Movie studio boss didn't want Kevin Bacon in Footloose

Kevin Bacon apparently wasn't sexy enough for Footloose. Photo / Supplied

It's the film for which he's most famous, but Kevin Bacon has revealed that he was initially deemed not sexy enough to star in Footloose.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the now-58-year-old was asked if he's ever experienced sexism in Hollywood.

"I think this qualifies as sexist," Bacon told THR.

"I'll let women decide that because I think that's something that women understand a lot better than men do, let's face it. I was up for a little film called Footloose. The head of the studio was a woman. And the director and the producer wanted me for the part and she said, 'I don't want him. He's not f**kable'."

Bacon joked, "What can I tell you? I wasn't her taste".

Both Tom Cruise and Rob Lowe were considered for the role of Ren McCormack, with the latter actor suffering an injury during his audition.

"Years ago I auditioned for Footloose and I blew out my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament), so I have post-traumatic stress with anything having to do with Footloose," Rob Lowe told WENN.

Kevin Bacon went on to win the lead role in the 1984 film, starring alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and John Lithgow.

Surprisingly, being told he's "not f**kable" isn't the worst feedback Bacon's had after an audition.

"I was up for a movie with Franco Zeffirelli directing," he told THR.

"My agent called me, 'You didn't get it.' 'Really?' 'Yeah, you got really, really close.' 'OK. Oh well, s**t.' Hung up. Then I call him back. 'Can you tell me why? I really felt good about the audition.' 'Franco didn't like your nose'."

Harsh.