Kevin Bacon and stars attend Edinburgh world premiere

Kevin Bacon and Kyra Sedgwick attend the world premiere of "Story of a Girl" during the 70th Edinburgh International Film Festival. Picture: Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images

The Hollywood star played Phil in a 1983 Broadway production of Byrne’s The Slab Boys, alongside fellow budding actors-now A-Listers Sean Penn and Val Kilmer.

The following year he shot to fame in his most famous role, in musical drama Footloose.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Film Festival – where his latest film, Story of a Girl, was premiered last night – he said: “I was thinking about The Slab Boys. It was very important to me. I did a production on Broadway with Sean Penn and Val Kilmer.

“It was a really fun play. I love John’s writing and he’s not only a great playwright but also a fantastic artist.

“He came over to the States and I just felt a real affinity to him. In a lot of ways I was kind of playing a version of him.”

Bacon, 58, appeared alongside his wife Kyra Sedgwick, who directed Story of a Girl, a story about a teen who must deal with the ramifications of a sex video that goes viral.

The actor, who plays a pizza shop owner in the film, said the Festival was only his second visit to Scotland after a flying visit for his nephew’s romantic castle wedding.