Kevin Costner Wants Cynics to Join Him in Recalling 1st Christmas (Excl)

Kevin Costner is ready to talk about his faith and the spiritual meaning behind Christmas in his new holiday special.

“Well, it’s the first Christmas, it’s the birth of Christ… I grew up in church,” the 70-year-old actor exclusively told Us Weekly about his upcoming ABC special, Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmaswhile attending the Art of Elysium Heaven Gala last month. “And so, I hope, whether you’re a believer, whether you’re a cynic, or you’re just interested in knowing the real story behind Christmas traditions, I’m just inviting people on the journey back with me.”

Costner added that he hopes viewers will be open to the conversation about the origins of the holiday. (According to Christianity, December 25, also known as Christmas Day, is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Jesus Christ.)

In the special, which aired Monday, December 9, and is now available to stream on Hulu and Disney+, Costner stars as a narrator who recounts the religious origin behind the holiday season that many have come to love.

“They say Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. They say Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year,” Costner says in the special. “It’s an opportunity for families to come together and celebrate the amazing story of the newborn king.” “Whether you’re a believer or just curious about this tradition, come back with me, Kevin Costner, for the story of the first Christmas as you’ve never seen it before.”

During his conversation with weCostner talked about how powerful the art of storytelling is.

“I think storytelling can be therapeutic. It can be helpful. It can remind us of who we think we want to be,” he said. “A lot of times you see great heroism on screen, sometimes even in the smallest way. And when we see it, we recognize it, and we think to ourselves, I need to be like this. We know what the opposite is. But sometimes we see things in movies that we wish we could still say.”

While Costner’s faith is an important part of the holiday season, he also enjoys spending quality time with his children. The Yellowstone actor shares Kayden, 18, Hayes, 16, and Grace, 15, with his ex-wife Christine Baumgartner As well as Annie (41 years old), Lily (39 years old) and Joe (37 years old) from his ex-wife Cindy Silva William (28 years old) with ex Bridget Rooney.

As his children got older, Costner became adaptable to the way they celebrated.

Related to: Kevin Costner shares rare photos with 6 of his children: “Special memories”

Courtesy of Kevin Costner/Instagram Kevin Costner shared some of the “special memories” he had this year with some of his children. On Monday, December 2, Costner, 69, wished his Instagram followers a Happy Thanksgiving while sharing some photos of the actor spending time with six of his children. (Costner shares Annie, 40, Lily, 37, and… […]

“I think when they were younger, things were more repetitive. Now you’re just fighting to get them home from college or fighting,” he said. “You know what I mean, just getting together. So I do my best to make it as warm as possible.”

The holidays have looked different in recent years for Costner after his split from Baumgartner. In May 2023, Baumgartner, now 51, filed for divorce after nearly 19 years of marriage. The former couple reached a settlement four months later, finalizing the divorce in February 2024. Costner and Baumgartner agreed to share joint custody of their children, while the Horizons actor was ordered to pay more than $63,000 a month in child support to his ex.

“I’m single, so I miss those nice things to do,” Costner told Us of how his traditions have changed amid his new lifestyle. “So I have to work especially hard to make sure there are those things that they think about and remember.”

Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas It’s now streaming on Hulu and Disney+.