Kevin Bacon is one of Hollywood’s greatest talents. He shot to fame after starring in Barry Levinson’s Oscar nominated drama, Diner. Two years later, he entered new realms of fame playing rebellious teenager Ren, in the Oscar-nominated classic Footloose. Since then, he has gone on to gather over 100 on-screen credits and become a true veteran of the film industry.
Bacon continues to put himself out there, starring in various TV shows and movies whilst also being the face of the titan mobile network, EE. His commercials and TV spots for the company have delivered some of Bacon’s finest comedic moments and helped further boost his profile. Here’s seven things you didn’t know about Kevin Bacon.
1. The Actor Inspired a Game Called “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”
Kevin Bacon has an impressive slate of films under his belt. He once even stated that he had “worked with everybody in Hollywood or someone who’s worked with them.” – and this certainly isn’t far from the truth. This even went on to start a game amongst movie fanatics all over the world.
After three Albright College students saw a TV commercial for Bacon’s 1994 movie, The Air Up There, the inventive trio started to talk about how many movies Bacon had starred in and crowned him the center of Hollywood. The three students went on to create the game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” – a party game where if you can successfully link an actress or actor back to Kevin Bacon within less than six moves, you progress to the next round.
Bacon was initially not a fan and thought the guys were poking fun at him, but after meeting the creators on The Jon Stewart Show, he warmed to them and realized it was all in the name of fun.
2. He Has Never Been Nominated For An Oscar
Bacon has starred in some classic movies that have been critically acclaimed smash hits. Many of these have been Oscar-winning pictures like Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River and Oliver Stone’s JFK. However, Bacon himself has never been recognized by the Oscars despite some stellar performances throughout his career.
His captivating yet controversial role as child molester Walter in The Woodsman earned massive praise for his acting ability, but it seemed way too sore of a subject matter to gather any recognition from the Oscars. Many will also argue that Bacon should have been nominated alongside his Mystic River co-star, Tim Robbins, in 2004 for Best Supporting Actor.
3. Before Becoming A Leading Man In Movies, Kevin Bacon Was A Soap Opera Star
A year before his breakout role in Diner, Bacon had made his face known to America in the CBS soap The Guiding Light. Bacon played Tim Werner, a teen with a drinking problem whose life spins out of control when he finds out his girlfriend has been cheating on him with his best friend.
The Guiding Light had an impressive run from 1952 to 2009, and Bacon is perhaps the show’s most notable star to have starred in it.
4. Kevin Bacon Has Never Moved To Hollywood For His Career And Doesn’t Intend On Doing So
Bacon is renowned for being a friendly New Yorker and has been known to ride the subway and offer help to tourists in Manhattan. He was born in Philadelphia but when he became famous, he never moved to Hollywood as most actors do. He has continued to live in Manhattan and raise a family there throughout his career and doesn’t plan on moving to Los Angeles anytime soon.
5. His Kids Are Celebrities In Their Own Right
Bacon’s kids have followed in his footsteps and gone searching for a career in the entertainment industry. His son, Travis, plays guitar for a heavy metal band called Black Anvil, and his daughter, Sosie, has taken a leaf directly from her father’s book and become an actress. Sosie played Skye in the hit Netflix drama 13 Reasons Why and Rose Cotter in the critically acclaimed horror, Smile.
6. Kevin Bacon Has Played The Same Character 7 Times, Technically
After such an impressive run of movies, it’s no shock that Bacon will have played the same character name more than once. Bacon has played a character by the name of “Jack” in a total of seven movies by 2023. These movies include classics like A Few Good Men, Apollo 13 and Frost/Nixon.
7. He Starred In A Cult Horror Movie Franchise That You May Have Missed
Many actors get their start playing small roles in horror movies where they are typically killed off early on in the picture. Johnny Depp starred in the very first A Nightmare On Elm Street, Jennifer Aniston starred in The Leprechaun, and Kevin Bacon starred in Friday The 13th.
In Friday The 13th, Bacon’s character, Jack, suffers a gruesome, untimely death. Despite the Hollywood titan that he has become, Kevin Bacon states that fans still remember him for this very role decade later. When Bacon sat down with EW to discuss You Should Have Left, he had this to say regarding Friday The 13th:
“I’m always horrified by the fact that, when it comes to autograph hounds, that’s probably the number one picture that I’m asked to sign. Me, with blood coming out of my mouth and an arrow through my neck. You know, I’m a pretty easy going guy. After a while, it just gets to you. You’re like, really, do I have to sign another picture of me dead?”
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