Kevin Bacon Reflects on His Career’s Ups and Downs

London, UK — Kevin Bacon, well-known for his nearly 50-year career in film, reveals how he learned to navigate the ups and downs of Hollywood. The actor, who gained fame from the 1984 hit musical drama Footloose, initially struggled with some aspects of his rising stardom.

Bacon’s early career saw him in small roles in cult classics like Animal House and Friday the 13th. Although these films set the stage for his success, it was Footloose that truly turned him into a household name. However, he was concerned about being typecast as a teen heartthrob.

“I didn’t want to become that kind of actor,” Bacon said. To avoid being pigeonholed, he sought out unique scripts, but that strategy did not yield the success he envisioned. By the end of the 1980s, he faced a tough reality: out of eight films made after Footloose, six failed at the box office.

Looking back, Bacon admitted, “To be brutally honest, I was running out of money and at a real low point, career-wise.” After a string of unsuccessful leading roles, he felt his career was near an end.

When he received a call from his agent in the early 1990s about a low-budget film called Tremors, he felt his options were limited. “I was like, ‘Oh my god, my career is in the toilet,'” he recalled. Despite his doubts, he took the job, finding himself in a film about giant underground worms.

Although he thought Tremors was the lowest point of his career, it became a cult favorite on home video. Today, Bacon reflects fondly on the experience and has expressed interest in reprising his role as Val McKee. Although he appeared in a pilot for a 2018 TV series that was ultimately not picked up, he remains open to opportunities within the Tremors franchise.