Kevin Bacon continues to discover new things about his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, even after 35 years of marriage. The actor recently shared that he learned something surprising about Sedgwick from an article he read. “It’s great when you read an article about your wife and then you get some information,” Bacon, 65, told Us Weekly at the Songwriters Hall of Fame ceremony in New York City.
Bacon revealed that Sedgwick once felt jealous of him during his role in the movie “Beauty Shop” with Queen Latifah. “She said one time she was jealous of me. And that’s when I did Beauty Shop with Queen Latifah. That was the only time,” he said. The movie’s plot involves Queen Latifah’s character, Gina Norris, who relocates to Atlanta and opens her own salon, clashing with Bacon’s character, Jorge.
Despite being married for over three decades, Bacon admitted he “never knew” Sedgwick felt that way and felt “great” that there are still things to learn about her. He emphasized that he respects her feelings and doesn’t want to dominate her emotions. “I should [bring it up], but she can, she can feel whatever she wants,” he explained, adding that Sedgwick is “the best” partner and that he remains “obsessed” with her.
The couple’s love story began on the set of the PBS movie “Lemon Sky” in 1987. Bacon recalls being immediately smitten. “I was knocked out,” he told PEOPLE. “I thought she was amazing.” At the time, Bacon was already gaining fame from his role in “Footloose,” but Sedgwick hadn’t seen the film and was initially unimpressed. After some convincing, she agreed to a date, and they ended up talking and laughing for hours. The next day, Sedgwick realized he was the one for her.
Over the years, the couple has built a strong foundation, balancing successful careers and raising their children, Travis, 33, and Sosie, 31. “We’ve always been each other’s biggest support and fans,” Sedgwick said. She recently directed Bacon in the drama “Space Oddity,” and Bacon noted that she is happiest when directing. “She just absolutely adores directing,” he said.
When not working, the couple enjoys simple pleasures like walking together. “To me, walking down the street together just shooting the s— in the middle of the night still feels like a nice place to be,” Bacon shared.
For their 35th wedding anniversary, Bacon shared a throwback photo on Instagram, celebrating their long-lasting love. He humorously revealed the secret to their longevity: “No secret. Never have the secret,” he joked, adding, “The secret is don’t ask a celebrity on how to stay married.”
Bacon credits his wife and children for inspiring him to look beyond his own needs and take a greater interest in the world. “When I came to New York, I was a teenager, and to become an actor there has to be an element of self-involvement,” he told TODAY.com. Marrying Sedgwick and having kids shifted his perspective, leading him to take greater responsibility for the world around him.
This shift in perspective led Bacon to found the non-profit SixDegrees.Org in 2007 and launch the podcast “Six Degrees with Kevin Bacon.” The podcast features celebrity interviews and discussions aimed at inspiring listeners to take action. “The idea of us being connected as human beings on this planet is a beautiful concept,” Bacon said during a TODAY segment.
Bacon and Sedgwick share two children: Travis, 34, and Sosie, 31. Becoming a parent changed Bacon in many ways. “In the simplest terms, all of a sudden there’s someone that you’ll step in front of a bus for,” he said. While he initially thought he would shape his children, he realized that they rarely came to him for advice. Despite this, he considers his children being good people as “the biggest success that we’ve had as parents.”
In addition to his podcast, Bacon continues to act and tour with The Bacon Brothers, the band he formed with his brother Michael. He recently performed with Billy Joel at Madison Square Garden, an experience he described as “crazy pants.” Despite his many accomplishments, Bacon feels he still has much to achieve. “I hope I haven’t written my best song yet. I haven’t done my best performance yet or directed the best thing yet,” he said.
For their recent anniversary, Bacon and Sedgwick didn’t exchange gifts but spent time with their children and their partners. “We had the greatest time. We love to spend time as a family,” Bacon said. The couple also took a walk to celebrate, although Bacon ended up with a blister from his new shoes. “Then, we got home and she put a bandaid on,” he shared.
While there’s no secret to their long-lasting marriage, Bacon humorously noted that the biggest challenge is “getting the temperature in the car correct so that we’re both happy.” Despite the challenges, their love and humor have kept them together for 35 years.
