Kevin Costner Honors Collaborator Ida Random, Who He Says Changed His Life

By Daniel S. Levine

Yellowstone star Kevin Costner appeared at the Art Directors Guild Awards Saturday night in Hollywood, where he delivered an emotional tribute to production designer Ida Random. Costner credited Random with changing his life, and the lives of many others in Hollywood. Random, who has an Oscar nomination for her work on Rain Man, received the guild's lifetime achievement award this weekend.

During his speech at the Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown, Costner spoke about the surprising role Random played in helping him earn his big break, reports Deadline. The story started back in 1981 when Costner played an extra in the Jessica Lange movie Frances. Casting director Elizabeth Lustig, whom Costner would work with on Dances With Wolves, introduced him to Random. "She always seemed to be around the camera and without notice, she would move into the set as if no one was watching, pick up a book and move it," Costner said of Random. "In fact, she would pick up anything – lamps, ashtrays, pictures...Anything that seemed to be bothering her she would just move it, maybe inches."

At first, Random thought she was in trouble, but then she began to suspect Costner was the one in trouble. After a moment though, Random turned to Leustig and said, "This works," meaning that Costner fit in her conception of the Frances scene. He delivered a single line in the movie, which "would change the trajectory of my career," Costner said.

"I'll never forget you, Ida. You changed my life that night," Costner said as he got choked up. Random "changes lives," he said. "She makes things better, sometimes by inches...She's the director's best friend and confidant. She's the actor's biggest cheerleader as she walks them through her perfect sets...You're a filmmaker in every sense of the word, adding your most personal touch to the movies you call your paintings."

Random was the production designer on the Westerns Silverado and Wyatt Earp, which both starred Costner. The actor also hired her for The Postman, which he directed. Her other credits include The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Hoffa, Throw Momma From a Train, People Like Us, No Strings Attached, and Spanglish. Her most recent project was the 2016 Roots series.

The Art Directors Guild Awards ceremony was hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown. Donna Cline, Anne Harris, and Denise & Michael Okuda also received lifetime achievement awards, while Dune director Denis Villeneuve received the William Cameron Menzies Award. Dune, No Time To Die, Nightmare Alley, and Encanto were the big winners in the feature film categories. 

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