The 69-year-old A-lister first met Diana in the early 90s through Sarah Ferguson - Prince Andrew’s ex-wife, and upon hitting it off, had suggested she star in the sequel to his 1992 film, The Bodyguard.
While the plan never came to fruition as Diana tragically died before the script was finished, Costner has since revealed their meeting left a lasting impression, not just on him, but also her.
Speaking to People magazine, the Oscar winner recalled the moment he was told the late princess was a fan of his, admitting it came about during a last-minute meeting with her son, Prince William.
Princess Diana wasn't a movie star, but she could have been. Photo / Getty Images
“I happened to be in England, and I got this message that the prince would love to talk, and I said, ‘What?’... and then I went, ‘Okay’,” Costner told the news outlet.
The Yellowstone actor said when he arrived at the venue where they agreed to meet, it was just him and the Prince of Wales and William wasted no time with pleasantries.
“He walked up, and we shook hands... The first line out of his mouth was, ‘You know, my mum kind of fancied you.’” Costner said.
William met with the actor where he revealed his mother was a huge fan. Photo / AP
The actor didn’t share any further details from the meeting - including when or where it took place. Instead, he told the outlet, “I’ve had an incredibly unusual, and for the most part, beautiful life.”
It comes after the actor appeared on the Today show earlier this week and addressed the question seemingly on the tip of everyone’s tongue; will he reprise his role of John Dutton in Yellowstone?
“I’ve supported that thing and I’ve loved it,” the Oscar winner told Today reporter Savannah Guthrie. “It’s been really important to me. I would love to go back under the right circumstances. I think that all of us want that. For me, it really needs to be the right circumstances.”
Production has kicked off in Montana for the final instalment of the much-loved series, with Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios still expecting the drama to return to screens in November.
The actor also addressed the reason he left the show in 2023, stating that while he appeared as Dutton for five years, it was limiting in how often he could film and said he wants to work “more than once a year”.
Kevin Costner and Princess Diana. Photo / Getty Images
Kevin Costner speaks to @SavannahGuthrie about the process of making his film “Horizon,” receiving a standing ovation at Cannes, working with his son and shares he would be open to return to “Yellowstone” under the “right circumstances.” pic.twitter.com/xiJwzhND8p
He stated that following Covid when the show was out of production for over a year, he needed to be in the position to do “both of the things” – referring to his self-funded project, Horizon.
He said: “There’s a chance to do both of them, but people, material, has to be ready at certain times, but we weren’t able to do that, and after five years, I thought, I’m not going to do this.”
Paramount previously claimed a feud between Costner and show creator Taylor Sheridan over the actor’s lack of availability resulted in the controversial exit.
However, Costner claimed the real hold-up was that Sheridan had not written the script for the show in due time.
