How Kevin Bacon Became An Icon In Hollywood
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Hailing from Philadelphia, Kevin Bacon began acting in stage production theater from seventeen. After performing in television soap operas, he got his big break in 1980, which set the course for the rest of his commercially successful career. He amassed a net worth of more than $100 million. While his career was soaring, he went through several hardships that led him to lose control of his finances. By working in movies, television shows, brand endorsements, and commercials, he has managed to steady his career and make good content for the audience as a veteran actor.
From beginning his career with successful movies and television shows to losing his finances and earning them over the years, the story of Kevin Bacon is a living example of how second chances can create a difference in life. Let’s take a closer look at the fall and steady rise of Kevin Bacon.
A Commercially Successful Actor
Kevin Bacon’s career took off in the 80s when he snagged the role in the hit movie Friday The 13th. He starred in theater productions and made his Broadway debut in 1982, as stated by Celebrity Net Worth. After appearing in the movies Diner and Footloose, he came onto the critics’ radar as a promising actor. His dedicated research to playing the characters earned him praises from everywhere. As Bacon feared being typecast after his role in Footloose, he rejected many roles that came along his way.
After a stellar return in the 90s, Bacon decided to shift focus from being a traditional leading man and reinvented his characters. His switch led to some memorable performances in the movies JFK, A Few Good Men, and Apollo 13. He played dark and intricate characters for the next few years that earned him praises and applause for every performance.
In 2009, things went downhill when Kevin Bacon and his wife Kyra Sedgwick became victims of the biggest Ponzi scheme led by Wall Street player Bernie Madoff. As mentioned by Cheat Sheet, Bacon and his wife were among the 84,000 victims who fell for the $65 billion fraud and lost their savings of a whopping $100 million. While Bacon and his family were shocked by the catastrophic financial situation, he looked on the brighter things in life: his family and resumed his work in Hollywood again.
Steady Rise From The Ashes In Hollywood
To improve his financial situation, Bacon began working in TV commercials and brand endorsements. In 2012, he bagged the TV advertisement for a British cell phone network company. To make his comeback more prominent, he starred as the supervillain in X-Men: First Class, as stated by The Things. The movie grossed $353 million at the box office, and Bacon made a substantial salary playing the only villain in the giant MCU franchise movie.
He also began starring in supporting roles in romantic comedies such as Crazy, Stupid, Love with a stellar cast of Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, and Ryan Gosling. On a $50 million budget, the movie grossed $145 million. He ventured into the world of television shows in 2013 on Fox with the crime series The Following that ran for three seasons on the air.
Kevin Bacon snagged one of the most exciting deals of his life when he was made the spokesperson for eggs. In 2015, the US Egg Industry capitalized on Bacon’s last name and made him the official ambassador. He became the first celebrity to be put in charge of selling eggs to the American public. The campaign not only was a way to show his fun side, but it also re-popularized him following the scandal. His partnership is still going strong, and he made an ad with his brother in 2020 that included their original music.
Returning To Mainstream Media
While the scandal had become a long-lost history that Bacon tried to forget, on a positive note, the United States Justice Department had approved a $504.2 million payout for the victims of the Bernie Madoff Ponzi Scheme in 2018. The $4 billion from this fund was supposed to be distributed to people who suffered a loss, as stated by Observer. Bacon and his wife Sedgwick received a small fraction of the money they had invested.
More recently, Kevin Bacon has immersed himself into the world of mainstream media as he has starred in several TV shows that were released on online platforms like Amazon Prime’s I Love Dick. Along with his steady Hollywood career, Kevin Bacon is also part of the musical duo The Bacon Brothers, where he and his brother Michael have released music over the years. His film, music, and commercial advertising career has helped him amass a $45 million fortune as he grows it steadily.
From being a commercially successful leading man and reinventing his acting character to falling for the Ponzi scheme and learning from his mistakes, Kevin Bacon has seen a steady rise in his career again. While the actor is currently not shooting for any movie and TV show, he is all set to go on a tour with his brother Michael from April 2022.
Sources: Celebrity Net Worth, Cheat Sheet, The Things, Observer
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