Costner — the star and producer of 1992's “Bodyguard” — personally chose it Houston for the main role in the film. The singer hesitated. She planned to start an acting career, but she didn't want to play the main role in a blockbuster right away. It took her almost a year to agree to participate in the production. Already on the set, Costner assured her that if anything needed, she could always count on him.
In “Armchair Expert”, the actor revealed that during the shooting of “Bodyguard” he noticed the film's director Mick Jackson. He allegedly felt uncomfortable in Houston's presence. He couldn't lead her. Meanwhile, the singer was there all alone, in a completely unfamiliar environment and without the crew accompanying her during concerts – Costner pressured her to give up her presence during the shooting.
Because he made her a promise to protect her, the actor started leading his partner. “I didn't want to step into my director's shoes, but I made a promise to her, not to him,” he said. He added that in a sense he was her “imaginary bodyguard.”
When Houston died unexpectedly in 2012, Costner spoke at her funeral. “The Whitney I knew was constantly wondering, despite her success and worldwide fame: Am I good enough? Am I pretty enough? Will they like me? (…) Whitney, if you could hear me now – you weren't just okay, you were gorgeous. You weren't just pretty, you were as beautiful as can be. And people didn't like you – they loved you,” Costner said, holding back tears.