Kevin Costner did a Waterworld stunt to honor Burt Lancaster

Burt Lancaster was a strikingly beautiful man, of athletic build, and, as an actor, experienced first-rate material which he could perfectly render if not elevate (he Nine perfect films according to Rotten Tomatoes). He was one of the most beloved movie stars of his generation, and he was deeply mourned when he passed away in 1994. Although his death was not surprising. He hasn’t appeared in a movie since 1989’s “Field of Dreams,” which ended up being a sweet little swan song for a kid from East Harlem. He’s just Burt Lancaster, and we can’t imagine a world without someone as tough as him.

Lancaster’s “Field of Dreams” co-star Kevin Costner was completely impressed with the leading man when they filmed the two scenes together. How could it not be? He grew up watching the arrogant man, the soldier and the seducer. But he also had a front-row seat at Lancaster’s decline. “He was a professional,” Costner said. Press event marking the film’s 15th anniversary“And he was struggling in ‘Field of Dreams,’ and everyone was waiting for him, and the reason we were waiting (is) how great he was, because it only happened once, and he had magic.”

Costner respected this magic because he spent most of his career trying to conjure it himself. According to Costner, “I like (Lancaster) because he’s obviously a physical actor and that was a big part of my repertoire.”

When Lancaster died, Costner was filming the big-budget adventure film “Waterworld.” Which It was a difficult shoot for a myriad of reasonsbut in the midst of putting the group together, Costner found a way to honor the star.

At the “Field of Dreams” press event, Costner revealed that he performed a move reminiscent of Lancaster’s actions in films like “The Flame and the Arrow” and “The Crimson Pirate.” “In Waterworld, there’s a moment where I’m hanging over the side of the ship and it’s an athletic move, something a gymnast would do, and I did it for Burt. We lost him, and it was a tribute to him,” Costner said.

Costner does a lot of wild things to this bird throughout Waterworld, but I think the moment he’s referring to comes in the first ten minutes, when he hoists the sail on the ship and chases down the scavenger who stole his fruit. Big, physical, and very funny at times, “Waterworld” feels like a movie that would have titillated Lancaster. He probably would have also dug Universal’s amazing show that is still running at Universal Studios Hollywood, Japan, Singapore and Beijing.

More than 30 years after he left us, the best stunt professionals in the industry are right there and proud of Lancaster, and Stars like Tom Cruise They push the outside of the envelope in ways that Bert might have found just a tad over the top.