In 1992, Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner starred opposite each other in the year’s biggest romantic drama, The Bodyguard. The film was a huge box office success, with its power ballad-full soundtrack from Whitney selling millions of copies around the world, including her cover of ‘I Will Always Love You’.

But another aspect of the film which was rather beautiful, was the close friendship that developed between co-stars Kevin and Whitney. The pair forged a strong bond, so much so that Kevin would tragically talk at her funeral in 2012.

The Bodyguard was originally meant to star Diana Ross

The Bodyguard followed a stoic titualar character, who reluctantly signs up to protect a superstar known to be something of a diva, from someone is sending her threatening letters. By the early 1990s, Kevin Costner was cast as the lead in the film, and he quickly became heavily involved in the production’s development.

The actor had his own ideas for the film’s script, which had been hanging around for nearly 20 years.Writer Lawrence Kasdan wrote the first drafts in 1975, with Diana Ross and Steve McQueen on course to play the leads. However, the script was rejected 67 times before being accepted and then discarded.

McQueen had been replaced by Ryan O’Neal, whom Ross was dating at the time. But Ross ended up turning down the project, and it disappeared again, until little-known Costner read the script.

Afteer Costner became a Hollywood star thanks to Dances with Wolves, he helped push The Bodyguard into production.

Kevin Costner was adamant that he wanted Whitney Houston

By the early 1990s, Whitney Houston had become a huge international popstar.

Costner later said that he was drawn to Houston for simple reasons: “I saw her like every red-blooded male would see her: I thought she was really pretty.”

But he quickly realised that no one else could play the character Rachel, and was willing to wait a year for Whitney to accept the role: “I just thought she was that right.”

Whitney didn’t want to do it at first

Costner had to convince Whitney to take the role. By then, Whitney was having a great pop career, and was considering acting too.

However, she wanted to start with smaller roles, telling Rolling Stone: “I never thought I’d be co-starring with Kevin Costner!”

Aware of the scrutiny she would get as a popstar becoming a Hollywood star, much like Madonna, she worried that “people would dog me before they gave me the opportunity to do the job.”

She delayed accepting the role until Costner called her himself. He promised her that he wouldn’t let her make a fool of herself, and she agreed.

However, he also told her not to get acting lessons. “He said: ‘I promise you I will not let you fall. I will help you,’” she said. “And he did.”