Kevin Bacon
A versatile American actor whose everyman charm and expansive career famously connected him to all of Hollywood through a pop culture parlor game.
Born 1958 (age 68)·American actor·Birthday: July 8·Baby Boomers
Biography
Kevin Bacon arrived in Hollywood with a punkish intensity, delivering a star-making turn as the rebellious teen in 1984's 'Footloose.' Rather than settle into a single niche, he spent decades zigzagging between genres, from the ensemble drama of 'A Few Good Men' to the psychological horror of 'Stir of Echoes' and the dark comedy of 'Murder in the First.' His career found a second wind with the television series 'The Following,' but his most enduring cultural impact is arguably the 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon' game, a testament to his ubiquitous presence in the film industry. Alongside his acting, he formed the blues-rock duo The Bacon Brothers with his sibling, and his work has consistently demonstrated a commitment to complex, often morally ambiguous characters, securing his place as a durable and respected figure in entertainment.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Kevin was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kevin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Kevin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- He won a Golden Globe Award for his performance in the television movie 'Taking Chance'.
- He starred in the cultural phenomenon 'Footloose', which defined a generation and launched a hit soundtrack.
- He received critical acclaim for his role as a convicted pedophile in the controversial drama 'The Woodsman'.
- He has been nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for his role in the TV series 'I Love Dick'.
Did You Know?
He and his brother, Michael, have been performing as The Bacon Brothers band since 1995.
He actively embraces the 'Six Degrees' concept and founded the charity SixDegrees.org.
He is a passionate advocate for animal rights and works with several related organizations.
He turned down the role of Jack in the TV series 'Lost'.
“The good old days are now.”
