A look into Kevin Costner’s life with seven kids and being an ‘Uber Guy’ (Exclusive)

Kevin Costner may be a Hollywood legend, but at the end of the day, he’s just like any other dad on the road.

“I’m an Uber guy,” he says in this week’s cover story. “I’m no different than anyone else!”

Costner, who tops the list of PEOPLE’s 100 Reasons to Love America in this week’s festive 2024 issue, often finds himself transporting his three younger children, Cayden, 17, Hayes, 15, and Grace, 14, whom he shares with ex-wife Christine Baumgartner, between friends’ houses, school and volleyball practices.

“They look like shooting stars,” says Costner, who is also the father of four adult children: Annie, 40, Lily, 37, Joe, 36, and Liam, 26. “My life is driving up and down the highway, just trying to to get the kids where they think they need to be…but that’s part of the job.”

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The close-knit Costner clan grew up surfing, spearfishing, lobster diving and naming “every critter in the tide pool,” says the star, who cherishes family time at their Santa Barbara-area home overlooking the Pacific Ocean .

“They surf and dive, and we spear fish… We use every inch of the ocean, and the terrain… It’s a perfect spot for us.”

Costner has long found unwavering support in his family and his children remain the ‘anchor’ of his life. “They know I have this chosen job, but honestly, I’m very clear about where my responsibility absolutely lies at the end of the day,” the star says.

When he’s not driving for Grace and Hayes, both of whom are on volleyball teams, Costner manages to keep his kids close in another way: by casting them in his films. For example, his three oldest children were all in Dancing with wolves as young people. “I’m locked in a 70 millimeter film with my children,” he says of his Oscar-winning western epic from 1990. “Those were my home movies.”

His youngest son, Hayes, makes his acting debut in Costner’s new and highly ambitious western, Horizon: an American sagaand his son Joe will star in the upcoming third chapter of the planned four-part series.

For example, Hayes loved the extra time with his father. “It felt like the best way to bond over something we both love and create lasting memories together,” the teen tells PEOPLE. “Working with my father was an unforgettable moment.”

Even better? Opportunities to sneak away for a father-son fishing trip, Hayes says, “It’s more about spending time together and talking… It’s those quiet, peaceful moments that I cherish the most.”

For more on Kevin Costner’s exclusive interview, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, now on standard.