Kevin Costner denied Chris Hemsworth romantic lead in his film, casting himself instead: 'I'm still young'

"Yellowstone" actor Gil Birmingham talks working with all-star cast at 2023 Critics Choice Awards

Approaching 70 and finalizing his second divorce just two months ago, Kevin Costner is confident he still has some juice left in his tank, opting to bet on himself rather than casting a Hollywood hunk in his upcoming movie.

"Avengers" star Chris Hemsworth, 40, confessed to Entertainment Tonight last week that although he lobbied for a role in Costner's flick, the "Yellowstone" star turned him down.

"There was a movie, a script that I'd read and loved and was like, 'I want to get that,' and then someone said, 'Kevin Costner has that [role],'" Hemsworth shared.

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Chris Hemsworth, right, says he tried and ultimately failed to persuade Kevin Costner to let him be in his movie. (Getty Images)

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"I'd love [to have] him as a director. I was like, 'Godd--- it!' [I spent] an hour the other day trying to convince him, and he was like, 'I'm doing it, kid.' Didn't work. I didn't get the part."

Hemsworth shared that Costner's flick is "a small story about a man and a woman," but agreed the role is more suited for Costner, himself.

Chris Hemsworth says his wife Elsa Pataky encouraged him to go after the role in Kevin Costner's movie. (RONDA CHURCHILL/AFP via Getty Images)

"It's better seen in his wheelhouse for sure, as far as the kind of Western environment," Hemsworth noted of Costner. "There's horses involved, he's a horse wrangler, and my wife [Elsa Pataky] read it and loves horses," he explained. "We have 10 or 11 horses back home, and so she's like, 'You've got to do this.'"

Kevin Costner attended CinemaCon to promote his upcoming project, "Horizon: An American Saga." (Stewart Cook/Getty Images for Warner Bros)

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Earlier last week at CinemaCon in Las Vegas, Hemsworth hinted there was a story to unearth, encouraging ET to ask Costner about the movie. ET probed Costner on the subject, also at CinemaCon to promote his upcoming film "Horizon: An American Saga," much to his embarrassment.

"Chris - he's starting something on me," Costner joked. "It's a love story," he said, pivoting to the film. "But as long as I'm still young enough to play it, I'll play it."

Kevin Costner, left, praised Chris Hemsworth as being one of Hollywood's "great leading men." (Getty Images)

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"Chris is gonna have to wait his turn. He's so handsome and he's so good," he said of the Australian. "He's gonna have to go find his [own] love story. I'm glad he likes this one. If I reach a moment where I [don't] think I could do that, I would [reach out]. He's certainly one of our great leading men right now."

Costner is showing no signs of slowing down, though, having admitted at CinemaCon that given the correct circumstances, he would be willing to return to his hit show "Yellowstone" for its final season, refuting rumors he was out due to scheduling conflicts.

Caroline Thayer is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Follow Caroline Thayer on Twitter at @carolinejthayer. Story tips can be sent to caroline.thayer@fox.com.