Kevin Bacon Turns ‘6 Degrees’ Game Into Message About Staying Home

Kevin Bacon is using his six degrees of separation from you ― yes, you ― to encourage everyone to stay home as the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the country.

The actor shared a video and a series of posts on his Instagram and Instagram story on Wednesday, telling fans to “stay home” and keep their distance amid the pandemic.

Bacon’s plea echoes what health officials have long been saying, which is that social distancing is one of the best methods to prevent the spread of the disease ― especially to older people and those with underlying health conditions that put them at high risk of suffering severe or even deadly symptoms from the disease.

“Everyone has someone who is worth staying home for,” Bacon says in the video, explaining how easily the disease is transmitted.

In his video and caption, he implores fans to “post a video or photo with a sign like mine, telling who you are staying home for and ask 6 friends to do the same.” His sign reads, “#IStayHomeFor Kyra Sedgwick,” his wife of nearly 32 years.

“Post it with the hashtag #IStayHomeFor so I can see and share. Let’s spread the word! The more folks involved, the merrier – because we’re all connected by various degrees (Trust me, I know!)” he writes, a cheeky nod to the popular game “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.” (The premise, for those unaware, is that everyone is separated from the actor by only six degrees or fewer.)

In his post, Bacon challenges Jimmy Fallon, Elton John, Demi Lovato, David Beckham, Brandi Carlile and Kevin Hart to share the name of the person they’re staying home for.

John, Carlile and Lovato all accepted the challenge and have already shared posts on their own Instagram accounts.

Bacon’s daughter with Sedgwick, Sosie Bacon, also showed her support for the challenge:

Actors and musicians have been coming out in droves to keep spirits up during the coronavirus crisis.

While some have launched challenges like Bacon’s, others have taken to livestreaming on their Instagram accounts, either in the form of a talk show, like Miley Cyrus’ “Bright Minded,” or mini-concerts.

In the last week, John Legend, Pink, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Keith Urban, Rob Thomas and more performed on livestreams to entertain people at home.

Keep up with the latest updates on the coronavirus at our live blog.