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Tom Bilyeu's Impact Theory

#177 Kevin Bacon Explains How to Succeed at Any Role, in Any Situation | Impact Theory

Tom Bilyeu's Impact Theory

Impact Theory

Business, News Commentary, News

4.75.2K Ratings

🗓️ 30 June 2020

⏱️ 59 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

The legendary actor Kevin Bacon is one of those rare individuals whose fame seems to have transcended his own name or image. It’s as if he has entered the ether as a meme: “Six Degrees of…” On this episode of Impact Theory with Tom Bilyeu, Kevin Bacon discusses the need for connection that underlies the “Six Degrees” meme, and shares the story of a successful career that was built on connection and long-lasting relationships. He also talks about realizing that his strength is in being a character actor, not necessarily a leading man, and describes his process for inhabiting the roles he plays so well. This episode is brought to you by: Wagner Spray Tech: https://bit.ly/2WNICDs Helix Sleep: Get up to $200 off all mattresses at https://helixsleep.com/impact Tresta: Start your free 30-day trial at tresta.com/impact SHOW NOTES: Kevin is quite thankful that he is able to live a very privileged lifestyle [2:16] Kevin describes life on the road as an actor [5:26] Absence really can make the heart grow fonder [8:37] Kevin is completely fine with not being a lead character in a movie [11:45] Kevin talks about playing a character that is fairly similar to him [14:43] Marriage is something we put on a pedestal but statistically, it doesn’t usually work [18:06] Kevin advocates that playing together helps his marriage more than the work they put in [22:09] Kevin was so hungry to be famous, but he is actually ambivalent about being famous [27:06] Kevin felt strongly connected to other actors in theater, but not in movies [30:29] Kevin describes the sense of family in independent films and in theater [35:40] Kevin discusses the protocol for returning to work during the pandemic [41:47] Kevin advocates creating your own material even if you aren’t a budding producer [45:04] Kevin gets asked to play roles that are all over the map [47:47] Kevin describes his process for inhabiting a role [50:36] Kevin and Tom discuss what it means to be a producer or a director [54:52] QUOTES: “My theory about the acting thing for me is to use yourself and lose yourself. Because every part that I go into, what else do I have to use but the experiences that I’ve had? But I want to lose myself in the role. I don’t want to feel like it’s Kevin.” [13:09] “It’s really about that hunger that we have for connectivity, as a people, as a nation, as a global entity.” [30:10] FOLLOW: INSTAGRAM: https://bit.ly/2NJKJmt FACEBOOK: https://bit.ly/31jAtsN TWITTER: https://bit.ly/2CKTo5N

Transcript

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0:00.0

Think You Know Disney Plus? Think Again?

0:05.0

Stream everything from hit musicals like Encanto.

0:09.0

We must protect our family! This is my chance! I will save the magic!

0:15.0

To the years best movies like award-winning the banshee's of Inish Erin.

0:19.0

I just don't like you no more. Don't like me yesterday?

0:23.0

Think You Know Disney Plus? Think Again.

0:26.0

18 Plus subscription required to Jesus' He's a Pride!

0:56.0

What Believable Filmography. Footloose, Animal House, Diner, A Few Good Men, Friday the 13th, Apollo 13, Mystic River, X-Men First Class, Plains, Trains and Automobiles, and Oliver Stone's widely celebrated retelling of the assassination of America's 35th President J.F.K.

1:16.0

He's worked alongside such industry titans as Merrill Streep, Sean Penn, Clint Eastwood, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, John Lithgow, Kevin Costner, and the iconic Jack Nicholson to name but a few.

1:28.0

And that's just his film work. He's also made the jump to TV to take part in the new Golden Age of Storytelling,

1:33.0

with shows like The Following, I Love Dick, Taking Chance for Which He Won a Golden Globe for His Performance.

1:40.0

So please help me in welcoming the man that none of us are separated from by more than 6 degrees, the star of the new horror thriller you should have left, the legendary actor, Kevin Bacon.

1:52.0

Kevin, welcome to the show, man.

1:54.0

Thanks for having me.

1:56.0

You're an absolute pleasure. Your career is crazy. When I think about the number of films that you've been in that have really left their mark on cinema, it's pretty staggering.

2:08.0

What is it like right now, given the shutdown of the film industry? How has that been? Do you see a path forward? Like when are we going to get back to sort of business as usual?

2:19.0

Well, I would start by saying just in general about the shutdown.

2:26.0

You know, I try to wake up every day and feel as much gratitude as I can for the fact that I have a roof over my head and I've got plenty of food to eat,

2:36.0

and that I live a very privileged lifestyle that I have my, and my wife is with me, and we have our health.

2:45.0

And you know, at this point, my family is all healthy on the youngest of six, and I have two children myself, my wife has a lot of people in her family, and everyone seems to be pretty healthy.

2:55.0

So that's where I try to start each day just with that kind of feeling of being pretty lucky in this situation.

3:08.0

I'm someone who really likes to work, as you probably see from my IMDB page.

...

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