Yellowstone Star’s Hidden Road to Stardom Uncovered Ahead of Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas

Kevin Costner is spending the holidays on network TV with something deeply personal and faith-driven. Yep, that Kevin Costner. It is called 'Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas,' and it is less about movie-star myth-making and more about where he came from. Here is what he said about his roots, why he is doing this now, and how to watch it.

The kid with the shepherd staff

Before Oscars, before 'Yellowstone,' before any of it, Costner was a church kid handed a shepherd costume and a long stick. He told Christian Post that he did not even think of it as acting at the time. He was basically told: stand there, be a shepherd, and maybe do not whack any other kids with the prop. He also laughs now about being a bit of a rascal then. That church pageant moment ended up planting a seed he did not realize was there.

Why do this now

Costner explained that this special is not about playing a role or resurrecting an old character. It is him circling back to the foundation he grew up with.

'I would not have done this if it were not important to me, because of how I was raised.'

That is what he told Christian Post, and it tracks with how he frames the whole thing: personal, not performative.

What the special actually is

The hour-and-a-half broadcast walks through the Nativity with a plainspoken, grounded tone. Costner talks about Mary and Joseph not as icons on a mantel but as teenagers in a tough spot, making hard choices on a long trip. He is not trying to sermonize. The aim is to invite people in and remind them why this story keeps lasting.

Why this is a curveball for him

Look at his resume: 'Dances with Wolves,' 'Field of Dreams,' 'The Bodyguard.' You do not usually see him fronting a purely faith-centered project. That is part of why this feels like a swing from the heart rather than a career move.

Quick details if you want to watch

• Title: 'Kevin Costner Presents: The First Christmas'
• Format: 90-minute special
• Where: ABC
• When: December 9, 2025 at 8 p.m. EST
• Streaming: Disney+ and Hulu the next day

Bottom line: Costner is pressing pause on the tough-guy Western persona to host something that ties back to the first time he ever stood in front of an audience. It is simple, earnest, and very him.