Best Director.

One year later came Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and JFK, and in 1992 the actor became the most famous bodyguard ever in the movie ‘The Bodyguard’. In the movie Costner played a former Secret Service Agent, Frank Farmer, hired to protect a music superstar (played by Whitney Houston) from an unknown stalker.

Witney had no experience acting, and Kevin helped his co-star by giving her tips between scenes. Whitney’s talent and charisma did the rest, and the result was a huge success, the music for which became the best-selling soundtrack of all time, selling more than 45 million copies.

What many people don’t know its that the hit of the soundtrack, “I Will Always Love You”, was created by Dolly Parton, and it was actually Costner who suggested it, as per HerMoments. The a cappella intro was also the actor’s suggestion, and a very good one.

When Whitney Houston died in 2012, Costner was deeply saddened. He said he wished he could have “saved” Houston, like he did in his movie role for The Bodyguard.

“She was a very important person to me and the world has connected us in a way that we’ll never not be (…) I didn’t really get a full grasp of that until the lead-up to the funeral where people somehow felt that it was important that I say something,” Costner told Good Morning America back in 2012, when Whitney passed.

The chemistry between the couple on-screen made many think that it couldn’t be just fiction, but rumors of a real relationship were never confirmed.

What was confirmed was the actor’s divorce two years later, in 1994. After 16 years of marriage, Kevin Costner and wife Cindy went different ways.

At that time speculation insisted the actor had an affair with actress Halle Berry, but their romance was never given concrete credence.

The years after Costner’s divorce were not the in his career. In 1995, Kevin decided to produce and star in ‘Waterworld’, but after a first promising weekend, the movie didn’t convince his fans and it wasn’t given good reviews from critics either.

Dating in the 90’s
Businesswoman Bridget Rooney appeared to brighten up Kevin’s life in 1996. “Kevin is very romantic and tender. He really is Mr. Perfect,” said Ronney about the actor.

The couple had a son, Liam, but that didn’t help to keep them together.

In the late 1990’s, Kevin met the Anglo-American events organizer Brigit Cunningham. The pair dated for three years.

When they broke up, Cunningham had a breakdown that landed her in hospital after drinking a bottle of tequila and falling unconscious. After that, she decided to move back to England, where she is working as an events organizer, activist, and campaigner for the rights of single mothers.

Costner, meanwhile, moved on and found love again with super model Elle Macpherson.

“I feel I have met my equal with this beautiful, talented, funny and lovely person,” said the actor, as per Travellermaster.

But it was just another illusion. Their relationship lasted less than a year.

At the same time, his acting career had started to go downhill again. Films like futuristic epic The Postman were not a big success.

Costner was struggling to find a long lasting and meaningful relationship and decided to take some time off from dating. A lifetime of ups and downs in love can be exhausting and push a person towards throwing in the towel for good. Kevin Costner, one of the most attractive actors of his generation, was alone and lonely for a long period.

Even if being alone isn’t necessarily a bad thing, to find a loving partner is fantastic. And Costner finally found it.

Kevin Costner wife and children
Costner and former model-turned-handbag-designer Christine Baumgartner (46), exchanged numbers 10 years before they actually started dating in 2000.

The couple broke up in 2002 and the actor’s friends said that things “got too complicated,” referring to the fact that the actor didn’t want to have more kids, as per CountryLiving.

Kevin Costner & wife Christine Baumgartner

“She said, ‘I’m going to wait for you, but not long. When you come to your senses, come back to me’. “And I did.”, the actor told.

On September 25, 2004, the couple tied the knot and tied it strong. 16 years later, they are still happily married and have three children.

After finally finding real love, the actor is deeply committed to his wife and has declared that his family is his priority.

When the actor was asked as to the secret of their relationship, he said: “Maybe it’s the ability to say you’re sorry. I know that sounds so simple”, writes CountryLiving

We all know that it sounds simple, but it’s not. And I find it to be very good advice indeed.

I’m happy to know this wonderful actor and person finally got the long-lasting relationship he deserved. Cheers to love!

Drew Carey’s weight journey is an inspiration to us all

Many Hollywood movie stars may live a glamorous life in big mansions, sipping on drinks and enjoying their big pool.

But the fact is that life as an actor can be quite demanding – few jobs are as misunderstood as that of a professional actor. They often spend long days on set and work in a pretty stressful environment.

Therefore, a lot of actors have realized the importance of living a healthy life outside the spotlight – otherwise their bodies simply cannot cope in the end.

When TV host and actor Drew Carey went head-on into a get-slim-quick plan, many thought he would just drop a few pound and then put his old weight back on again.

But if we look at Drew today, it’s obvious that he has undergone an incredible weight journey – it’s almost impossible to recognize him when you see his new figure!

Cleveland native Drew Cary had a tough upbringing. When he was only 8 years old, he was forced to say goodbye to his father, who succumbed to a brain tumor. Drew and his two brothers were then raised by their mother, who had to take two jobs to make ends meet.

“I have been in a lot of desperate situations,” said Drew told Kirkland Reporter in 2010.

After being expelled twice from Kent University due to poor grades, Drew started off his career as a comedian in stand-up comedy.

He was truly a natural talent, and for several years Drew was a regular guest at comedy clubs in Cleveland and Los Angeles.

When Drew entered the ”Star Search” competition in 1988, he received more attention – which led to a guest appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. He was also invited to Late Night with David Letterman.

For most people, Drew Cary is probably best known for his self-titled and beloved sitcom, The Drew Carey Show. The show, aired on ABC between 1995 to 2004, revolved around the home life of “everyman” Drew Carey, a fictionalized version of the comedian.

The series was created by, among others, Drew himself. A total of 233 episodes were aired over 9 seasons.

Drew Carey overweight
Although The Drew Carey Show made Drew a big star and a household name, the main character himself didn’t feel comfortable with his role.

Sure, his weight was a comedic topic throughout the sitcom – but the fact is that Drew hated those extra pounds his body was forced to carry.

“I was sick of being fat on the camera. Really, I just got sick of it,” Drew told People.

In his younger years, Drew was fit as a fiddle. Having serving in the U.S. Marine Corps during the 80s, Drew was used to extremely hard, physical exercise. After six tough years in the Marine Corps Reserve, Drew Carey was stronger than ever. And you can really see it, when looking at photos from that time.

As Drew pursued a career in comedy, he kind of forgot to take care of his body. During the years of his own sitcom success, Drew overindulged junk food and also drank heavily.

Being big was a huge burden for Drew, but there was one detail which made him want to change his unhealthy habits.

When Drew Carey started dating Nicole Jaracz in 2007, he became like a father figure to her son from a previous relationship, Connor.

Drew and Nicole called off their engagement in 2012, but Drew still wanted to be there for Connor in the future. He often speaks about Connor and referred to the kid as his beloved “son.”

After starting to experience health issues related to his excess weight – Drew struggled with type-2 diabetes and heart problems – the actor realized that he had to take care of himself if he wanted to see Connor grew up.

“That was a terrible feeling. I thought, I’m never going to see him graduate high school,” Drew told Parade.

In 2010, Drew finally took action and decided to slim down. He embarked on a very ambitious diet and exercise plan. To begin with, Drew avoided all junk food and tried to cut out carbs.

“I have cheated a couple times, but basically no carbs, not even a cracker. No bread at all. No pizza, nothing. No corn, no beans, no starches of any kind,” he said.

For breakfast, Drew usually had egg whites or Greek yogurt, with some fruit. For dinner, his staple food was grilled chicken with steamed vegetables. His diet also included a lot of water. In fact, Drew didn’t drink anything else – no coffee, no tea, no soda.

Sticking to a disciplined and low-calorie diet was very important for Drew, but physical exercise was equally important. He hit the gym, but one specific form of exercise became the ”secret” for Drew’s massive weight loss.

“Lots of cardio. About 45 minutes of cardio, at least 45 minutes of cardio. I’ve been kind of lazy like lately, so I’m not doing it 6 days a week, but I will be for this next month,” Drew told People.

The strict diet and cardio training soon produced incredible results. In September 2010, the “Price is Right” host had dropped nearly 100 pounds, going from size 44 pants to a 33-34.

Not only did he manage to lose weight, Drew also got rid of his type-2 diabetes.

”I’m not diabetic anymore. No medication needed,” he told People.

The “new” Drew, who underwent a coronary angioplasty in 2001, really looked like a healthy, wealthy and satisfied man.

”I like being skinny,” said Carey. “I was sick of being fat on the camera. Really, I just got sick of it. Once I started losing weight, again, like once I started dropping a couple pant sizes, then it was easy ’cause once you see the results, then you don’t wanna stop.”

In retrospect, Drew has had time to reflect on the dramatic change.

“I had to change my whole belief system [around dieting],” he told Success in 2016. “It wasn’t like, ‘Eat this for 90 days and lose 20 pounds.’ It was: ‘Eat like this for the rest of your life.’ I’m not a maniac about it… I mean, I was at a wedding on Saturday, and I ate cake. But 95 percent of the time, I’m right on the money.”

Drew Carey today
Since 2007, Drew Carey has hosted television game show “The Price Is Right”. He’s also quite active on social media and often gives everyday updates from his Instagram account. Judging by the new pictures, Drew has kept his shape and he seems to doing great.

In recent years, he has also sported a big, grey beard – so it’s a little hard to recognize him! I don’t know what you think, but I think he looks both wiser and handsome in his new look.

Anyway, it’s wonderful to see Drew today; he seems so harmonious and that’s the most important thing.

It’s not easy to take charge of a bad situation and change your habits for the better – but I hope Drew’s journey can inspire someone out there.