Scott Eastwood has shared an account of an alleged on-set clash between his father, filmmaker and actor Clint Eastwood, and Kevin Costner during the production of the 1993 crime thriller A Perfect World.
Scott Eastwood remembers a clash between his father Clint Eastwood and Kevin Costner
Speaking on the Armchair Expert podcast, in an interview aired on 3 August 2026, Scott Eastwood said Costner was expected to appear in a scene but remained in his trailer, prompting Clint Eastwood to tell the crew to "send him home".
Scott Eastwood told host Dax Shepard, "I'm sort of going to paraphrase it, and I'll probably tell it a little wrong. But Kevin Costner – sort of going through, maybe, the Kevin Costner rise to fame – … maybe got a big ego. They were doing 'A Perfect World.' And they're both starring in this movie. My dad is directing it. And apparently, Kevin wouldn't come out of his trailer for some reason."
According to Scott Eastwood, Costner was scheduled to appear in the scene being filmed when Clint Eastwood learned that the actor was still in his trailer. The director then reportedly told his crew, "Well, send him home then."
Scott said Costner was surprised by the decision because he believed he was still required for the scene. Recalling the exchange, Eastwood said, "[Costner] said, 'What do you mean? I'm in the scene.' [And the crew said], 'Well, I guess you're not anymore. Clint changed that,'" Eastwood recalled, adding, "And so I think the next day he was on set ready to go."
USA Today had reached out to Kevin Costner's representatives for a comment.
Scott Eastwood also used the story to explain a lesson his father taught him about filmmaking and the importance of remaining involved on set. Clint Eastwood, he said, preferred working alongside the crew rather than spending time in a director's trailer.
"He always told me, too, as a kid, 'You want to learn how to make movies? You want to learn how to do this? You stay here with everybody else, and you make the damn movie,'" Eastwood said.
More about A Perfect World
Released in 1993, A Perfect World was directed by Clint Eastwood, who also starred in the film as a Texas Ranger pursuing Costner's escaped convict. Costner played an escaped prisoner who takes a young boy, portrayed by TJ Lowther, hostage while attempting to flee across Texas.
The film was not a major box-office success in North America, where it earned about $31 million following its November 1993 release. Its international performance was considerably stronger, with the film grossing about $104 million overseas for a worldwide total of approximately $135 million.
Despite its commercial performance in the US, A Perfect World received critical acclaim, particularly for Costner's performance, as well as for Eastwood's direction, cinematography, editing, themes and musical score. The film has subsequently been regarded by some critics and audiences as one of Eastwood's strongest directorial works.
