Kevin Bacon has roles in some of the best movies of the ‘80s, but arguably his most famous performance is Ren McCormack in Footloose. In what has become an iconic pop culture moment, the epic dance sequence at the end made Kenny Loggins’ “Footloose” an instant classic. The song plays anywhere in America, and many people are instantly up and tapping their feet. Well, all but one: Kevin Bacon himself.
While the You Should Have Left actor is happy to participate in Footloose social media trends of his own accord, he’s not interested in being someone else’s viral sensation. Bacon recently appeared on a SXSW panel and revealed via People his ‘nightmare’ scenario when he attends weddings, and the steps he takes to prevent it:
My worst nightmare is to be at a wedding and the DJ puts on the music and the song [Kenny Loggins’ ‘Footloose’] comes on and suddenly the wedding becomes about me, and people form a circle around me and I become a trained monkey. So I’ve gone to the DJs and said, ‘Please don’t play that song.’ It’s not that I don’t like the song.
I’m not sure which part would make me more uncomfortable in his position: being pressured to do the Footloose dance surrounded by a tight circle of phone cameras, or stealing the attention away from the happy couple. Neither one is ideal. The fact that Kevin Bacon has been put in that awkward spot one too many times is quite sad.
That’s a tough loss for the wedding party though. “Footloose” is the best let-down-your-hair party song. Footloose has one of the greatest movie soundtracks of all time, and I must say, whether you liked it or not, the 2011 remake’s score is not too shabby either. Given everyone in Hollywood is six degrees from Kevin Bacon, that’s a lot of wedding DJs that have to deal with this request. But you can’t deny the G.O.A.T.
As he made clear, the A Few Good Men actor doesn’t hold anything against the “Danger Zone” singer or his music, nor does he seem to hate the movie that made him a household name. Historically, he has engaged enthusiastically with Footloose shoutouts, such as Guardians of the Galaxy honoring the time he questioned authority with his smooth moves in a traditional Midwestern town.
That doesn’t mean he’s up for cutting loose anytime soon. The Apollo 13 actor has said he sees no reason for a Footloose sequel, unlike another popular ‘80s franchise he recently filmed, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.
To be honest, I agree with Bacon on this one. In an age where classic ‘80s films are getting successful sequel treatment, like Top Gun and Twister, Footloose should not be one of them. While I liked the remake well enough, it could never compare to the original, and I fear this would be the case for any additional attempt.
Besides, Kevin Bacon's career has entered its villain era, and he’s killing it. His new show The Bondsman is set to premiere this spring on the 2025 TV schedule, in which he hunts demons for Satan. So the time for dancing is long gone anyways (unless it’s with the devil, of course). You can check out this new twisted dark comedy on April 3 with a Prime Video subscription.
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