Kevin Bacon took Valium to calm his nerves before Footloose scene

Kevin Bacon took Valium before filming a pivotal scene in 1984 hit Footloose, so he could calm his nerves.

During an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the actor confessed he was a mess before filming an iconic dance scene, in which he pleaded with the members of a town council to allow dancing.

After he broke out in hives due to his overwhelming anxiety and was unable to shoot the scene, director Herbert Ross took him to one side and offered him a little relaxation.

"The director said to me, 'You’re just nervous. Here, I’m gonna give you half a Valium'," Kevin recalled. "So, he gave me drugs and I calmed down and played the scene and the hives went away."

In the classic musical drama, Kevin plays rock 'n' roll fan Ren McCormack, who moves from Chicago to a small town in the rural Southwest that has banned dancing and rock music, thanks to overzealous local minister Reverend Shaw Moore, played by John Lithgow.

Ren then stages a series of illegal dancing events, and attempts to overturn the minister's ban.

The movie, which raked in more than $80 million (£58 million) at the worldwide box office, also starred Lori Singer, Dianne Wiest and Sarah Jessica Parker.