Kevin Bacon: A Versatile American Actor with a Stellar Career
Kevin Bacon, widely recognized for his iconic role in the musical film “Footloose,” has made his mark in the world of cinema. His diverse filmography boasts acclaimed performances in “JFK,” “A Few Good Men,” and “Apollo 13,” spanning across various genres. Bacon’s talent transcends boundaries, as he effortlessly transitions from intense dramas to memorable comedies like “National Lampoon’s Animal House,” “Tremors,” and “Crazy Stupid Love.” Additionally, his success extended to television with his notable role in “The Following.”
Acknowledged for his outstanding contributions, Bacon has garnered numerous accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award. He has also received nominations for a Primetime Emmy Award and an Academy Award, showcasing his immense skill and versatility as an actor. In 2003, he was honored with a star on the illustrious Hollywood Walk of Fame, solidifying his enduring presence in the entertainment industry.
Beyond his thriving acting career, Kevin Bacon embraces the role of a loving husband and father. For over three decades, he has shared a deep bond with actress Kyra Sedgwick. Together, they have nurtured a beautiful family, raising their son Travis and daughter Sosie amidst the vibrant energy of New York City. Throughout their journey, the couple made career sacrifices to prioritize their children’s upbringing.
Kyra Sedgwick garnered widespread recognition for her compelling lead role in the TV series “The Closer,” earning both a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award for her remarkable performance. The show’s seven-season run came to an end in 2012, leaving an indelible mark in television history. Sedgwick also showcased her comedic talents in the beloved series “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” and appeared in notable films such as “Something to Talk About,” “Born on the Fourth of July,” and “Singles.”
While Sedgwick temporarily paused her acting career to focus on motherhood, she experienced a career resurgence as her children grew older. Throughout it all, both Bacon and Sedgwick remain dedicated to their family, demonstrating a deep commitment to their loving marriage. Their journey continues to inspire, as they navigate the delicate balance between fulfilling careers and nurturing a strong and joyful family life.
Kevin Bacon (1986), (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images)
In his career, Bacon successfully transitioned from movies to television. However, the star was nervous about taking the leap. He shared with The Guardian:
“Before, my managers knew never to mention a TV series to me, because they knew how furious that would make me. I’d look at it like a vote of no confidence in my movie career, that I was going to be sent off to the television graveyard. But at a certain point I looked at the stuff I was consuming – ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘The Wire’ – and I realized the writers went to TV because they’d been screwed by the movies. It was still a difficult moment for me. I mean, my hand was shaking. Then they sent me three scripts, and they were three of the best scripts I’d seen in years. I was like, ‘Schmuck, you could’ve jumped on this years ago!'”
The actor has also started a band with his brother Michael called the Bacon Brothers. At times Kevin has to wonder if fans are there to see his band or just to see a famous movie star. “It would be silly to pretend that didn’t exist,” Bacon said. “Sometimes they want to see what I look like in person, and you just hope they leave going, ‘The band was good.’ We have worked hard at it, starting in coffee shops. We didn’t go straight for: ‘The kid from Footloose sings!'”
Bacon also shared that he prefers living in New York to Los Angeles because LA makes him feel like an “also-ran.” “I would get anxiety and feel afraid,” he said. “LA’s a really great place to be if your movie’s number one at the box office, or if your television show’s a hit, but the rest of the time you’re just (nothing).”
Kevin Bacon (2014), (Richard Mcblane/Getty Images/SXSW)Bacon melted hearts everywhere in 2020 with his emotional tribute to his wife, Sedgwick. Bacon and Sedgwick first met in the ’70s after Bacon played a role in a local play Sedgwick had watched with her brother. Bacon was 19 at the time, while she was only 12.
“A little girl was in there who had just seen the matinee, and her brother said, ‘You liked that actor, go tell him you liked him,’ and it was Kyra,” Bacon said in 2014 when appearing on “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson,” as reported by Us Magazine. “She was a little girl, yeah, she was 12 years old.”
Although Sedgwick was just a child at the time, later on, he eventually grew on her, and when they met again later in life, she decided to give him a chance. They were married in 1988 when Sedgwick was 23.
They have now been married for over 30 years. Bacon posted a throwback photo in September 2020 from their wedding on his social media as they celebrated their 32nd anniversary. He took to his Instagram page to show his gratitude to his very special lady, Sedgwick. The actor wrote a simple, loving message for his wife, gushing over their many years together. “11,680 days with you,” Bacon captioned his post. “Thanks for making them all count.”
Fans of the couple quickly commented below the post with admiration for their successful, loving marriage and sent the pair good wishes. Some took the humorous route by calculating the exact minutes and seconds Bacon and Sedgwick have been together. In contrast, others expressed their admiration for the two lovebirds and their strong relationship.
In September 2021, Bacon posted another tribute for their 33rd anniversary. Alongside a romantic black-and-white photo of the couple dancing was the caption:
“Here’s to dancing through life with you @kyrasedgwickofficial. Happy anniversary. You are the reason.”
Kyra Sedgwick (1988), (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)The couple has, however, had their rough patches too. In 2008, Bacon and Sedgwick were victims of history’s largest Ponzi scheme and were defrauded of all their savings. “We found out when the world found out,” Sedgwick said, according to People. “We had both been working professionally — Kev since he was seventeen and me since I was fifteen — and it was our savings, all the money we had. … It was a hard day.”
While it was devastating at the time, both Bacon and Sedgwick rebounded and said it made them appreciate what truly matters in life: their kids and health.
The lovebirds spoke to Glamour magazine about their long-spanning relationship, explaining how they each support one another and their careers.
Bacon admitted at the time, “Kyra felt really strongly that, when she started to have children, she needed to be there for them. In many cases, because of the kids, she would make decisions careerwise that weren’t the best for her career. We kept staying in New York because we wanted to raise them in New York, but there was more work in Los Angeles.”
While Sedgwick took the reins first, her husband returned the favor when she made her big break on the award-winning show, “The Closer.”
“Then when ‘The Closer’ came along — I don’t even look at this as a sacrifice,” Bacon said. “But the kids were still in high school or junior high and she had this opportunity to go out to California and to be a lead in a TV show. I said, ‘Listen, I’ll stay with the kids.’ In this case, this was the first time in our lives I said, ‘I’ll stay home, I won’t take anything.'”
Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick (1987), (Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)In 2012, Sedgwick opened up about her relationship with Bacon. Even though Sedgwick and Bacon first met when they were young, they reconnected again on the set of “Lemon Sky.” Sedgwick shared:
“We met doing a film version of the play ‘Lemon Sky.’ I vividly remember hearing from my agent a couple days after I got the part that Kevin Bacon had fallen out, that he had to be in New Zealand for reshoots on a movie. I remember this incredibly strong voice in my head saying, Oh, he’s definitely going to do it. So when they called a couple days later and said he was back in, I was like, ‘Of course he is!’ It wasn’t as if I thought we were going to get married. But I do remember thinking, Of course he’s going to do it.”
The actress also explained that her relationship with Bacon has remained as strong as when it first began. “The essence of it hasn’t really changed. When he walks into a room, I’m still… I mean, my heart gets a little fluttery and I think, Oh! He’s so cute. He’s so hot. That’s literally the first thing I think. You can ask people on the set — it’s palpable. He’s still a mystery to me. And getting older together is scary and exciting,” she said.
Sedgwick also gushed about how loved her husband makes her feel every day. “I don’t know how he does it, but he always makes me feel like I’m the most beautiful woman in the room — the only girl in the room,” she said. “He says ‘Honey, you look beautiful. You are sexy!’ Always, always, always!”
She added:
“I am constantly in awe of Kevin’s level headedness and his lack of ‘crazy.'”
Kevin Bacon (2019), (Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)Sedgwick is a strong person, and this can be seen in how she speaks with her family. As for Bacon, he acknowledges that his wife doesn’t put up with much nonsense and that she expects clear communication from her loved ones. Bacon said:
“Well, no, she doesn’t, but that’s a little different. She demands a level of openness from me. It’s all thoughts and feelings with her, that’s her approach with us, whether it’s with my son, daughter or me. Communication is something she brought to us as a family, 100%.”
When asked if communication was his secret to a long marriage, Bacon agreed but shared that he didn’t like that question. “Yeah, communication helps. But that’s a question that I’ve sort of come to a decision, uh, that I, uh, I’m not capable of answering,” he said. “No, I am capable, but I don’t want to, and I’ll tell you why. Every time I go there, this thing that’s so important to me gets boiled down to a one-liner and that sort of cheapens it. So I’m like, you know what? I’m done.”
Throughout all of their hardships as a couple, Sedgwick and Bacon have handled them together. Bacon uses the Madoff situation (named after the fraudster who scammed them out of their money) as an example. “It was a bad day. But pretty quickly we were able to see all the things we had as opposed to whatever we lost, and those are the biggest cliches: children, health, love, a nice home. So we got through it together. I don’t think about Madoff, like, at all,” he shared.
Kyra Sedgwick, Sosie Bacon, Kevin Bacon (2014), (Amanda Edwards/WireImage)The couple has a son named Travis and a daughter named Sosie. Both children are in their 30s now and have followed their parents into the entertainment industry. Travis is in a band, while Sosie has decided to become an actress. Bacon shared his thoughts on Sosie getting into acting. He said:
“Kyra and I had always, inadvertently, given her the message that this was not a life we wanted her to have. It’s uncertain, you’re judged, it’s a lifetime of rejection, and add to that being a woman, and there are even more challenges. If you’re an actor, you have to be able to say, ‘I’m going to do this, whatever you say.’ So two very successful actors, her parents, were saying no, and she said, ‘I’m doing it anyway’, and that’s what you need to make it.”
There has never been any competition between Sedgwick and Bacon. “Kyra and I believe in each other as actors, as directors and as talent. She’s never been anything other than supportive of me,” Bacon told People. “She doesn’t have a competitive bone in her body when it comes to me. She takes my successes as hers. I’m the same way.”
Now that their kids are out of the house, the parents are free to enjoy their time together. “We cook, we clean, we decide what we’re having for the next meal, and then we cook it, clean it … Her partnership is invaluable,” Bacon said. “I found someone I was meant to be with.”
The actor also explained that he has no interest in slowing down his career. Bacon shared, “A lot of people who are my age are thinking about pumping the brakes a little. I’m really looking down the road. I don’t have much of a rearview mirror.”
Sedgwick and Bacon have been an extraordinary team, crafting a life filled with joy and accomplishments. Are you a fan of their remarkable work? Share your favorite movie or TV show that has showcased their incredible talent. Join the conversation about their inspiring love story, and don’t hesitate to share this with your loved ones.
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