Jena Malone Had a ‘Hunch’ Her ‘Horizon’ Director Kevin Costner Felt ‘Shackled’ as an Actor

Jena Malone acted alongside Kevin Costner twice before he directed her in Horizon: An American Saga — and she believes he’s found his true calling behind the camera.

In an exclusive interview with Us Weekly, the actress, 39, dished on working with the Yellowstone star, 69, in 1999’s For Love of the Game and 2012’s Hatfields & McCoys, admitting she believed back then that he was meant for more. “It's so interesting, because I felt like I had a hunch,” Malone told Us. “It seemed like I wasn't getting his full being — like there was something shackled in how he was able to move as an actor on those sets.”

Though Malone makes it clear Costner was “very giving, commanding, generous and kind” on both of those projects, “I felt like if I got to work with him as a director, I would see a different side to him that was more his lane,” she told Us. “And it truly is his lane — he's a really great director.”

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Having Costner at the helm was a positive experience for the Hunger Games alum, who believes his passion for the epic Western films — that he also cowrote and stars in — inspired the ensemble cast, which includes Sienna Miller, Sam Worthington and Luke Wilson. “As soon as he walked on set, it was like the dynamite had been lit and everyone was activated by his energy, which I find to be such a gift,” she explained. “He's got this contagious joy … it was always a pleasure.”

“It was really nice to see him step into his power as a director,” she continued. “It's a space he really comes alive in.”

In Horizon: An American Saga — which will eventually consist of four installments — Malone stars as Ellen Harvey, a.k.a. Lucy, a mother who goes to extreme lengths to secure a better life. Malone was eager to shed light on the challenges women faced during the Civil War era.

“To be a woman at that time was a very interesting thing that is a hard thing for us modern women to really understand – not being able to own property [and] not being able to traverse independently,” Malone explained. “So much of our existence was built on the back of a man, [and] she is unique in that she really has had to find her own.”

Going back to the 1800s proved to be a “very healing and inspiring” experience for Malone. “I'm constantly thinking about how we settled this land and who my grandmothers were in those spaces,” she explained. “The more I learn about it and particularly, the women of that time, it feels like parts of me that have been wanting to be heard.”

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The Love Lies Bleeding star hopes the audience will take away more from the film than just entertainment — specifically a new appreciation for their ancestors in the same way she did. “I felt like I was watching parts of me that I hadn't fully understood, like I was getting to watch my great-grandmother's and great-grandfather's journey, seeing the hardships, whether it's how they survive or how they meet their fate,” Malone continued. “It felt like I was giving access to some epigenetic healing, knowing my great-grandmother's genes are inside of me, and her traumas are part of my traumas.”

“It's a really interesting way to view this film,” she added, “that can be uplifting, healing and revitalizing in a way that maybe films from different eras don't access.”

For more of Malone’s interview, pick up this week’s issue of Us Weekly, on stands now.

Horizon: An American Saga — Chapter 1 is in theaters now.