What Is Tom Hanks Bacon Number? What You Need To Know

Have you ever played the party game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”?

It’s a fun way to connect actors and movies through their collaborations with Kevin Bacon.

But did you know that Google has now automated this game with their new feature called Bacon number?

And guess what? Tom Hanks has a Bacon number of 1!

In this article, we’ll dive into what exactly a Bacon number is, how it applies to the movie industry, and of course, explore Tom Hanks’ connection to Kevin Bacon.

So grab some popcorn and let’s get started!

What Is Tom Hanks Bacon Number?

Tom Hanks’ Bacon number is 1. This means that he has worked in a movie with Kevin Bacon, making him only one degree of separation away from the Footloose star.

The movie in question is “Apollo 13”, a 1995 film about the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission to the moon. In the movie, Tom Hanks plays astronaut Jim Lovell, while Kevin Bacon plays fellow astronaut Jack Swigert.

This collaboration between the two actors gives Tom Hanks a Bacon number of 1, which is the lowest possible Bacon number an actor can have.

What Is A Bacon Number?

A Bacon number is a measure of an actor or actress’s degree of separation from Kevin Bacon, as defined by the game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”. It is based on the concept of six degrees of separation, which suggests that everyone in the world is connected to each other through a chain of no more than six acquaintances. In the context of Hollywood, the Bacon number is a way to measure how closely an actor or actress is connected to Kevin Bacon through their film roles.

An actor’s Bacon number is determined by counting the number of “links” between them and Kevin Bacon. If an actor has worked with Kevin Bacon in a movie, their Bacon number is 1. If they have not worked with him 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 is.

The game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon” was invented in 1994 by three college friends who were watching TV and saw an advertisement for one of Kevin Bacon’s movies. They realized that because he had appeared in so many different types of movies, it was possible to connect a lot of unlikely people together through his work. The game quickly became popular and spawned numerous variations.

Today, it is easy to find an actor’s Bacon number using Google’s search engine. Simply type “Bacon number” followed by the actor’s name into the search bar, and Google will provide their Bacon number along with a list of other actors they are connected to through their film roles. The Oracle of Bacon website also provides a tool for finding an actor’s Bacon number and exploring their connections to other actors.

The History Of The Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon Game

The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game was created in the late 1990s by three college buddies: Craig Fass, Brian Turtle, and Mike Ginelli. The game was based on the idea that anyone in Hollywood could be connected to Kevin Bacon within six degrees of separation.

The concept of six degrees of separation has been around for decades, but the game specifically using Kevin Bacon as the connecting point gained popularity in the late 90s. The game became so well-known that it was even referenced in an episode of “The Simpsons”.

The game was played by naming an actor and trying to connect them to Kevin Bacon through shared movie credits with other actors. For example, if someone said “Meryl Streep”, another player might respond with “Meryl Streep was in ‘The River Wild’ with David Strathairn, who was in ‘The Bourne Ultimatum’ with Matt Damon, who was in ‘Mystic Pizza’ with Julia Roberts, who was in ‘Flatliners’ with Kevin Bacon.”

While the game was popular for a time, it eventually faded into obscurity. However, Google’s recent addition of the Bacon number feature to their search engine has brought the game back into the spotlight. Now anyone can easily find out an actor’s Bacon number by simply typing “Bacon number” followed by their name into Google search.

How Google’s Bacon Number Feature Works

Google’s Bacon number feature is a fun and entertaining addition to its search engine. This feature automates the popular party game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”, where players try to connect any actor to Kevin Bacon in as few links as possible. To use this feature, simply type “Bacon number” followed by any celebrity’s name into the Google search bar.

Google draws upon its Knowledge Graph, which is a vast web of public figures, countries, famous landmarks, sports teams, and other entities, along with the connections between them. The Knowledge Graph contains information on about 500 million objects, including most actors and their filmographies. When you query an actor or any public figure, Google tries to trace the connections through its Knowledge Graph to arrive back at Kevin Bacon.

For example, Tom Hanks’ Bacon number of 1 is based on his appearance in “Apollo 13” with Kevin Bacon. Zoë Saldana has a Bacon number of 2 because she was in “The Losers” with Jason Patric, who was in “Sleepers” with Bacon.

However, there are some blind spots in the Knowledge Graph, and not every search returns a Bacon number. For instance, Google can’t find Joss Whedon’s Bacon number. Despite these limitations, the Bacon number feature is a fun way to pass the time and learn more about the connections between public figures.

Tom Hanks’ Bacon Number Of 1

Tom Hanks’ Bacon number of 1 is a result of his work in the movie “Apollo 13” alongside Kevin Bacon. This means that Tom Hanks is only one degree of separation away from Kevin Bacon, the star of the popular game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”.

Released in 1995, “Apollo 13” is a historical drama film based on the real-life events of the Apollo 13 mission to the moon. In the movie, Tom Hanks plays astronaut Jim Lovell, while Kevin Bacon portrays fellow astronaut Jack Swigert. The two actors share screen time throughout the film, which solidifies Hanks’ Bacon number of 1.

The concept of Bacon number is based on the game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”, which challenges players to connect any actor or actress to Kevin Bacon through their filmography. The higher the Bacon number, the farther away an actor is from Kevin Bacon in terms of their movie collaborations.

Tom Hanks’ Bacon number of 1 is significant because it means that he is directly connected to Kevin Bacon and can be linked to any other actor or actress through Bacon’s collaborations. This makes him a popular choice for the Six Degrees game and a valuable addition to any actor’s filmography.

Other Actors With Low Bacon Numbers

There are several other actors with low Bacon numbers, meaning they are only a few degrees of separation away from Kevin Bacon.

One such actor is Matt Damon, who has a Bacon number of 2. Damon worked with Bacon in the 1998 film “The Good Shepherd”, and he also appeared in “Ocean’s Eleven” with George Clooney, who has a Bacon number of 3.

Another actor with a low Bacon number is Meryl Streep, who has a Bacon number of 1. Streep and Bacon both starred in the 2003 film “The Woodsman”.

Other actors with low Bacon numbers include Johnny Depp (2), Brad Pitt (2), and Robert De Niro (2). These actors have all worked with other actors who have a direct connection to Kevin Bacon, giving them a low Bacon number.

It is worth noting that not all actors have low Bacon numbers. Some actors have never worked with anyone who has worked with Kevin Bacon, meaning they have a higher Bacon number or no Bacon number at all. However, it is still possible to link most actors to Kevin Bacon within six degrees of separation, as demonstrated by the popular game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon”.

The Significance Of Bacon Numbers In The Movie Industry

The concept of Bacon numbers and the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game is not just a fun party game, but it also has significant implications in the movie industry. The Bacon number is essentially a measure of an actor’s popularity and their connections within the industry.

Actors with lower Bacon numbers are considered more connected and influential within the industry. They are more likely to be considered for roles and have a higher chance of collaborating with other actors and directors. In contrast, actors with higher Bacon numbers are considered less connected and may have a harder time getting noticed in the industry.

Furthermore, the Bacon number has also been used as a marketing tool for movies. For example, when “Apollo 13” was released, the fact that Tom Hanks and Kevin Bacon had worked together was heavily promoted as a way to attract audiences.

The Bacon number has also led to the creation of other similar concepts, such as the Erdos number in mathematics, which measures an individual’s collaboration with mathematician Paul Erdos. These concepts have become popular ways to measure an individual’s influence and connections within their respective fields.