Kevin Bacon’s Six Degrees of Caring

There are, as the parlor game goes, only six degrees of separation between actor Kevin Bacon and everyone in show business, which makes him a welcome voice on connecting during these days of forced separation.

Bacon took to Instagram to introduce the #IStayHomeFor effort, saying, “Right now, like people around the world, I’m staying home. Because it saves lives, and it is the only way we’re going to slow down the spread of this coronavirus.

“… Every one of us has someone who is worth staying home for.”

Bacon said he’s staying home for Kyra Sedgwick, his actress wife. Then he challenged some of his celebrity friends — and everyone else in the world with whom he’s connected — to post their own #IStayHomeFor pictures and videos.

Thousands have responded. There was Ellen DeGeneres, staying home for, among others, her 89-year-old mother. There was the Texas mom, staying home for her kids and their teachers. There was the commissioner of the Mid-American Conference, staying home for students and faculty. There was the Indiana woman, staying home with special birthday wishes to her “cancer-battling, marine oo-rahing” grandpa.

And there was our own Marlo Thomas, National Outreach Director of St. Jude, and husband Phil Donahue. You know who they’re staying home for, but let’s hear it from her: