9 Milestones in the Evolution of Kevin Bacon

In X-Men: First Class, Kevin Bacon assumes the role of Sebastian Shaw, a villainous scientist hellbent on world domination. How did Bacon transform himself onscreen from a small-town teen who just wants to dance to sneering supervillain in the sexiest comic-based film yet? You can always trace a direct line through a few important roles to illustrate what led to an actor's current success. As such, let's look at nine pivotal performances that track the evolution of Kevin Bacon.

Animal House (1978)

As opposed to most actors, the Philadelphia native made his feature film debut before hitting the soap opera circuit. Straight out of acting school, the 20-year-old Bacon scored the bit role of Chip Diller, an uptight Omega pledge who is paddled by fraternity peers in tighty-whiteys in one scene and trampled by a panicking crowd in another. Bacon would later turn down an offer to co-star in a television series based on the John Landis classic.

Diner (1982)

Following a small job on Guiding Light and a few years worth of on-and-off Broadway stage work (not to mention being arguably the best-known kill in the original Friday the 13th film), Bacon scored his career-making role in Barry Levinson's feature debut. As yuppie slacker Fenwick, the actor was able to convey both inner anguish and outright wackiness -- like in the scene where his character drunkenly destroys a life-size nativity scene -- opposite other up-and-coming actors like Mickey Rourke, Steve Guttenburg and Daniel Stern.

Footloose (1984)

Two years later came the film that would make Kevin Bacon famous. As Ren McCormack, an energetic big city teen transplanted to a small, religious town in Oklahoma, Bacon proved that he could carry a film and dance in abandoned grain mills as well as any MTV background dancer. Despite mixed reviews, the film was a box office success and established Bacon as a pop star. Over two decades later, Paramount Pictures has finished production on a remake starring professional dancer Kenny Wormald.

JFK (1991)

After fighting off Graboid monsters in Tremors and teasing death in Flatliners during a post-Footloose period that Bacon would call a "slump," the actor stumbled upon a significant turning point in his career with Oliver Stone's Oscar-winning JFK. As gay fascist prostitute/conspiracy witness Willie O'Keefe, Bacon proved that he could excel in character work. Bacon would later describe this part as the one that made Hollywood finally take him seriously as an actor and the one that would allow him to flex his thespian muscles in A Few Good Men and...

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