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When Kevin Costner took the stage to pay tribute to his late friend Whitney Houston at her funeral and murmured a low “this feels right,” no one predicted that his speech would bring every person in the New Hope Baptist Church to their feet.

Kevin and Whitney starred together in Whitney’s first movie, “The Bodyguard” and kindled a friendship that would transcend decades.

VIDEO: Whitney Houston’s Funeral: Watch It Here Live

Kevin started his speech speaking slowly with eyes adverted away from the crowd and down at his paper, speaking of the similarities he and Whitney shared as both were raised in Baptist churches.

“The song, ‘I Will Always Love You,’ almost wasn’t. It wasn’t supposed to be in the movie. The first choice was ‘What Becomes of a Broken Heart.’ … So what becomes of our broken hearts?” He said during his speech.

During his nearly 20 minute speech, the actor choked up a number of times speaking about Whitney.

Photos Of Whitney Houston’s Funeral

He recalled the process for the casting of “The Bodyguard”:

“I thought she was the perfect choice but the red flags came out immediately. … I was reminded that this would be her first acting role. You could also think about another singer, was the suggestion — maybe somebody white. Nobody ever said it out loud, but it was a fair question, it was. There would be a lot riding on this. Maybe a more experienced actor was the way to go.”

The end of Kevin’s moving speech was greeting with a standing ovation. What a beautiful speech about a beautiful friendship.

May Whitney rest in peace knowing the love of those around her.