Jeffrey Leon Bridges
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5
Awards
Jeff Bridges won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2010 for his role as Bad Blake in Crazy Heart, capping a career that began with his Oscar-nominated debut in The Last Picture Show 1971. He also starred in The Big Lebowski, Tron, and True Grit. Bridges has been married to Susan Geston since 1977 and has three daughters.
Names, aliases, and relatives of Jeff Bridges — birth name, kin, and personal ties.
Jeff Bridges by the numbers — life, work, and family.
Jeff Bridges — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
On December 4, 1949, Jeff Bridges entered the world in Los Angeles, son of actor Lloyd Bridges and Dorothy Bridges. He grew up on film sets, making uncredited appearances alongside his mother in The Company She Keeps 1951 and on his father’s TV series Sea Hunt. By age 14, he was touring with his father in a stage production of Anniversary Waltz. His teenage years were troubled by drug use, leading his parents to intervene.
Jeff Bridges’ breakthrough came in 1971 with Peter Bogdanovich’s The Last Picture Show, earning his first Oscar nomination. In the 1970s, he delivered a string of acclaimed performances in films like Fat City 1972, Bad Company 1972, and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot 1974, the latter earning another Oscar nod. The 1980s brought cult classic Tron 1982, The Fabulous Baker Boys 1989, and Starman 1984, which brought a third Oscar nomination. He starred in The Fisher King 1991 and The Big Lebowski 1998 in the 1990s; the latter became a cult phenomenon. In the 2000s he played the villain in Iron Man 2008 and won the Oscar for Crazy Heart 2009. He earned another nomination for True Grit 2010 and reprised his role in Tron: Legacy 2010.
Jeff Bridges married Susan Geston in 1977, having met on the set of Rancho Deluxe 1975. The couple has three daughters: Isabelle born 1981, Jessica born 1983, and Hayley born 1985. He enjoys photography, ceramics, and playing guitar and served in the United States Coast Guard. In October 2020, he was diagnosed with lymphoma and has publicly discussed it.
Jeff Bridges’ performance as The Dude in The Big Lebowski earned a cult following; the character ranked #90 on Premiere’s 100 Greatest Movie Characters. He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1994. He founded No Kid Hungry as part of his advocacy. He has influenced a generation of actors; Jon Hamm cited him as a favorite. He is remembered for his naturalistic, laid-back acting style and enduring popularity across decades.
Browse the complete filmography of Jeff Bridges — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.
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Every award, honor, and recognition received by Jeff Bridges — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.
Jeff Bridges's bibliography — every authored, edited, and co-written book, ranked by edition count.
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A wall of memorable lines from Jeff Bridges — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.
As Far as the Lack of Hits Goes, I Think Perhaps It’s Because I’ve Played a Lot of Different Roles and Have Not Created a Persona That the Public Can Latch on To. I Have Played Everything from Psychopathic Killers to Romantic Leading Men, and in Picking Such Diverse Roles I Have Avoided Typecasting.
I Don’t Think I Ever Went Down That Movie Star Path. I Always Enjoy Taking a 90 Degree Turn from the Last Thing I Did.
A Large Part of Acting Is Just Pretending. You Get to Work with These Other Great Make Believers, All Making Believe as Hard as They Can. What I Learned Most from My Father Wasn’t Anything He Said; It Was Just the Way He Behaved. He Loved His Work so Much That, Whenever He Came on Set, He Brought That with Him, and Other People Rose to It.
Basically, One of the Hardest Things About Being an Actor Is Getting Your First Break. I’m a Product of Nepotism. the Doors Were Open to Me. I’d Done Several Movies Before I Decided What I Wanted to Do. There Was a Certain Amount of Guilt and Worry About Whether I Really Had What It Takes. I Thought I’d Spare My Girls That.
Most Cynics Are Really Crushed Romantics: They’ve Been Hurt, They’re Sensitive, and Their Cynicism Is a Shell That’s Protecting This Tiny, Dear Part in Them That’s Still Alive.
When You Start to Engage with Your Creative Processes, It Shakes up All Your Impulses, and They All Kind of Inform One Another.
I Kind of Rebelled Against It. I Resisted It. I Didn’t Know What I Wanted to Do When I Was a Kid and Was Reluctant to Go Into, Y’know, Dad’s Line of Business.
I Had Years of Partying, and I Was Kind of Surprised and Happy I Survived It All. Now, Being a Parent, I Look Back on It Thinking, Oh God, the Things You Did!
I’m Glad I Survived the ’60S. They Were Dangerous. Fun, Too. Everything in Your Life Teaches You Something.
Acting Is Tough Some Times. It Can Be a Complicated Case. a Lot of Ins, a Lot of Outs, a Lot of What Have Yous, a Lot of Strands to Keep in Your Head, Man. But, You Know, You Manage.
The Hardest Thing About Acting Is Getting a Foot in the Door and That Was All Handled by My Dad. the Fact Is, I’m a Product of Nepotism. and That Took Some Getting Used To. Life Will Supply You with Gutters. Having a Famous Father. Feeling That Stench of Nepotism. That’s a Gutter Right There.
On Michelle Pfeiffer: She’s a Wonderful Combination of Beauty, Mystery and Funk. the Funk Factor Is Her Ordinariness, the Surfer Girl from Orange County. These Elements Are Mixed with Her Courage to Do Things She Is Frightened of and the Talent to Make Us Believe.
I Don’t Dig Trump or Follow What He Has to Say, but I Find It Fascinating That He’s Surfaced in the Political Arena. I’m a Hillary Supporter and I Don’t Go the Trump Way.
It’s a Very Tricky Situation We Find Ourselves In. It’s Kind of Like the Expression … the Cows Are Out of the Gate. There Are so Many Guns in Our Society Already. Do We Really Need to Arm Our Citizens with Machine Guns or Semiautomatic Weapons? and Don’t We Need to Make Sure That People Who Do Own Guns Are Qualified to Own Them? Those Are Simple Steps Leading Us in the Right Direction.
Little-known facts about Jeff Bridges — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
Bridges is a guitarist and served in the United States Coast Guard, like his father Lloyd and brother Beau.
He met his wife Susan Geston while filming Rancho Deluxe 1975; she was working as a maid on a dude ranch.
His role in The Big Lebowski 1998 was written with him in mind by the Coen brothers.
Bridges was considered for but not offered the lead in Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981; he has said this in interviews.
Between takes, he shoots still photographs as a hobby, using a Japanese Widelux camera.
He describes acting as using his pretend-muscle and has a laid-back reputation.
Diagnosed with lymphoma in October 2020.
His brother Garrett Myles died of sudden infant death syndrome on August 3, 1948.
Friends with Tommy Lee Jones and Kurt Russell.
His performance as The Dude in The Big Lebowski is ranked #90 on Premiere’s 100 Greatest Movie Characters.
Before asking Susan Geston out, he snapped a photo of her just after she rejected his proposal; he kept the photo as a memento.
One of his hobbies is ceramics.
In 2010, he and Colin Firth were both nominated for Best Actor; Bridges won for Crazy Heart. The next year, both were nominated again, with Firth winning for The King’s Speech.
His childhood crush was actress Tuesday Weld.
He turned down roles in Pretty Woman 1990 and Ghost 1990.
Good friends with Nick Nolte, Christopher Walken, and Gary Busey.
He received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on July 11, 1994.
Considered for the role of Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver 1976, which went to Robert De Niro.
Became a grandfather in 2011 when his daughter Isabelle gave birth to a daughter, Grace.
Attended a military academy for part of his education.
He has appeared in four Best Picture nominees: The Last Picture Show 1971, Seabiscuit 2003, True Grit 2010, and Hell or High Water 2016.
Fan and friend of Kris Kristofferson; they appeared together in Heaven’s Gate 1980.
Took a year off from acting in 2011 to focus on music and release a self-titled album.
Jon Hamm has stated Bridges is his favorite actor.
Three of his films are in the National Film Registry: The Last Picture Show 1971, The Big Lebowski 1998, and Iron Man 2008.
National Spokesperson and Founder of No Kid Hungry 2010-2011.
Was Taylor Hackford’s original choice for An Officer and a Gentleman 1982 but turned it down due to scheduling.
Has stated American Heart 1992 and Fearless 1993 as his personal favorites.
First actor nominated for an Oscar for a film also starring Clint Eastwood: Thunderbolt and Lightfoot 1974.
Fan of Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys.
Considered for roles in The Thing 1982 and Big 1988.
Close friend of directors John Carpenter and Terry Gilliam.
Has played roles named Jack seven times and Jackson four times.
The longest gap between Oscar nominations is 16 years between Starman 1984 and The Contender 2000.
Became a father for the third time in 1985 to Hayley Roselouise Bridges.
Son of Lloyd and Dorothy Bridges, brother of Beau and Cindy Bridges.
Considered for the lead in Heat 1995.
Fifth actor in Oscar history to be nominated for a role that had won an Oscar for a previous actor John Wayne for True Grit.
Terry Gilliam wanted him for 12 Monkeys 1995 but Bruce Willis got the role.
A photographer who publishes books of his on-set photos.
Considered for the role of John Rambo in First Blood 1982.
Enjoys cigars and smokes a couple daily.
Offered the male lead in Love Story 1970 but turned it down; his brother Beau also turned it down.
Considered for Christopher Walken’s role in The Deer Hunter 1978.
Has played villains only three times: CLU 2 in Tron: Legacy, Obadiah Stane in Iron Man, and a killer in The Vanishing 1993.
Barry Levinson cast him in The Natural 1984 but the role went to Robert Redford.
Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Jeff Bridges.
Celebrities similar to Jeff Bridges — same craft, ranked by reach.
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