McFarland now available On Demand!

Cast & Crew

Kevin CostnerJim White
Kevin Michael Costner was born on January 18, 1955 in Lynwood, California, the third child of Bill Costner, a ditch digger and ultimately an electric line servicer for Southern California Edison, and Sharon Costner (née Tedrick), a welfare worker. His older brother, Dan, was born in 1950. A middle brother died at birth in 1953. His father's job required him to move regularly, which caused Kevin to feel like an Army kid, always the new kid at school, which led to him being a daydreamer. As a teen, he sang in the Baptist church choir, wrote poetry, and took writing classes. At 18, he built his own canoe and paddled his way down the rivers that Lewis & Clark followed to the Pacific. Despite his present height, he was only 5'2" when he graduated high school. Nonetheless, he still managed to be a basketball, football and baseball star. In 1973, he enrolled at California State University at Fullerton, where he majored in business. During that period, Kevin decided to take acting lessons five nights a week. He graduated with a business degree in 1978 and married his college sweetheart, Cindy Costner. He initially took a marketing job in Orange County. Everything changed when he accidentally met Richard Burton on a flight from Mexico. Burton advised him to go completely after acting if that is what he wanted. He quit his job and moved to Hollywood soon after. He drove a truck, worked on a deep sea fishing boat, and gave bus tours to stars' homes before finally making his own way into the films. After making one soft core sex film, he vowed to not work again if that was the only work he could do. He didn't work for nearly six years, while he waited for a proper break. That break came with The Big Chill (1983), even though his scenes ended up on the cutting room floor -- he was remembered by director Lawrence Kasdan when he decided to make Silverado (1985). Costner's career took off after that.
More
Maria BelloCheryl White
Maria Bello was born on 18 April, 1967 in Norristown, Pennsylvania, to Kathy, a nurse and teacher, and Joe Bello, a contractor. She is of Italian and Polish descent. Maria went to Villanova University, majoring in political science. She had every intention of becoming a lawyer, but she took an acting class during her senior year, just for fun. She discovered she was very good at it, and she was soon cast in small off-Broadway plays, such as "The Killer Inside Me", "Small Town Gals With Big Problems" and "Urban Planning". She later guest-starred on episodes of The Commish (1991), Nowhere Man (1995), Misery Loves Company (1995) and Due South (1994). She got her big break when producers Kenny Lenhart and John J. Sakmar cast her in the spy show Mr. & Mrs. Smith (1996) as "Mrs. Smith" (they remembered her from her performance in a failed pilot that was a remake of the classic TV series 77 Sunset Strip (1958)). The show was canceled after eight weeks on the air. Then came a spot on ER (1994) as "Dr. Anna Del Amico", in which she guest-starred on the final three episodes of the third season. The show's producers were so impressed with her that they asked her back as a regular on the series.
More
CHELSEA RENDONActor
CARLOS PRATTSThomas Valles
Carlos Pratts is arguably one of the hottest young Latino actors right now and has the charm and intensity to captivate audiences across multiple demographics. He recently starred in Disney's McFarland, USA and received rave reviews for his standout performance opposite Kevin Costner. This year, Carlos was nominated for a Teen Choice Award and won the Imagen Award for Best Actor for his performance in the film. Carlos also received critical acclaim for his role on the FX series, The Bridge, where he played Demián Bichir's son opposite Diane Kruger. He also starred in Paramount's Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones.
More
Ben BrayActor
Morgan SaylorJulie White
Morgan Saylor was born in Chicago and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. The love of acting and storytelling were apparent at an early age. In her early teens, she began performing in local and regional stage productions. In 2009, Morgan was cast as Dana Brody, on Showtime's "Homeland" when she was fifteen years old. The acclaimed television show was filmed in Charlotte, North Carolina, which allowed her to travel back and forth while still attending public high school. After the show's completion, Saylor moved to New York in 2013. Based in Brooklyn, she has shuffled between theatre and feature films. She starred alongside Kevin Costner in Disney's "McFarland", originated the role of Penny in When We Were Young and Unafraid at the Manhattan Theatre Club and as Leah in the Sundance-breakout film "White Girl". As of 2017, Morgan attends the University of Chicago, studying mathematics and art history.
More