The biggest names in all of celebritydom would kill for the chance to have some anonymity. No longer would a paparazzo flash his camera in your face when you’re just not having a good day. No more would you have to deal with incessant, autograph-hungry “fans” who are just going to toss your scribbled napkin on eBay. But, really, would it be worth it if you can’t get a reservation at the hottest restaurant or have to {gasp} wait in line? For Kevin Bacon, not a shot.
Kevin Bacon is by definition the center of the universe, so he’s one of the more recognizable actors out there. But he wanted to experiment a bit and see what it would be like to go about the day at a popular Los Angeles mall as one of us, a totally normal dude just going about his day. As he told Vanity Fair, “I’m not complaining, but I have a face that’s pretty recognizable. Putting my hat and glasses on is only going to work to a certain extent…I went to a special effects makeup artist, had consultations, and asked him to make me a prosthetic disguise.”
So how did Kevin Bacon’s day of normality go? Well, something like most of ours. “Nobody recognized me…People were kind of pushing past me, not being nice. Nobody said, ‘I love you.’ I had to wait in line to, I don’t know, buy a f*cking coffee or whatever. I was like, This sucks. I want to go back to being famous.” Certainly Bacon is also poking fun at the often ridiculous elements of fame but we have to admit that waiting in line for anything does indeed suck.
The disguise may have worked but Kevin Bacon has never not been recognizable in any other situation, proving to be one of the most consistent presences on the big screen for four decades. And this hasn’t slowed down in 2024, as he co-stars in two major – and very different – movies that are currently out: comedy Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F and Ti West’s horror threequel Maxxxine.
Which movie first comes to mind when you think of Kevin Bacon? Let us know your top choice and why he stands out for you.
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