"It's so much fun to dress up and go get those bad guys." That's what Kevin Costner had to say to Reuters about his new Western series, recently. It's been nine years since Costner last starred in a Western; that was 2003's movie Open Range and now, in 2012, he's about to embark on the TV series Hatfields & MCCoys. The three-part, six hour mini-series tells the story of one of America's most famous 19th century family feuds, with the Oscar-winning actor taking on the role of Devil Anse Hatfield.
Costner explains that he was drawn to the role by the script. "I am a really writer-oriented actor ... Just because I liked the idea of the history of the Hatfields and the MCCoys, I wouldn't necessarily have done it on that basis. It's not enough me just liking American history, or the story, or the people." The feud between the two families petered out back in 1883 but it wasn't until 2003 that a truce was officially declared. Costner was apparently so taken with the story, that he has written a concept album about the feud, with his country rock band Modern West. "I am very proud of this record that will come out about a week after the TV series. It feels like my work and movies and music just rolled into each other."
Talking about the story of the two main male characters, Costner said "Both of these men engaged in hand-to-hand combat, they killed people, watched friends killed. So when they came out of the Civil War, they probably had memories they could never shake. I don't think they wanted to fight at all. I think they had to protect themselves and their families."