Kevin Costner Opens Up About Leaving “Uninteresting” Projects and His Passion for New Documentary Series “The West” A New Chapter for the Yellowstone Star Kevin Costner is embracing creative freedom after closing one of television’s biggest chapters. As the Oscar-winning actor and filmmaker steps away from Yellowstone and other long-running commitments, he’s turning his focus toward stories that continue to challenge and inspire him — starting with his new documentary series, Kevin Costner’s The West. Speaking to Radio Times, Costner reflected on what drives his choices today. “I’m willing to do anything where I feel like what I’m doing is for myself,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be a Western, it could be something else. But when something is no longer interesting to me, or there’s some other reason that I need to move on, I’m willing to do that.” For Costner, the decision to move on isn’t about walking away from success. It’s about staying true to his instincts as an artist. Staying Relevant Through Honest Storytelling Costner, who has spent decades exploring America’s frontier on screen, says his motivation now lies in creating stories that reflect his personal truth. “I think the hope for me is that I can stay relevant, not only to myself, but to people who find my work,” he explained. “I can’t create work that I think is going to find them. I can only create work that, when they do find it, reflects what I was feeling and my sensibility.” That philosophy carries into Kevin Costner’s The West, his latest project for Sky HISTORY. The eight-part series, executive produced alongside Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, offers a fresh, unvarnished look at the formation of the American West — and how its history continues to shape the nation today. Revisiting the Real West In discussing the documentary, Costner noted how Western storytelling has long been romanticized, often overlooking the brutal realities of the era. “When we first started making Westerns, people fell in love with the imagery,” he said. “They couldn’t believe how big the country was and how beautiful it was. But we didn’t see the exploration and the confrontation, which was inch-by-inch and usually ended in blood.” Costner explained that The West seeks to highlight those truths — the clashes, the hardships, and the human cost of expansion. “People didn’t really want to see that,” he continued. “The romantic idea of heroism was more acceptable. But everything that happened in Dances with Wolves, Open Range, or Horizon actually happened out there. Those interactions were real, even if the characters weren’t.” The Legacy Behind His Work For Costner, The West is more than just a history lesson — it’s a continuation of the themes that have defined his career. From Dances with Wolves to Horizon: An American Saga, his stories have often explored America’s moral and cultural crossroads. “The documentary serves to back up those kinds of stories,” he said. “There were slaves and captives in the West. We misled Native Americans for our own good — and we kept doing it. The Western movies that I did, in my mind, are true. They are honest. They are real.” Moving Forward, Staying Grounded With Yellowstone behind him and The West now premiering, Kevin Costner shows no signs of slowing down. His focus has shifted toward projects that not only entertain but also endure — stories that, as he puts it, “can live forever.” And as he continues to redefine what it means to be a modern storyteller, Costner remains guided by one simple principle: honesty. “It’s about how you’re telling it,” he said. “It’s about if other people are going to be able to relate to it and move to it.” SEO Suggestions: Meta Description: Kevin Costner opens up about leaving unfulfilling projects and launching his new Sky HISTORY series The West, exploring the real story behind America’s frontier. Focus Keyphrase: Kevin Costner The West documentary Formatting Tip: Include image captions for The West and Costner’s past films for visual SEO enhancement and easy mobile scanning.