Only a few living names reverberate through Hollywood like that of Jeff Bridges. Known by film and television audiences from several generations, Bridges’ professional acting career spans over five decades. This has allowed him to rake in over 90 credits across the small and big screen.
Besides his trademark deep voice, relaxed, and gregarious personality, Bridges has stood out for his acting versatility. A leading man, Bridges’ roles vary widely from playing a romantic character this minute to a psychopathic killer the next. For more behind-the-scenes take about the actor, here are 10 things you probably didn’t know about Jeff Bridges.
He Isn’t The Only Actor In The Family
Bridges was born Jeffrey Leon Bridges in Los Angeles, California, on December 4, 1949. He was born to the famous actor Lloyd Bridges and Dorothy Bridges, an actress and writer. Born into a family of actors helped introduce Bridges to the world on and behind the cameras. His parents gave birth to four children, with Jeff Bridges being their third child. However, their second child, Garrett Bridges, who was born in 1948, died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Jeff Bridges’ older surviving brother is the famous actor Beau Bridges. His younger sister, Cindy Bridges, is also an actress.
Jeff Bridges Made His Screen Debut As An Infant
Being born in the City of Angels and to a famous Hollywood actor has its perks. Jeff Bridges made his film and screen debut before he could speak. At only a few months old, Bridges joined the filming of John Cromwell‘s drama The Company She Keeps (1951) in an uncredited role as an infant. Bridges is the baby Dennis O’Keefe and Jane Greer hold in their arms at the train station.
He Served 7 Years With The United States Military
Jeff Bridges served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve from 1967 to 1975. He was stationed in San Luis Obispo, California, serving as a Boatswain’s Mate. A 25-year-old Jeff Bridges left the United States Coast Guard Reserve ranked as a Petty Officer Second Class (Boatswain’s Mate Second Class). However, despite following in his father’s footsteps (Lloyd Bridges was a World War II veteran), Jeff Bridges didn’t enjoy his time serving. He recalls spending hours chipping paints off and repainting them and sleeping in tight spaces on the boat. However, Bridges proudly admits to learning discipline and hard work that would help shape his life while serving in the United States Coast Guard Reserve.
Jeff Bridges Studied At The Prestigious Herbert Berghof Studio
After graduating from High School in 1967, Jeff Bridges joined his father, performing in several stage plays. After being persuaded by his father to consider a career in acting (as opposed to doing music), Bridges moved East to New York. While in New York City, he enrolled and studied at the famous Herbert Berghof Studio. The studio helped shape the careers of numerous A-list actors over the years and continues to do so.
He Received His Star On The Hollywood Walk of Fame In 1994
Making his professional film debut in 1970, Jeff Bridges received his first Academy Award nomination the next year for playing Duane Jackson in The Last Picture Show (1971). By the early 90s, Bridges was already a popular and successful actor. Bridges was awarded his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on July 11, 1994. Awarded in the Motion Picture category, Bridges’ star is located at 7065 Hollywood Boulevard. His father, Lloyd Bridges, was present at the ceremony.
Jeff Bridges Was One of The Artists Who Sang The Remake Of “We Are The World”
Besides being a talented, award-winning actor, Jeff Bridges is also a musician. So far, he has released three studio albums – Be Here Soon (January 2000), Jeff Bridges (August 2011), and Sleeping Tapes (January 2015). He has also collaborated with several other musicians. After the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake in early 2010, the famous “We Are the World” song, written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, was re-recorded by new artists. Titled “We Are the World 25 for Haiti,” the song was remade with over 80 artists. Besides the inclusion of a rap verse, it followed the same structure as its original “We Are the World” song. Jeff Bridges was one of the musicians called to sing the charity single.
He’s A Published Writer And Photographer
A man of many talents, Jeff Bridges is also a writer and photographer. After a discussion at a party with Ram Dass and Bernie Glassman, Bridges had an idea to write a book. Their conversation had centered on the similarities between Bridges’ famous character, “The Dude,” in the 1998 The Big Lebowski movie and Zen Buddhism. This led Bridges and Glassman to co-write the book The Dude and the Zen Master, published in 2013.
Bridges began his love for photography as a hobby after his wife gifted him a Widelux F8 camera. Bridges began taking photographs between filming as an amateur photographer. What began as a hobby soon left him with hundreds of photographs with memories. He first published his photograph collection in a book, Pictures: Photographs by Jeff Bridges, in 2003. He released another collection in a published book in 2019, titled Jeff Bridges: Pictures Volume Two.
Jeff Bridges Has Been Married Since 1977
Jeff Bridges is married to Susan Geston. The couple married on June 5, 1977, with the marriage producing three children – Isabelle Bridges, Jessica Lily Bridges, and Haley Roselouise Bridges. Bridges met Geston on a ranch while filming the 1975 neo-Western comedy Rancho Deluxe. Geston was working as a waitress at the ranch at the time. The couple have stayed married for all these years with no public scandal or drama.
He Landed His First Major Television Role In 2022
Although Jeff Bridges debuted on television in 1958, it would take him over six decades to land a major role on the small screen. The majority of his success had come from his works in film. Bridges played several characters in a few episodes of Sea Hunt (1958–1960). He then performed several characters on his father’s TV show, The Lloyd Bridges Show (1962–1963). With his last film role in 2018 as part of the ensemble cast of Bad Times at the El Royale, he appeared on television as the lead cast. Bridges plays Dan Chase on FX’s drama thriller The Old Man (2022). With season 1 released in June 2022, the second season has since been greenlit for production.
Nominations And Awards Jeff Bridges Has Received
Working as an actor for over half a century has not only brought Jeff Bridges fame and wealth but several notable accolades. Bridges has received seven Academy Award nominations from 1972 to 2017. However, he won his first and only Oscar for Best Actor for his performance in Crazy Heart at the 82nd Academy Awards. He has also received six Golden Globe Awards (winning one in 2010 for Crazy Heart), as well as a Cecil B. DeMille Award honor in 2019. Jeff Bridges is also a three-time BAFTA nominated, two-time Emmy nominated, and a six-time SAG Award nominated (one win for Crazy Heart) actor.
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