Post-graduation

Costner became interested in acting while in college, and on graduation married Cindy. The couple honeymooned in Puerto Vallarta, and on the return plane journey had a chance encounter with actor and fellow passenger Richard Burton, and struck up a conversation. Burton advised the young man that if he wanted to pursue acting, he should give up everything else completely and go after it.

Having agreed to undertake a job as a marketing executive on return, with the support of his wife Costner began taking acting lessons five nights a week. His marketing job lasted 30 days. He took work which allowed him to develop his acting skills via tuition, including working on fishing boats, as a truck driver, and giving tours of stars’ Hollywood homes to support the couple while he also made the audition rounds.