Have you ever played the game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”?
It’s a fun way to connect any Hollywood star to Kevin Bacon within six steps.
But have you ever wondered which actor has the highest Bacon number?
Well, wonder no more!
In this article, we’ll explore the fascinating world of Bacon numbers and reveal the actor with the highest known finite Bacon number.
So sit back, relax, and let’s dive into the world of movie connections.
What Actor Has The Highest Bacon Number?
The actor with the highest known finite Bacon number is William Rufus Shafter, with a Bacon number of 7.
For those unfamiliar with the game, the Bacon number of an actor or actress is determined by the number of steps it takes to connect them to Kevin Bacon through their film roles.
Shafter, a military general who lived from 1835 to 1906, appeared in a silent film called “The Battle of Gettysburg” in 1913. The film also starred Sidney Bracey, who appeared in “The Big Broadcast of 1938” with Bob Hope. Hope, in turn, appeared in “Crippled Avengers” with Biao Yuen, who appeared in “Hero” with Jet Li. And finally, Jet Li appeared in “Mulan” with none other than Kevin Bacon.
Thus, Shafter has a Bacon number of 7.
It’s worth noting that there may be actors with higher Bacon numbers that have not yet been discovered or documented. However, as of now, Shafter holds the title for the highest known finite Bacon number.
What Is A Bacon Number?
A Bacon number is a way to measure the degree of separation between an actor or actress and Kevin Bacon. The concept is based on the game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” which assumes that any actor or actress in Hollywood can be linked to Kevin Bacon through their movie roles in six steps or less. Each step represents a connection between two actors who have worked together in a film.
The Bacon number of an actor or actress is determined by counting the number of steps it takes to connect them to Kevin Bacon through their film roles. For example, if an actor has appeared in a movie with Kevin Bacon, their Bacon number is 1. If they have not appeared in a movie with Kevin but have worked with an actor who has, their Bacon number is 2, and so on.
The higher the Bacon number, the further away from Kevin Bacon the actor or actress is considered to be. A Bacon number of 0 means that the person has worked directly with Kevin Bacon in a movie, while a Bacon number of 7, like that of William Rufus Shafter, means that it takes seven steps to connect them to Kevin Bacon through their film roles.
The game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” and the concept of a Bacon number have become popular trivia games and have even been used as a tool for academic research. The Oracle of Bacon website allows users to search for any actor or actress and find their Bacon number, as well as other interesting statistics related to their career.
How Is A Bacon Number Calculated?
To calculate an actor’s Bacon number, one must determine how many steps it takes to connect them to Kevin Bacon through their film roles. The Bacon number of an actor or actress A is defined as the minimum of the Bacon numbers of all the actors or actresses with whom A appeared in a movie produced by a major studio, plus one. The most common source used to determine whether or not a film is valid is whether or not it is present on the Internet Movie Database (IMDb).
For example, if an actor works in a movie with Kevin Bacon, their Bacon number is 0. If an actor works with an actor who worked with Kevin Bacon in a movie, the first actor’s Bacon number is 2, and so forth. The higher the Bacon number of an actor, the less connected they are to other actors.
It’s worth noting that not all actors can be linked to the rest of the movie universe. About 12% of all actors cannot be linked either because they have appeared only in TV features or straight-to-video releases that the Oracle doesn’t count, or because they have not appeared in any features with actors from the Hollywood mainstream.
The Origins Of The Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon Game
The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game is a parlor game that originated in the mid-1990s. It was inspired by the concept of “six degrees of separation”, which posits that any two people on Earth are six or fewer acquaintance links apart. The idea behind the game is to connect any Hollywood actor or actress to prolific American actor Kevin Bacon through their film roles in as few steps as possible.
The game gained widespread popularity in 1994 when a group of college students at Albright College in Pennsylvania started playing it. They named it “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” after the actor who they believed was the most connected in Hollywood. The game quickly spread to other colleges and eventually to the mainstream, becoming a cultural phenomenon.
The popularity of the game led to the creation of the “Oracle of Bacon”, an algorithm created by computer scientist Brett Tjaden in 1996. The algorithm maps the relationships between more than 562,600 actors and actresses listed in Wikipedia, assigning each performer a “Bacon Number” based on their working relationship with Kevin Bacon. The lower the number, the fewer degrees of separation.
The game and the Oracle of Bacon have become a cultural touchstone, inspiring everything from academic research on small-world networks to a board game called “The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon Game”. Today, almost everyone has a Bacon Number less than 10, thanks to Kevin Bacon’s extensive filmography. However, it’s worth noting that there may be actors with higher Bacon numbers that have not yet been discovered or documented.
Actors With Low Bacon Numbers
While William Rufus Shafter holds the record for the highest known finite Bacon number, there are many actors and actresses with surprisingly low Bacon numbers. Some of the most notable include:
– Kevin Costner: With a Bacon number of 2, Costner is connected to Bacon through their roles in “JFK” and “A Few Good Men.”
– Tom Hanks: Hanks also has a Bacon number of 2, thanks to his roles in “Apollo 13” and “The River Wild.”
– Meryl Streep: Streep has a Bacon number of 2, having appeared with Bacon in “The Woodsman” and with Robert De Niro in “Falling in Love,” who in turn appeared with Bacon in “Sleepers.”
– Ben Affleck: Affleck has a Bacon number of 2, thanks to his roles in “School Ties” and “Mystic River.”
– Jennifer Lawrence: Lawrence has a Bacon number of 2, having appeared with Bradley Cooper in “Silver Linings Playbook,” who in turn appeared with Bacon in “American Hustle.”
These actors and actresses are just a few examples of how interconnected the entertainment industry truly is. With so many collaborations and crossovers between films, it’s no surprise that many actors have surprisingly low Bacon numbers.
How Actors React To Their Bacon Number
Actors and actresses often have a mixed reaction when they discover their Bacon number. Some may feel proud that they are connected to Kevin Bacon in just a few steps, while others may be disappointed to learn that their number is higher than expected.
Some actors actively try to lower their Bacon number by seeking out roles that connect them to Bacon in fewer steps. For example, Tom Hanks has a Bacon number of 1, but he has also appeared in films with actors such as Tim Allen and Meg Ryan, who both have a Bacon number of 2.
Others may not take the game as seriously and simply find it amusing. Some have even embraced their high Bacon numbers as a badge of honor, using it as a way to stand out from the crowd.
Regardless of their reaction, the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game has become a popular part of Hollywood culture and continues to fascinate both fans and industry insiders alike.