You Heard Me: Gimme Some Bacon!

When it comes to portraying smarmy men, no one does it better than Kevin Bacon.

From Chip in "Animal House" to Sebastian in the box-office hit "Hollow Man," Kevin's got a lock on creating characters who deserve a good kick in the pants -- or somewhere else.

While he's known for mostly playing guys who've got a edge and perhaps a chip on the shoulder, Kevin Bacon is an extremely gifted actor whose roles in lesser known films often get lost in the shuffle because Hollywood hipsters don't think they have enough buzz.

Choosing my favorite Bacon roles is a tough job, but after much consideration, I think I'm up to it. I really enjoyed his portrayals of the invisible Sebastian Caine in "Hollow Man," Sean Nokes, the perverted reform school guard in "Sleepers" and Val the handyman in "Tremors."

Each of these movies are extremely different and gives my man Kevin a chance to show off his immense talent. Nokes is creepy, slimy, despicable and without any redeeming social value. If you've seen "Sleepers," you'll remember that Nokes had a penchant for molesting the young boys in his care -- if that isn't a deterrent for kids to stay out of trouble, I don't know what is.

Most actors would undoubtedly shy away from such a character because they're worried about their image. Will the public hate them? Confuse them with the role? Will it prevent them from getting a favorable cover story in "People" magazine. Ah, the things to consider when you're an actor in Hollywood.

By playing Nokes, Kevin shows that he's got cojones (ahem, lots of nerve)!

"Tremors," was just a goofy, fun movie -- the type of film that you and your friends sit around the televison watching with several pizzas and a couple of liters of Coca-Cola. I mean, I couldn't see Tom Cruise in this role. Tommy-Boy would want to have Val suffer from some sort of existential crisis that he would have to overcome in order to free himself and the townspeople from the giant worms lurking underneath the ground.

It's just a movie!

As for the egomaniacal scientist Caine, Kevin finally gets a role where he can just go, well, nuts (he came close in "Wild Things"). Isn't it the dream of all actors to be able to find that once-in-a-lifetime role in which they can let loose and be as amoral and ill-mannered as possible. Isn't that why all the great British thespians want to play Iago in "Othello" (consult your Cliffs Notes, readers)?

Without giving away the plot of "Hollow Man", let's just say that Caine has a God complex, and add that with the sphere of invisibility, you've got a recipe for sex, violence and lots of gore.

I'd compare Bacon's role in "Hollow Man" to that of Jeff Goldblum's role of Seth Brundle in the 1986 remake of "The Fly". Goldblum, for all his enormous talent, didn't really become an A-list actor until he made a horror movie, either.

As to why Kevin hasn't ascertained superstar status of say, Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis or Tom Hanks, it beats me. Maybe it's because his roles don't fit into a certain box. Ford always plays these stoic, heroic types who speak little but manage to whoop the bad guys; Willis plays these smug, macho men who are supposed to reek of coolness (he really was cool on "Moonlighting," though); and Tom Hanks keeps playing these noble, honorable men who embody "everyman". I liked him better when he was in drag on "Bosom Buddies."

I also think that Kevin isn't a superstar because he's willing to take supporting roles in big movies. A good example would be the male hooker he played in "JFK." Yeah, his screen time was limited, but he was far more fascinating than Kevin Costner, the man of few facial expressions. He also played a central, but smaller role in "Apollo 13". You wondered if his inexperienced astronaut would screw up and kill the crew before they could make it back to Earth.

Playing the hero doesn't seem to be a big concern for Kevin. Instead, he seems to want to play people with depth, roles that have layers you can peel away like an onion.

If all that sounds too cerebral, I've got a final theory as to why Kevin Bacon isn't a movie superstar who commands $20 million per picture ... he's so doggone handsome! Movie executives can get jealous, too!

That red hair! Those blue eyes! That cute nose! I hope that this doesn't sound too Tiger Beat-ish, but then again, it's my column, and if I want to gush like an N'Sync fan ... well, goodness, I'm going to!

And I don't think that I'm only one who thinks like that. Do you really think all those people flocked to "Footloose" for the plot? I wanted to see Kevin in his crew cut shaking his behind at the school dance.

But on a serious note, Kevin Bacon is a prime example of how Hollywood pigeonholes actors. He's loaded with talent and can play a variety of roles. However, since he's not a big box-office draw casting agents may not think of him as their number one choice for a role.

But "Hollow Man" will change that, without a doubt.

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