Kevin Bacon Rejected 'Footloose' Fame Because It Wasn't a 'Serious Actor' Role and He Wanted to Work With Scorsese: 'The Last Thing I Wanted to Be Was a Pop Star'

Who was first offered the role in Footloose?

Casting. Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe were both slated to play the lead. The casting directors were impressed with Cruise because of the famous underwear dance sequence in Risky Business, but he was unavailable for the part because he was filming All the Right Moves.

Who else auditioned for Footloose?

Although, Bacon wasn't the only actor considered to play Ren McCormack in Herbert Ross' 1984 film, loosely based on the true story of Elmore City, Oklahoma. Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe were among the prospective actors to appear in Footloose.

Who turned down the role of Ariel in Footloose?

Valerie Bertinelli nearly landed the role of Kevin Bacon's love interest, Ariel, in the 1984 movie Footloose, but there was one problem. The 57-year-old actress appeared on Wednesday's Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen and revealed that she went out for the leading lady role in the beloved dance film.

Who was supposed to play Ren in Footloose?

Zac Efron was originally cast as Ren McCormack, but he pulled out in March 2009 because he did not want people to think that all he could do was sing and dance, and so he could star in "Charlie St.

Why Kevin Bacon Initially Didn’t Want to Take the Role in “Footloose”

Did Rob Lowe try out for Footloose?

Lowe auditioned three times and had dancing ability and the "neutral teen" look that director Herbert Ross wanted, but he pulled his knee, and the injury prevented him from taking the part. After watching American Diner (1982), Ross had to convince the producers to go with Kevin Bacon.

Did Kevin Bacon do his own dancing in Footloose?

In a 2013 interview with Howard Stern, Kevin Bacon admitted that he has actually tipped DJs at weddings not to play "Footloose". He stated that people expect him to dance to the song as he did in the movie. In truth, while he did do some of the dancing, there was also a dancing double for him.

Who tried out to be Ariel?

Halle Bailey was the first to audition for the beloved and coveted role of Ariel in Disney's live-action “The Little Mermaid.” After Bailey belted out the classic showstopper “Part of Your World” from the original 1989 film, director Rob Marshall and the other filmmakers knew that she was the one for the role.

Is it still illegal to dance in Elmore City Oklahoma?

Historic bans

From the 1830s to 1950s, play parties became popular as a means to circumvent restrictions on dancing. The events of the 1984 film Footloose were inspired by a dancing ban in the heavily Southern Baptist town of Elmore City, Oklahoma, which lasted until 1980.

Did Kevin Bacon do gymnastics in Footloose?

But because the plot of Footloose revolves around dance, the lack of music in this case is especially glaring. Kevin Bacon did most of his own dancing, but some moves were too difficult for him. A double was brought in for the more serious gymnastics stunts—a fact the studio wanted to hide from the press.

Is Kevin Bacon a billionaire?

Kevin Bacon's wealth comes from decades of work in the filmmaking business. He has starred in multiple commercially successful film projects such as Footloose and Apollo 13 among others. As a result, his net worth is considered to be approximately $45 million according to celebritynetworth.com.

Did Blake Shelton do Footloose?

About "Footloose" by Kenny Loggins

In 2011, a remake of the movie Footloose was released, and Blake Shelton recorded a cover for the soundtrack. Shelton's cover reached the number 63 position on the Hot Country Songs chart that year, and the tune is accompanied by a totally meta music video (which you can watch here).

Did John Travolta star in Footloose?

John Travolta reportedly also turned down the role of Ren McCormack. Christopher Atkins (The Blue Lagoon) says he was already cast in the role but scared off producers and director Herbert Ross when he showed up to the initial meeting high.

How old was Kevin Bacon in Footloose?

How old was Kevin Bacon in "Footloose?" Bacon was 24 years old at the time.

Was David Hasselhoff in Footloose?

In the original "Footloose" (1984), the guy dancing while playing the arcade game "Zaxxon" is none other than David Hasselhoff.

What happened to Ren's dad in Footloose?

Three years later, Boston-raised teenager Ren McCormack moves to Bomont to live with his uncle Wes Warnicker, his aunt Lulu, and cousins Sarah and Amy after his mother's death from leukemia and his father's desertion.

What true story is Footloose based on?

Footloose is based on a true story. In 1979 the small town of Elmore City, Oklahoma faced a community crisis. The seniors of Elmore High School wanted to plan a senior prom, but dances were against the law thanks to a not-forgotten ordinance from the late 1800s that forbade dancing within the city limits.

Why do some Christians not dance?

According to church leaders and early theologians such as Tertullian and Saint Augustine, dance incited idolatry, lust and damnation. Moreover, early Christians were more likely hostile to dance because it reminded them of their pagan counterparts in the Roman Empire, as Augustine's book “The City of God” made clear.

What ethnicity is Ariel?

In the 1989 movie, Ariel was born in the fictional underwater kingdom of Atlantica, which technically makes her Atlantican, not Danish. As Ariel is half fish, she cannot be categorized by our ethnicities and races.

Who did Ariel have a baby with?

In the film's prologue, about two years have passed since King Triton gave Ariel his blessing to become a human and marry Prince Eric. Since then, Ariel has officially become Eric's consort and has given birth to a beautiful baby girl, Melody.

Who was originally cast as Ariel?

Jodi Benson was the voice of Ariel in Disney's animated 1989 “Little Mermaid” classic. Starting in 2019, when Halle Bailey was cast in the live-action version, Benson has been nothing but supportive of the 23-year-old being “part of her world.”

Why was Sarah Jessica Parker not in the last scene of Footloose?

The actor revealed that it was almost a year before the cast got back together to reshoot the scene, which might explain the absence of Sarah Jessica Parker. Fans fo the cult film have long wondered why she isn't a part of the final sequence. “We still kept the 'Let's dance!

How much did Kevin Bacon get paid for Footloose?

How much did Kevin Bacon make for Footloose? It has been reported that Kevin Bacon was paid as much as $1 million for Footloose. This amount may be surprising considering the fact that this was Bacon's first major headlining movie role and that this is a large number for 1984.

Is Kevin Bacon really a dancer?

“When I did the dance movie, I was not a dancer. I wasn't trained as a dancer,” he said. “If I'm being honest, I didn't even really understand that it was a dance movie.