Kevin Costner reveals he was sick and on morphine while filming Hidden Figures

“I wanted to cry,” the actor said

Kevin Costner has revealed he was extremely unwell while filming Hidden Figures.

The Academy Award winner, 69, played Al Harrison in Theodore Melfi’s 2016 biographical drama, based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, alongside Octavia Spencer, Taraji P Henson and Janelle Monáe as three African-American mathematicians whose work helped win the Space Race for NASA in the 1960s.

Costner – who just released the first chapter in his cowboy epic Horizon: An American Saga – said he developed kidney stones while shooting for the film but refused to miss a day of work. Kidney stones symptoms can include severe stomach and groin pain, a high temperature, sweating and vomiting.

Speaking to People, Costner said he worked for “10 days under an IV drip” as he attempted to forget about the illness and finish filming his scenes.

“I’ve never worked drunk on a set. I’ve never worked high on a set, but I was on morphine the last two weeks that I worked on [Hidden Figures],” he said.

“I don’t even know how [I did it],” he recalled. “About three days of it I was normal and then something happened to me.”

In between scenes, Costner said he “sat in my trailer with a morphine drip in my arm” and needed to roll down his sleeves to cover up bruising from his IV drip. “Eventually I had to,” he said. “I wanted to cry, but there was everybody watching, so I didn’t.”

Janelle Monae, Taraji P. Henson, Kevin Costner and Octavia Spencer at the ‘Hidden Figures’ premiere in New York (Getty Images)

Despite being in agony for much of filming, Costner said “it was magic” working with Melfi and Spencer on the movie.

It comes after Costner spoke out about the challenges of his divorce from his former wife of 18 years, Christine Baumgartner last week.

During an appearance on CBS Mornings on June 26, Costner reflected on ending his relationship with Baumgartner, who he shares three children – Cayden, 17, Hayes, 15, and Grace, 14 – with.

“That’s a crushing moment,” the Yellowstone star told Gayle King about his divorce. “It’s powerful. It hurt, but I go forward.”

He acknowledged that he has “no choice” but to move on, since his children are watching him. “I can’t wilt like a daisy,” Costner continued. “I have to go forward. I have to continue to be who I am, and keep a special eye on who [my children] are.”

It comes after Costner spoke out about the challenges of his divorce from his former wife Christine Baumgartner (Getty Images)

In May 2023, Baumgartner filed for divorce from Costner, citing irreconcilable differences as the reason for their split and listing their date of separation as 11 April 2023. Her ex also issued a statement about their split.

“It is with great sadness that circumstances beyond his control have transpired which have resulted in Mr Costner having to participate in a dissolution of marriage action,” his representative told Fox News in May 2023. “We ask that his, Christine’s and their children’s privacy be respected as they navigate this difficult time.”