Kevin Costner dishes out memories from Whitney Houston's memorial

Kevin Costner has recently dished out details from The Bodyguard star Whitney Houston’s memorial in New Jersey.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Kevin remembered the late actress, who died at age 48 on February 11, 2012, and how he was reluctant to give a public eulogy at her funeral.

“Whitney was certainly so worthy to talk about, but it's not my first instinct to go out there, to rush to the mic,” said the 69-year-old.

However, the Yellowstone actor recalled, “I got a call from Dionne Warwick and I could tell in her voice she was broken. I said yes to her when I had been saying no all week.”

“I heard in her voice how tired she was, how many decisions she was probably having to make, who would speak, who wouldn't speak,” continued the Academy Award winner.

He mentioned, “She goes, 'Kevin, can I ask you?' and I [just] said, 'Yes.’”

Nevertheless, Kevin had second thoughts, explaining, “I'm thinking, 'Why am I speaking? I just was her imaginary bodyguard.”

Kevin got emotional during Whitney’s memorial held at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey.

“I remember being in the pews, and I had never been in a church that was more electric,” he remarked.

Kevin also pointed out that he was informed to shorten his speech because “CNN’s was covering this”.

But he replied, “'I'm sorry, I didn't realise CNN was here, but they can take a commercial break.”

The actor told the outlet, “I was like ‘I'm going to say what I want to say. I came a long way to talk about this little girl’.”

For the unversed, Kevin delivered a heartfelt 17-minute eulogy at Whitney’s funeral.