The 1984 American movie, Footloose garnered so much support for its classic storyline supporting dance culture. The plot is indeed a good one, but a movie can only be as good as the actors. Thus, you may be wondering who the actors were and how they managed to make this movie a hit. Could Hollywood’s best actors, such as Tom Cruise be in Footloose?
Tom Cruise is a brilliant actor, but he was not in Footloose. He was neither the lead character nor the supporting character in this movie. As a matter of fact, Tom enjoyed the film on his TV screen. However, is Tom utterly unconnected to the movie? Find out that and more in this article.
Another Ren McCormack?
The stars in Footloose played a significant part in making the movie phenomenal. Shot in a time when the movie industry was still booming, it stole the hearts of many because of its unique storyline. What makes it more interesting is the fact that the movie was based on a real-life story.
Footloose is a captivating movie that tells the story of a vibrant teenager, Ren McCormack who had moved to Bomont, Utah to live with his aunt and uncle. The teenager quickly blends in with the town but is surprised that dancing is not permitted in the town, He also has a huge crush on Ariel, the Reverend of the local church daughter who was firmly against dancing. He decides to go up against the rules by showing everyone that dancing was a beautiful thing. He introduces dance to his colleagues and classmates and plots to organise a senior prom.
Ren decides to take up the matter with the City council who still voted against his proposal that the ban be lifted. Also, Reverend Moore was not having any of it. However, he eventually comes around when he sees that people are now being fanatics, destroying books with the excuse that they are not suitable for teenagers. The Prom takes place eventually with Ren and a few others dancing their hearts out.
The lead character, Ren Mccormack, a Chicago boy who comes to the small town of Bomont, was played by Kevin Bacon. However, Tom Cruise came close to playing this character. Tom was initially considered for the role, but he had to pass on the part because it was conflicting with his schedule for All The Right Moves. The producers wanted Tom Cruise because of his light dance moves in his underwear in Risky Business. However, it couldn’t work out for Tom, and the movie producers went with Kevin Bacon, who played the role excellently.
Other Ren McCormacks?
Apart from Tom Cruise and Kevin Bacon, other actors were considered for the role of Ren McCormack. Rob Lowe was considered for the role. He was also a sensation in the movie industry at the time with his hit movie The Outsiders in 1983. The movie producers of Footloose considered him for the role because believed Rob Lowe had the boyish charm. However, Rob experienced an accident while auditioning. He blew out his knee while dancing and as a result, could not go on to cast for the role. We are happy this did not mess up his career as the actor has had a successful career also.
Christopher Atkins of The Blue Lagoon was also considered for this role, and Atkins claims that he was so close to getting the part, but he blew it. His wild partying lifestyle cost him the part and could not even get him the role for his dancing skills. There might have been other stars who auditioned or were considered by the directors and producers for the role. However, Tom Cruise and the rest were not in Footloose. Kevin Bacon ended up as the lead character for the movie, and he played his part right.