Q & A with Kevin Bacon


Posted on Mar 6, 2009
By Glenn Close

Comments(3)
Kevin Bacon

In 1983 I happened to see an Off- Broadway play called Slab Boys. In it was a skinny, handsome actor who was playing a young, hothead with a dark, biting wit, working in a carpet factory. He played the part like he was riffing on a guitar. I've never forgotten the play or the power of the three young actors who starred in it. The skinny kid was Kevin Bacon. His co-stars were Sean Penn and Val Kilmer. Since then, Kevin has grown into one of our most treasured actors whose performances, on stage and screen, always have a compelling authority and authenticity. (I saw him, just last week, in a deeply moving film for HBO called Taking Chance, in which he played a Marine Lt. Col., faced with the duty of escorting the body of a killed-in-action soldier back home). Not only is Kevin a consummate actor, he also directs and is an accomplished composer and musician, playing with his brother Michael in their band, The Bacon Brothers, which they started fourteen years ago. He has also taken the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon phenomenon and used it to focus people on an elegantly simple charitable website called Six Degrees.org. Finally, he is a devoted father, husband and dog-lover. Very cool, indeed.

So, I am proud to welcome Kevin and his dog, Paulie, as my guests on Lively Licks. Joining Dan Zelman and Debra Messing, he has chosen Animal Rescue New Orleans (ARNO) as his Lively Licks charity because he actually volunteered there.


Glenn Close: When did you become a dog lover?
Kevin Bacon: When I started crawling I tried to eat out of our dachshund's bowl and she bit me so my parents gave her away. We never had a dog after that. My dad never liked them, but my mom did. I couldn't wait to live on my own so I could get a dog.

GC: Why dogs?
KB:  Fish don't retrieve.

GC: How did your present dog come into your life? Have you ever rescued a dog?
KB: My last dog was a rescue from a pound. Her name was Jane. I had her before the wife and kids. She was my partner. She lived for eighteen years. When she died I didn't want another dog but the vet called my wife when I was on the road and said they had found a puppy in a box at a flea market. Did we want another dog? The wife and kids brought him home without my knowing and he was there when I got off the road. I couldn't take him back and we have become best friends.

Kevin Bacon

GC: Do you take Paulie to work?
KB: Yeah he often comes to work, but I try not to fly him too much.


GC: What kind of car would your dog drive?
KB: He would take the subway.

GC: What would be the title of your Paulie's autobiography?
KB: To Catch a Squirrel.

GC: What musical instrument would your dog play?
KB: He would be a drummer.

GC: If Paulie were a famous human being, who would he be?
KB: Kevin Garnett.


GC: Is there a secret about you that only Paulie knows?
KB: Too many to count and after all they are secrets!

GC: What is your dog's pet peeve about you?
KB: I take street food out of his mouth.

Kevin Bacon
GC: What is your pet peeve about your dog?
KB: He sneaks food off the street.


Help Animal Rescue New Orleans when you start shopping HERE!

Shop For CharityMaking your purchases count for charity is easy. Just start shopping from the list of products Kevin has chosen in his charitable shop. Or if you want to shop the entire FetchDog store, just start by clicking here. We'll track ALL your purchases - whether from their recommendations or not - and will donate a percentage of those proceeds to Animal Rescue New Orleans. There is no added cost to you - just do your routine shopping and FetchDog donates a portion of the sale, on behalf of Kevin, to animal rescue efforts in New Orleans.

Animal Rescue New Orleans - www.animalrescueneworleans.org - dedicated to the rescue and aid of abandoned and homeless animals in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi, including responding to the immediate needs of those animals in need of medical care, or who have been neglected, abused and deprived of love. ARNO promotes foster, adoption, and reunion of pets with caretakers, as well as spaying/neutering of all companion animals.
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GC: What is it about you that makes your dog most proud?
KB: That I rescued him.

GC: What makes you proud about your dog?
KB: That he rescued me.

Kevin Bacon

GC: What does your dog think about cats? Other dogs?
KB: He's confused by cats because he wants to chase them but doesn't want to eat them. He gets along fine with most dogs but every once in a while he will pick a fight, and he doesn't always win.

GC: Where is your dog's favorite spot at home?
KB: He's not allowed on the couch so of course it's his favorite place.

GC: Does Paulie have a special talent?
KB: He climbs trees. I'm not kidding.

GC: What is Paulie's idea of perfect happiness?
KB: A long hike in the woods teaming with wildlife.

GC: What is your idea of perfect happiness?
KB: The same hike with my dog and my Wife and kids.
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Comments
Great interview
Posted By Clinton
on Apr 1, 2009
Way back when Letterman was on NBC, Kevin was on the show. He told Dave that he volunteered at a rescue centre, and that his main duty was to take a couple of Timber Wolves out for a run. That is one of the coolest things I've ever heard.
Posted By kirby
on Apr 2, 2009
What a great interview with Kevin Bacon. Thank you both. It sounds like you have given Paulie a life second to none. I love Bo so much. When we lost our sheltie we were supposed to wait 6 months before looking for another dog because we still travel back and forth from CT to FL for business. I found Bo through a rescue three week after Millie's death...the day I started "researching breeds" and adoption was the next day! You have children and I am Bo's playmate (Kevin, at your age I still roll around on the floor like a puppy with him but...)I am considering a second rescue in October. In a moment of weakness my husband mentioned that Bo might be happier with sister. He thought I forgot. The hardest part is not to look now because the beach house we rent this summer is for one dog only...but come October...yahoo! Some little girl is going to get a life that is second to none.
Posted By Diane
on Apr 4, 2009
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About the Author
Welcome to LIVELY LICKS: Profiles of Dogs and their People.
I hope that you will be entertained, comforted and inspired by the people and dogs that I have the privilege of featuring on this blog. Since starting it over a year and a half ago, it has pulled me into an incredible journey. Besides being able to celebrate some of my wonderful friends and the profound bond they have with their dogs, LIVELY LICKS has introduced me to the world of avalanche dogs, bomb-sniffing dogs, service dogs for our wounded warriors and dogs in need of rescue and adoption. I have been inspired by the selfless dedication of the people who run grassroots shelters as well as urban care and control centers. I have been deeply moved by their stories in which dogs heal and empower their humans. Those of us who have dogs, know how much they enhance our quality of life with their unquestioning loyalty and unconditional love. There are an infinite number of stories to tell, so I hope you will stay with me as I continue to explore and discover and delight in the journey.