It is not just Kevin Bacon, the lead actor of the American psychological thriller drama TV series “The Following,” who got busy even after the show was canceled by Fox for Season 4 in May of last year.
It was also the same path taken on by British actor James Purefoy, who played serial killer Joe Caroll in the TV series.
Purefoy only appeared during the first two seasons of “The Following” and was no longer there during the third season, where the ratings significantly dropped, prompting fans and critics to theorize that the tandem of Kevin Bacon and James Purefoy was what made the show clicked in the first place.
The British actor is a veteran of good and top-rating TV shows including the epic sword-and-sandals TV series “Rome,” which many described as the prelude to the now very popular “Game of Thrones.”
“Rome,” created by Bruno Heller, was an expensive and complex TV show that is way ahead of its time. It was a show that lent itself to encores and binge-watches by pitting larger-than-life historical icons against rowdy commoners and pushed sex into almost every exposition scene, details Decider.
Purefoy’s performance in “Rome” was so wonderful that he was actually considered for a role in “Game of Thrones” which he rejected because he was still busy with “The Following.”
When “The Following” was canceled last year, Purefoy has started entertaining offers from other TV shows. But “Game of Thrones” was still among them. Rumors have it that he was considered to fill in the role of Euron Greyjoy. He is now the lead star of the TV series “Hap and Leonard” and the upcoming small screen reboot of the racial discrimination story “Roots.”
In the aftermath of ‘The Following’
The aftermath of the cancellation of “The Following” for Season 4 was not really a downer for James Purefoy because he got so busy and his career flourished all the more, similar to the path taken by the career of fellow lead star Kevin Bacon.
But Kevin Bacon got busier as he had several films in the can as well as a couple of TV series too. But the American actor hardly felt bad about it, always looking on the business perspective of things in the industry.
More than one year after it was canceled following its Season 3 finale in May last year, it is now clear that there is no more way to bring back the American thriller drama series “The Following” shown on Fox from the dead for a possible Season 4 revival.
For one, the producers seem no longer interested in talking to other networks and streaming service providers to perhaps revive the show from cancellation if only to give “The Following” a closure as its Season 3 finale left a major cliffhanger.
That’s in addition to the fact that even if the show is hypothetically revived from cancellation for its Season 4, actor Kevin Bacon, who played FBI detective Ryan Hardy, may no longer agree to take on the role.
And it has nothing to do that he is becoming choosy with his roles because the actor is not known for that and likes to take on whatever roles that come his way. It has something more to do with his hectic schedule considering that he is also one of the most sought-after actors in both the small screen and big screen these days.
Acting assignments just keep coming
The mark of a great actor is the amount of work he is doing because producers and directors take notice of how good he or she is in acting regardless of whether that is on the big screen or on the small screen. Kevin Bacon is one of those actors who seem to never run out of TV or film assignments.
There have been reports that the “Tremors” franchise that had been out for nearly two decades, will be revived soon and that he is being considered to reprise his role in the first movie, which is yet again a testament to his durability and acting prowess.
Just recently, an indie thriller movie featuring Kevin Bacon was also released. Entitled “Cop Car,” the film is about a corrupt cop and a couple of punk kids.
Critics have described the movie as really tight and intense and it does not go in the direction that viewers think it would go, making it really very atmospheric and effective. The movie can now be streamed on Amazon Video or be rented on iTunes.