Kevin Costner wrote the memorial speech for Whitney Houston’s funeral one hour before going into church

Kevin Costner says he was still writing the memorial speech he delivered Whitney Houston’s funeral an hour before his The Bodyguard co-star was laid to rest in her native New Jersey.

Kevin Costner, 57, shunned all requests to comment on Whitney Houston’s passing following her sudden death in February, because he didn’t feel the time or the “forum” was right to open up about his close friendship with her.

But he ultimately mustered up the courage to put his feelings into words for the tragic superstar’s funeral service after her cousin Dionne Warwick called in a favor.

Kevin Costner says he was still writing the memorial speech he delivered Whitney Houston's funeral an hour before she was laid to rest in her native New Jersey

Kevin Costner has opened up about his struggles to find the right words for the emotional speech, admitting he was forced to pull over on his way to the ceremony to wrap up his tribute at a local park.

The actor told People magazine: “I was nervous. I wrote it up to the last hour before going into church. I didn’t realize so many people felt the need to hear from me. I had to think long and hard about what I wanted to say.

“My wife [Christine Baumgartner] and I pulled off to the side of the road and went to a park to finish it.”