Monday, January 09, 2006

Six Degrees of Ego-Separation


I'm sure some of you have heard about or even played that game, "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon". It started with the belief that all actors can be linked by tracing their co-stars back to Kevin Bacon, you know from "Footloose". Confused? Here's an example...
Let's pick some obscure actor like... Curtis Armstrong from "Revenge of the Nerds", fondly remembered as "Booger".

Booger(1) was in "One Crazy Summer" with John Cusack(2),
who was in "Runaway Jury" with Dustin Hoffman(3),
who was in "Rain Man" with Tom Cruise(4),
who was in "Cocktail" with Elizabeth Shue(5),
who was in "Hollow Man" with... Kevin Bacon(6).

See? Simple. If you know your movie history or know people who do (my sisters and Mike Chase are excellent choices), you should give it a shot. I decided to go for the ultimate ego-boost and take it a step further and use my name. Is that possible, you ask? Since my acting chops have only taken me as high as the worst theatrical production in Prince Georges Community College history, how the hell could I possibly use my own name?

Well, if you watch CSI, than there's the connection. Archie Kao plays the computer expert "Archie" (creative, huh?) on "CSI", the most watched show on TV. I went to George Mason with Archie Kao in 1991-92. We were in the same fraternity. He was Student Council President and Homecoming King. We shared an acting class my second semester. I went down with him and some other friends to Daytona Beach for spring break. Played frisbee all day, that week in March and he tutored me on how to talk to women. Well, he left for L.A. that summer to become an actor and now he is on the 2nd best show on TV (Battlestar Gallactica being #1, of course). Pretty cool, don't you think? Archie got his big break when he played the Blue Ranger on the "Power Rangers" in the late 90's. Archie also was in some forgetful movie with Mark Harmon I happened to catch late one night on cable. I don't know what the name of that cinematic masterpiece was, but it was about surfers and luckily I only caught the last 10 minutes of it.

I know a dude who is a supporting cast-member on a great TV show; he was a fracking Power Ranger, and has been in some other stuff we might have seen. So, when a friend one night suggested we try to do the Kevin Bacon game, I had an idea. She knew Archie from "CSI". I told her of my acting gigs from high school and college. We figured out a way to only use actors. Community College theater is acting, folks. My friend said so. I qualify to use my own name in the game.
With that in mind, here we go...

John Murray(1)--went to college with Archie Kao(2)
Who is on "CSI" with Marg Helgenberg(3)
Who was in "Species" with Forest Whittaker(4)
Who was in "Phenomenon" with Kyra Sedgwick(5)...
Who is married to Kevin Bacon!(6)
(Sedgwick and Bacon have been in a few movies together, but being married to the guy has to count for bonus points, right?)

So there it is! I'm practically famous! Thanks to my friend Archie, who seems to have done well out in Tinseltown. "CSI", the movie "Local Boys" with Mark Harmon... Small world, huh? I can say my friend was a Power Ranger! How cool is that?

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

Your friend is a power ranger- how cool- he's also the one who taught you how to talk to girls??? I love ya and all but WHO takes lessons on girls from a fag in a jump suit??? Its all coming together now!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I am having trouble posting my comments.

Anonymous said...

Hey I love CSI.

Anonymous said...

I have a problem with the 6 degree thing.

Anonymous said...

How stoned were you when you figured this out? haha

Anonymous said...

Does it count, as far as relating to Kevin Bacon, if you are mentioned in a blog by the person who went to college with a guy on CSI?

Anonymous said...

I still like the Mary Kate and Ashley route best.That makes you seem even cooler!

Ranting Hockey Fan said...

Hey Jen... I'm still working on that one. Stay Tuned!

Anonymous said...

When do you post how cool it is to be friends with Chris Stone?

Anonymous said...

John you'll use any excuse the make a reference to "Booger"! You made the game too hard. Let me Break it down for you.

Booger wasin "One Crazy Summer" with John Cusak AND Demi Moore.

Demi was in "A Few Good Men" w/ Tom Cruise AND........Anyone? Anyone? Kevin Bacon. Next time try someone harder like Andrew Dice Clay. BOOGER! -CDM

Anonymous said...

I told you non-sports stuff was more interesting. I actually read your blog this time.

But on a sports related note, the Sports Junkies were talking about Ovechkin (sp?) this morning and how he'll be rookie of the year or something.

Anonymous said...

Have your friend put in a good word for me with the Pink Ranger... She's sooo limber...

-PF

Anonymous said...

Not to beat a dead horse, but is there anyway you are related to the teen aged mutant ninja turtles?