When someone has been in the film industry for nearly 50 years the wayBeverly Hills Cop: Axel FandMaXXXine’sKevin Baconhas, they’ve likely been the recipient of as much advice as the amount of actors they’ve worked with. And, in Bacon’s case, he wishes he had been a more willing recipient early on. Sitting down withCinemaBlendto discuss Ti West’s trilogy-capper, Bacon had the following to say about his early days as an artist:
“When I started out, I didn’t want advice from anybody.I thought I knew everything there was to know about acting.I didn’t like acting teachers telling me how to act [and yet] I learned so much from acting teachers. I didn’t want anybody in the business [telling me how I should act]. I thought I knew the business inside and out.”
“I mean,I thought I knew everything there was to know about actingin a way that I wouldn’t say I have regrets about it, but if I was thinking back, I should have stopped and looked for somebody to give me some piece of advice that I could have adhered to. But I just didn’t.”
Hollywood is a notoriously cutthroat town, and the film industry as a whole is, naturally, much the same. So, in some sense, if you’re going to be onscreen in front of (hopefully) millions of people, or on stage in front of thousands, there are worse things to be than cocky. But a potent mixture of humility and self-assurance is probably more commendable. It seems, with the wisdom attained by age, Bacon has come to fully understand that.
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At the same time, all’s well that ends well. And, even with a brief downturn in his career after the brilliantMystic RiverandThe Woodsmanin 2003 and 2004, Bacon has remained one of the most reliable and recognizable performers in the industry. And for good reason — he’s as infectiously likable as he is impressively talented. Just check out his wonderful X account, often featuring wife Kyra Sedgwick and his kids, as an example:
Was There Any Advice Bacon Took to Heart?
The interviewer asked Bacon if, in the actor’s own words, there was any advice he adhered to. He had a reply, but it was more cheeky than sincere. Though, admittedly, the advice came from a phenomenal source.
“I think as a result [of my self-assured nature], no, I don’t think I remember anybody giving me career advice, really. Maybe — Elliot Gould once said,‘If you’re on a press tour, you’re working for free, so you can order up anything you want from room service and don’t feel bad about it.”
Fair enough. What’s a prime gig without the perks? And, at the end of the day, Bacon has classic films such asNational Lampoon’s Animal House,Friday the 13th,Diner,Footloose,Tremors,JFK,A Few Good Men,Apollo 13,Wild Things,My Dog Skip,Mystic River,X-Men: First Class,Cop Car, andCrazy, Stupid, Loveunder his ranged belt, so who needs advice with a resume like that.Bacon currently stars inMaXXXine, playing exclusively in theaters, andBeverly Hills Cop: Axel Fon Netflix. You can watch that through the link below:
