Inside Princess Diana’s near brush with Hollywood fame as movie role unveiled

Princess Diana's potential silver screen fame was once a possibility, as Hollywood actor Kevin Costner shared on The Howard Stern Show that he had conversations with the late Royal about starring in The Bodyguard 2. The 69 year old star divulged details of a script for the sequel to his successful movie, which was already written prior to Princess Diana's untimely death back in 1997.

Costner unveiled plans for the film's plot, where he would return in his iconic role as former Secret Service operative Frank Farmer, who finds himself assigned to Hong Kong to protect a coveted racehorse. His character unexpectedly encounters Princess Diana during the journey.

"He's on a plane, Princess Di's up front, everyone has to get off the plane," Costner recounted. "Di goes off the plane first, she goes into Hong Kong, because she's going to this [horse] race too."

"Princess Di, I meet her the next day at a party and I'm looking at her like everybody else. And she finally walks over and goes, 'I know who you are! ' And I said, 'What the fk are you talking about? ' She goes, 'I know you're here to watch over me.' And I said, 'No, I'm not actually. I'm watching over a horse,'" he relayed, reports the Express.

READ MORE: Prince William reveals Princess Diana's movie star crush

The story took a turn with Princess Diana having separated from the Royal family, according to the proposed narrative.

This surprising prospective partnership between Diana and Costner emerged following their introduction in the early '90s by Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. During her divorce proceedings with then-Prince Charles, Princess Diana was approached by Kevin Costner for a role in his film.

"I said, 'I'm going to do Bodyguard 2 and I think I can build this around you. Would you be interested? '" Costner recalled.

She responded positively, saying, "She goes, 'Yes ... My life's about to change.' I thought I understood what she's saying: 'I'd like to open my life... I think I would like to do this.'" He interpreted her words as an openness to new opportunities, including acting.

Intriguingly, the Princess even suggested a romantic scene between them, according to Costner. This revelation comes after Prince William reportedly told the actor that his mother had "fancied him."

"The second time we talked she said, 'Is there going to be a kissing scene? ' I said, 'Do you want there to be one? ' She said, 'Yeah,' and I said, 'Then we'll do that,'" Costner shared.

However, it is believed that Diana would not have been the primary love interest in the film.

After Diana's untimely death, the project was put on hold. Costner felt it was no longer feasible without her, comparing her pivotal role to that of his former co-star Whitney Houston.

"I could not replace Princess Di," he admitted. "Kind of like, if I couldn't have done Bodyguard with Whitney, I don't think I was gonna make it with anybody."