Kevin Costner began his acting career with 1981’s Sizzle Beach USA, a movie so bad that it could have put an end to the actor’s life in Hollywood before it had properly begun. As is well-known, of course, things quickly began to improve for the future Robin Hood star.
Small roles in fairly forgettable movies followed his acting debut until 1985 when he starred in the road movie Fandango, his first collaboration with his Waterworld director, Kevin Reynolds. It’s hardly a Hollywood classic but it afforded Costner his first leading role, and it paved a way for a very successful career. Roles in much-loved 80s movies The Untouchables, Bull Durham, and Field of Dreams followed, and his star power continued to rise throughout the 90s and beyond.
Costner’s Hollywood breakthrough could have happened before the release of Fandango, however. The future Oscar winner acted in 1983’s The Big Chill, a critically acclaimed ensemble movie that elevated the career of many other future big-name stars including Jeff Goldblum and William Hurt. Unfortunately, other than a very brief glimpse of his character’s corpse, Costner is nowhere to be seen. Who did he play? And why did his character end up on the cutting room floor? Let’s take a closer look.
Why Was Kevin Costner Frozen Out Of ‘The Big Chill?’
The Big Chill is still regarded as one of the best movies of the 80s. It tells the tale of a group of former college friends who reunite for a weekend reunion after the funeral of Alex, another college friend, who tragically took his own life. It’s a bittersweet movie filled with heartfelt emotion, and despite the tragic death at the core of the story, it is surprisingly funny and feel-good at times.
Glenn Close, Kevin Kline, and Tom Berenger are just three of the actors who make up the ensemble, alongside the aforementioned Goldblum and Hurt, and they went from strength to strength in their careers following the success of the movie. As mentioned, the movie could have catapulted Kevin Costner into the big leagues earlier in his career too, but he is, of course, absent from the ensemble. The question is, of course, why?
Well, for one thing, Costner was never meant to be a part of the ensemble. The actor played Alex, the young man who took his own life, and the scene he filmed was due to be shown as a flashback in the movie. This scene would have added context to the reunion of his college friends, so it is disappointing that it was never actually shown.
As to why director Lawrence Kasdan removed the flashback isn’t known, at least not publically. Fans have speculated the reasons why on Quora, with some suggesting that it may have something to do with pacing issues. Another suggestion was this one: “speaking of the character without actually showing him, added an air of mystery & emotional power to the film.”
These suggestions may well be true but until somebody actually comes forward with an answer, we will never know. One actor from the movie did discuss Costner’s flashback scene, however, although he didn’t specify the reason why it was removed from the finished project. That actor was Jeff Goldblum.
Here’s What Jeff Goldblum Has To Say
During an interview with Yahoo Entertainment in 2018, Goldblum discussed Costner’s lost scene in The Big Chill. As he suggests in the interview, the flashback was intended to be an interesting piece of foreshadowing as it actually connected to Alex’s suicide. Here’s what the actor had to say:
We shot this whole flashback … in Atlanta, and we shot it first, when we’re all together in our college days. We’re all making a Thanksgiving dinner. Kevin Costner’s character was in the kitchen with a sharp object — that finally he did himself in with — about to cut the turkey. And he was going to cut this perfect turkey. It was poetical, and metaphorical. He’s about to cut this perfect turkey, and we were all there kind of having a good time, and I think Glenn Close’s character says, ‘Hey Alex. We need you in here.’ And he’s there, and he can’t bring himself to cut the turkey. It’s whole, and it’s kind of perfect. And he doesn’t want to do it.
He went on to say:
Then we saw the movie, and for one reason or another, they decided not to use it. But [Costner] was wonderful.
From what Goldblum has said about the scene, it is clear it would have been a poignant one, especially in the way it relates to the sad death of Costner’s character. It is also clear that Costner gave another great performance, albeit one that we will never get to see. Deleted scenes from the movie do exist, but unfortunately, not the flashback scene that many fans are so interested in seeing.
Life After The Cutting Room Floor
Despite being left on the cutting room floor, Costner’s career did bounce back. This was partly thanks to Fandango and partly thanks to the director of The Big Chill. Allegedly feeling guilty after editing Costner out of his 1983 movie, Kasdan rewarded the actor with the lead in the acclaimed 1985 western Silverado. From there, Costner’s career skyrocketed, both as an actor and a director. In an age when many older actors struggle to find roles that are worthy of their talents, Costner continues to impress. Long may he continue to do so, but on the screen and not on the cutting room floor!
