Kevin Bacon, a master actor and seasoned talent who’s proven his gusto in multiple roles over the years. In pop culture, the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” phenomenon, of measuring how close people in the film industry are to Kevin Bacon, is a great measure of seeing the strings that tie everyone together.
Here’s a list comprised of the 10 most memorable cinematic roles from Bacon. The following list is made up of more than just cameos or small roles and is instead focused on movies where Bacon was more prominent, so films such as Planes, Trains, and Automobiles didn’t make the cut.
JFK (1991)
Oliver Stone’s dramatic thriller about the assassination of President Kennedy is the epitome of a typical Hollywood history movie. Loose with historical accuracy and facts, but riveting in delivering a good story. The film is about an investigative team going over the inaccuracies they discovered in Kennedy’s death, led by Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner). The other Kevin (Bacon) plays a critical witness in their case. The witness is a very flamboyant Southern male prostitute with an attitude problem, a role that Bacon dives into so heavily that he’s hardly recognizable.
Sleepers (1996)
Based on the novel of the same name, Bacon stars as Sean Nokes, a horrible and abusive juvenile hall security guard. The film is very dark in its events, and Bacon’s monstrous character serves as a center point of the film that the plot revolves around, following his comeuppance at the hands of the very boys he abused years beforehand. The movie runs pretty short on sympathetic characters, so it’s impressive that Bacon’s character is so awful that he still stands out as an unquestionable evil.
Diner (1982)
In Barry Levinson’s (The Natural, Rain Man, Good Morning, Vietnam) directing debut, Diner was a semi-autobiographical film with snippets of improvisation thrown in, similar to Fast Times At Ridgemont High.
In Diner, a group of old friends reunites in 1959 after a few years of living their own lives when one of the members of their friend group is getting married. Bacon’s character is witty and bizarre in the movie and frankly, Bacon has an uncanny vocal ability to sound like Pee-wee Herman.
Tremors (1990)
As the first film in the horror-comedy series, Tremors is a solid standalone movie, and Bacon plays a rural handyman named Valentine McKee. While in what is essentially the middle of nowhere in Nevada, Valentina and company are attacked by massive underground worms, coined as “graboids.”
From that point forward, the survivors have to figure out how to predict a foe that can’t be seen and have to account for their vicious nature and size on top of it. It’s a shame the second Tremors TV show never got off the ground, because Bacon was slated to return to the role.
Hollow Man (1999)
Paul Verhoeven is not the most subtle of directors at times, and Hollow Man is quite an insane movie, to put lightly. The film is a re-telling of the Invisible Man, but it takes the insanity of the lead character and turns it up to 11. Hollow Man boasts impressive special effects for its time and makes great use of green screening and practical effects. Bacon described it as the hardest role he had to take, because of the complexity of the costume and makeup and effects that had to go into each scene. His voice works particularly well for the sinister role, and the film isn’t pulpy so much as it is genuinely thrilling.
A Few Good Men (1992)
Bacon seems to have a knack for appearing in legal dramas, as this is his third such film on the list. Based on the play of the same name, A Few Good Men, directed by Rob Reiner, has an excellent courtroom battle. Bacon plays a very straightforward and intense Captain who leads the prosecution in a court martialing of two Guantanamo Bay Marines accused of murder.
Things get complicated when the attorney for the defense (Tom Cruise) suspects the Base Commander (Jack Nicholson) of having a hand in the matter. It’s a lot to handle.
Apollo 13 (1995)
Apollo 13 is one of the few films “based on a true story” that isn’t too held back by the fact. Dealing with the disastrous 1970 Apollo 13 mission to the moon, Bacon plays one of the three astronauts on-board the space vessel. But his circumstances leave him in an awkward position with the crew, as he’s actually the backup choice to be in space, and his chemistry with the crew isn’t as cohesive as the original choice. Likewise, his training may not have been taken as seriously.
The movie is a tense and thrilling drama, just as claustrophobic, nail-biting, and inspiring as the best space films.
X-Men: First Class (2011)
For a film franchise that was largely hit and miss, X-Men: First Class provided a much-needed breath of fresh air to the franchise and narrowed down the focus of the superhero team to its bread and butter: relationships and differing approaches to social issues.
Bacon plays Sebastian Shaw, a villainous mutant with the ability to absorb and redirect kinetic energy. He serves as a major piece to motivating Magneto’s worldview, and considering that the movie is ultimately a movie dealing with Professor X and Magneto, Sebastian Shaw’s presence was critical to develop the story and Bacon’s performance ensured it wasn’t a snoozefest to watch a pawn serve their role.
Footloose (1984)
One of Bacon’s cheesiest and most iconic roles is still a great one. In a smalltown, outsider Ren McCormack (Bacon) comes to a rural town to discover that the town banned dancing outright, something Ren just can’t comprehend.
After causing nothing but ruckus, he finds that the town’s stance is deeper dug than he perceived, so he goes out of his way to help change their minds. The physical nature of the role and the work and effort put into the dancing choreography is impressive, and there’s no question that it was a great breakthrough role for Bacon.
Mystic River (2003)
Clint Eastwood’s Mystic River was nominated for 6 big Oscars after its release in 2003, and for good reason. Based on the book of the same name, the story concerns three childhood friends who come together following the apparent murder undertaken by one of the trio. The film’s three leads are all some of the best performances from the actors; Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, and of course, Kevin Bacon, all step up to the plate and swing hard. The film’s mystery is also genuinely engaging, and unlike some mystery films, it still holds up very well upon re-watch.
