Friends and family alike paid tribute to Whitney Houston today at an emotional ceremony at the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ. Perhaps the most moving speech came from actor Kevin Costner, who shared anecdotes about their time working together on the movie The Bodyguard, how they bonded over tales of growing up in Baptist churches, and what her loss means to him: "You weren't just pretty, you were as beautiful as a woman could be. People didn't just like you, Whitney. They loved you. I was your pretend bodyguard once not so long ago, and now you're gone, too soon, leaving us with memories."

Costner began his speech by asking those assembled to "dry our tears, suspend our sorrow—and our anger—just long enough, just long enough to remember the sweet miracle of Whitney. Never forgetting that Cissy and Bobbi Kristina are sitting among us." He explained how "I Will Always Love You" wasn't originally supposed to make it into The Bodyguard, and how he and Houston bonded over stories of getting in trouble at their respective churches while growing up.

The most moving part came when he told the long story of how Houston ended up starring in the film—it turns out that Costner practically had to insist to the studios to let her do so because of her race: I was reminded that this would be her first acting role. 'We could also think about another singer,' was a suggestion. Maybe somebody white. Nobody ever said it out loud...I told everyone that I had taken notice that Whitney was black. The only problem was, I thought she was perfect for what we were trying to do." He even postponed production on the film for a year while she was on tour.

Ultimately, Costner thought her greatest weakness was her insecurity: "The Whitney I knew, despite her success and worldwide fame, still wondered am I good enough? Am I pretty enough? Will they like me? It was the burden that made her great, and the part that caused her to stumble in the end." He concluded the speech talking about Houston's musical legacy: "You set the bar so high that professional singers, your own colleagues, they don't want to sing that little country song. What would be the point? Now, the only ones who sings your songs are young girls like you, who are dreaming of being you some day."

You can read the whole text of the speech here.