Actor KEVIN COSTNER turned down the chance to play assassinated president JOHN F KENNEDY - because he's too well known.

Costner, who stars as KENNY O'DONNELL, the late President's chief adviser, in the Cuban Missile Crisis drama THIRTEEN DAYS, could never have taken on the role of the President - because the audience wouldn't have believed it.

Costner says, "I just felt there were too many minefields for me to play John Kennedy. I mean, he's such an icon that you needed someone with less flesh impact. "Somebody that isn't as well known as I am. Because otherwise the question comes up, 'How well is Costner doing as Kennedy?' It would become all about everything I was doing wrong." (LE/EW/CPT)

Source: WENN