Kevin Bacon : center of the universe?

by Travis Combs
The Metropolitan

Let's talk about Kevin Bacon.

Some people have their fingers in just about everything in the
proverbial pie. They are seen and they are heard through a
shotgun-sprayed strategy alone -and-boom! Their face is spread
everywhere. There is no cloud of mystery hanging over them.

They are known and to some degree respected based on the quantity
rather than quality of their appearances and product. Quality doesn't
appear to be the focus of their personal agendas, although ironically,
most of their baseline work is good.

Working hard and accepting nearly every opportunity that comes their
way, these people find their names and faces everywhere. Because of
this, their names appear on all the rolling credits and all the bylines in
the papers. They may not be adored or revered, they are just known.

Kevin Bacon is one of these people.

He was honored Saturday, Oct. 16 at the Temple Buell Theatre with the
27th Starz Denver International Film Festival's prestigious John Cassavetes
Award. Bacon has achieved an unusual degree and quality of fame through
the sheer numeric output of his acting work.

With appearances and starring roles in fifty-five movies spanning a period of twenty-six years, Bacon's dedication to his work is unmatched and unparalleled.

"I have a strong work ethic," said Bacon. "To provide for my family, you know, bringing home the bacon."

A one-time waiter, Bacon left his hometown of Philadelphia to move to New York City to try his hand in the city's acting scene, quickly becoming the youngest student to appear on stage in the acclaimed Circle in the Square.

Bacon then turned his sights to Hollywood and landed a debut film appearance in "National Lampoon's Animal House," (1978) and raised the industry's eyebrows with his role in the ensemble cast in "Diner" (1982).

Though fine and good films they were, Bacon's breakthrough moment came in 1984's "Footloose," a big-city versus small-town mentality film revolving around the issue of dancing.

"I used to go to Studio 54 (in New York City) just to dance," Bacon said.

Propelled as he was into teen-idol status by the film's success, a state of affairs Bacon initially dreamed about achieving as a boy, opportunities for other roles soon came pouring in.

Since "Footloose" Bacon has played a variety of characters in a variety of movies, from the likes of a homosexual fascist in Oliver Stone's "J.F.K" to a psychotic in "The River Wild."

"You have to take responsibility for the characters you play," said Bacon. "I don't think about my image. I don't feel limited to play the moral, upstanding guy. That's a slippery slope to go up."

Character evolution in both depth and complexity has also followed Bacon through his long and varied career.

From the initial youth-gone-wild roles to more expansive and mature roles in films such a "Sleepers" and the highly acclaimed "Mystic River," Bacon's career has indeed covered the spectrum of the craft.

"I like characters that have layers," said Bacon. "If there is nothing underneath the surface, I'll put it there."

Bacon's characters have been described by noted film critic Elvis Mitchell as people who often portray the dark side of the human condition.

"Acting is very therapeutic," said Bacon. "Most human beings have a certain darkness, a certain fire or sexual drive that has no real release in society. I do them in the movies."

Of course it's therapeutic. Who can forget "Tremors?"

Bacon has strayed from the mainstream Hollywood movies to appear in independent movies such as "Telling Lies" (1997), but has since sworn off such movies.

"The ones I'd done just haven't had that much of a positive impact on either my life or my career," Bacon said.

He has since gone on to producing, with such films as "The Woodsman" (2003). Being on the other side of the camera has been a positive experience.

"I think actors make good directors," said Bacon. "I used to think directors were people with pearls of wisdom to make me come alive."

Bacon is lives with his wife, actress Kyra Sedgwick ,and their two children in New York City and is currently working on two films.