Kevin Bacon went out in public hiding behind a costume while concealed in special effects makeup to try to live like a regular person instead of being recognized as a Hollywood star. His verdict: life as a super famous person and the privileges it entails are much better.
The Footloose star recently revealed that he wanted to test going out in the world completely incognito, but in order to do so, he needed to hire particularly skilled experts.
Highlights
- Kevin Bacon tried living incognito with a prosthetic disguise but found it unappealing.
- Despite the effective disguise, Kevin felt invisibility's downside, preferring celebrity privileges.
- His disguise included fake teeth, a modified nose, and glasses.
“I’m not complaining, but I have a face that’s pretty recognizable,” Kevin told Vanity Fair in an interview published on Wednesday (July 3).
“Putting my hat and glasses on is only going to work to a certain extent.”
As a result, the 65-year-old actor was reportedly outfitted with fake teeth, a slightly different nose, and glasses.
Kevin Bacon went out in public hiding behind a costume while concealed in special effects makeup
Image credits: Dominik Bindl/Getty Images
Kevin explained: “I went to a special effects makeup artist, had consultations, and asked him to make me a prosthetic disguise.”
The Golden Globe Award winner’s transformation made him look like his character in the new Ti West horror film MaXXXine, Vanity Fair reported.
In the highly anticipated slasher film, Kevin plays John Labat, a sleazy private detective hired to track down the title character (Mia Goth).
Upon putting on his normal-person camouflage, Kevin reportedly tested it at one of the most densely populated locations in Los Angeles: an outdoor shopping mall called The Grove that is perpetually full of tourists.
To his initial delight, the disguise worked. “Nobody recognized me,” the actor told Vanity Fair.
Image credits: Araya Doheny/Getty Images
Nevertheless, it wasn’t long before Kevin started to notice the unfamiliar feeling of invisibility, as he recalled: “People were kind of pushing past me, not being nice. Nobody said, ‘I love you.’
“I had to wait in line to, I don’t know, buy a f*****g coffee or whatever.
"I was like, 'This sucks. I want to go back to being famous.'"
Kevin went on to recount his father’s fame in Philadelphia, where he grew up. He further acknowledged that his dad, Edmund Norwood Bacon, a notable urban planner, prompted his interest in achieving fame of his own.
“My father was famous in Philadelphia, which in some ways is a small pond, but for me, it was a big pond,” the actor admitted.
Kevin tried to live like a regular person instead of being recognized as a Hollywood star
Image credits: JNI/Star Max/Getty Images
He continued: “I saw him get recognized by people when he would walk down the street and seeing that was definitely a big driving force in my life.
“Frankly, I wanted to be more famous than him. And you can lay me down on the shrink’s couch.
“We could talk about that for a while. But it was definitely a motivator.”
Kevin isn’t the only A-lister who has candidly opened up about their appreciation for their celebrity status.
Image credits: Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
Last year, during an online live signing of her poetry book, Pretty Boys Are Poisonous: Poems, Megan Fox got pretty honest when a fan asked: "Do you ever wish you were not famous and could live an ordinary life?"
To which the 38-year-old actress replied: "I'll be honest with you, no. That's my Leo Moon talking.
"I don't think it could live not being in the spotlight."
She continued: "Even though I am an introvert and so many aspects of the spotlight are hard, I just feel it was part of my soul's purpose and calling to be on a platform like this.
"I'm still not really sure what I'm supposed to be doing with it but I just know that I'm supposed to be doing something somehow."
Just like Megan Fox once mentioned, Kevin said he preferred his life as a super famous person and the privileges it entails
The Jennifer’s Body star also noted: "I obviously do wish that I could walk around and enjoy New York and not get stalked by paparazzi.
"Photographers are annoying because they are always looking for a wrong angle or a bad picture so there is more clickbait for whatever website that picks it up.
"That's very stressful."
Jennifer Lawrence had a more negative perspective of her fame. Back in 2013, after the release of Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the actress claimed her high-profile acting career had robbed her of her freedom, as per Entertainment.ie.
Jennifer Lawrence had a more negative perspective of her fame
Image credits: Vogue
She told Spanish website Mujerhoy.com: “My personal life is now ruined. I've had to create a new one and get used to this new life.
“It's hard and it takes time, but I'm sure I will get it. I'm just mourning my old life. I miss that.
“I don't want to forget what it's like going to a coffee shop and people looking at me like a normal person.
“A part of me can't get used to it and it makes me sad.”
"He was just joking around," a fan defended Kevin
