An Emotional Kevin Costner Pays Tribute To Production Designer Ida Random, The Woman Who “Would Change The Trajectory Of My Career”

deadline.com:

Yellowstone star and Academy Award-winning filmmaker Kevin Costner paid emotional tribute to his longtime collaborator, production designer Ida Random as she received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 26th annual Art Directors Guild Awards tonight.

And his tribute included the revelation that he might not have an an acting career without her intervention.From the stage at the Intercontinental Los Angeles Downtown, an admittedly nervous Costner – who’s worked with Random on his directorial efforts including The Postman – recounted the critical impact she had when he was an extra on the 1981 film Frances, on which Random served as art director.“For six years I’d been trying to break into Hollywood, and despite all my best efforts, I was just unable to get a SAG card,” said Costner, who had a minute appearance in a scene set in an alleyway outside a theater where actress Frances Fischer, played by Jessica Lange, was exiting after appearing in the play Golden Boy.“I’m singled out among the extras by casting director Elizabeth Leustig, who would later go on to become my casting director on Dances With Wolves,” he continued. “She walked me up to Ida, who I couldn’t help but notice on the set having been there for three days.

She [Ida] was really Annie Hall before there was Annie Hall, if you know what I mean. 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.

In fact she would pick up anything – lamps, ashtrays, pictures…Anything that seemed to be bothering her she would just move it, maybe inches.”“Suddenly I find myself standing in front of her, and she’s looking at me, and it’s safe to say that I had gone from thinking she might