The Life of All-American Actor Kevin Costner

As Dances with Wolves grew more expensive, Costner faced the kind of pressure that could have stopped the whole project. Westerns were not seen as easy box-office bets at the time, and budget overruns made the movie look even riskier to people already unsure about it.

Rather than walk away or shrink the film beyond recognition, he used millions of his own dollars to help cover the overages. It was a huge personal gamble, but Costner was betting that the story was worth the risk.