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From Footloose to Taking Chance: A Peek At Kevin Bacon’s Almost Five-Decade-Long Career

Published on: January 7, 2025 at 4:50 AM
By Divya Verma
Kevin Bacon speaking at the 2014 San Diego Comic Con International (This image by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.)

With a glorious career spanning 45 years, Kevin Bacon is a name to be admired. Making his debut in comedy, Kevin has spread his roots across all genres over the years, sculpting a prolific career filled with a diverse range of projects with other decorated artists. 

Based on these statistics, a trivia game called Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon was created. A spin on the concept called Six Degrees of Separation, the game rests on the assumption that anyone involved in Hollywood can be linked through their film roles to Kevin Bacon within six steps. 

To honor such hard work and years of entertainment, we have made a list of some of the best roles essayed by Kevin Bacon, based entirely on public reviews and ratings. While we strongly believe that no one list can encapsulate all of Bacon’s best performances, we do think that this one can be a good start for someone looking to get into his filmography. 

So without further ado, and in no particular order, here are some of Kevin Bacon’s top performances. 

Footloose

This movie gave Kevin his stardom. No one would have expected a movie based on dance to have critics and audiences sing songs of praise. In the titular role of Ren, Kevin showcased his dance and acting skills. 

Few Good Men 

This movie may have two hotshots- Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson, but Kevin didn’t take a bench either. With his stoic and balanced performance, he remains a valuable cast member. 

Apollo 13

Kevin’s portrayal of Jack Swigert of the unfortunate crew of Apollo 13 would go down in history. His performance gave the character its humanity and the film will always be remembered for the memorable performances by Kevin and Tom Hanks.

Mystic River

Anyone who has seen this movie will never forget Sean Penn and Kevin Bacon. Yan to the Yin of Sean, Kevin brought out the nuisance of the character and kept everyone in their seat.

The Woodsman

In the controversial role of Walter, Kevin made his audience want to give the character a chance. His performance left a mark and showed how those who are abusive are human, too. Kevin’s character may not have won the sympathies of everyone, but his acting sure won hearts.

Tremors

With Tremors, Kevin entered the fantasy/monster genre. This cult classic gave way for Kevin to showcase his comic timing along with his action-hero persona. Though the movie didn’t demand a very intense performance, Kevin and the cast made it memorable with their chemistry and acting.

Hollow Man

This movie, when it came out, took everyone by surprise. With its special effects and storyline, the movie is still among the greatest horror movies of all time. Kevin, with his “Is he there/Is he not there” performance, made his mark in everyone’s heart.

Sleepers 

If Kevin won hearts in positive roles, he definitely won hearts in negative roles as well, and his performance as a sadistic guard in Sleepers is proof of it. When an actor surpasses the boundaries of character and himself, that’s a great performance. With his role of Nokes, Kevin does exactly that.

Death Sentence

This intense drama showcases Kevin as a grieving father determined to avenge his son. This action-packed movie grips its audience, and Kevin’s performance keeps your attention on his every move, making it a must-watch for every Kevin Bacon fan. 

Taking Chance

Kevin Bacon won his first Golden Globe award for this TV movie in 2009. Showing the journey of a military man escorting the body of a fallen soldier, Kevin keeps one engaged, as they feel his turmoil and emotions through his performance. 

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