Actor Jeff Bridges has enjoyed an impressive big-screen career playing a broad range of characters from the President of the United States to an alien, and yet he is often called one of the most underrated actors of his time. For his acclaimed role as Rooster Cogburn in "True Grit," Bridges is nominated for an Oscar for the sixth time -- he won Best Actor last year for "Crazy Heart."
Get to know one of America's favorite stars!
Jeff Bridges: Oscar Nominee Trivia File
Jeffrey Bridges was born in Los Angeles to actress and writer Dorothy Bridges and actor Lloyd Bridges. Jeff has an older brother, actor Beau Bridges, and younger sister, Lucinda. His family lives in the Holmby Hills area of Los Angeles.
Jeff's love of music began at an early age. While his brother was outside playing sports, Jeff could be found in his bedroom playing guitar.
Bridges served in the U.S. Coast Guard in the late 1960s and as a reservist in the early 1970s.
Jeff and his brother, Beau, made a few appearances on their father's TV show, "Sea Hunt" (1958-1961) and the CBS anthology, "The Lloyd Bridges Show" (1962-1963).
In 1971, Jeff landed his first major movie role in the drama "The Last Picture Show," co-starring with Cybill Shepherd. He was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.
In an interview with Charlie Rose, Bridges said his experience working on John Frankenheimer's film, "The Iceman Cometh," assured him that acting would be his career.
'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot'
This 1974 American crime film, starring Clint Eastwood, earned Jeff his second nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
In the 1976 monster movie remake, Jeff stars as primate paleontologist Jack Prescott, who wants to protect the famous ape.
Jeff stars in the original "Tron" (1981) and sequel "Tron: Legacy" (2010) as hacker Kevin Flynn. The original film was praised for its visual effects and acting.
Bridges talks about making the original "Tron" in this YouTube clip ...
His role as ex-football star Terry Brogan in the passionate and edgy "Against All Odds" turned Jeff into a sex symbol. The 1984 film, inspired by the movie "Out of the Past," is centered around a steamy love triangle between Bridges and co-stars Rachel Ward and James Woods.
Bridges plays an alien who returns to Earth in this 1984 science fiction-fantasy film. He won the Saturn Award for Best Actor and was again nominated for an Oscar and Golden Globe as Best Actor.
For her role as an alcoholic actress who woke up next to a murdered man, Jane Fonda was nominated for Best Actress, playing alongside Bridges as an ex-policeman who believes in her innocence.
Jeff talks about AA and working with Jane Fonda in this 1986 Canadian interview ...
'Tucker: The Man and His Dream'
In Francis Ford Coppola's 1988 biographical film, Jeff stars as Preston Tucker, a maverick car designer who is trying to launch "The Car of Tomorrow." When Coppola began development of the film in 1973, Marlon Brando was originally slated to play the role.
'The Fabulous Baker Boys'
In this 1989 romantic musical drama, Jeff stars alongside his brother, Beau Bridges. They play two struggling brothers trying to make a living as jazz pianists in Seattle. They take on a female singer, played by Michelle Pfieffer — who was nominated for Best Actress.
Jeff was nominated for a Saturn Award as Best Actor for his role as Barney Cousins in the 1993 thriller, starring alongside Kiefer Sutherland, Nancy Travis and Sandra Bullock.
Surviving a deadly plane crash was the best thing that ever happened to Max Klein, the lead character played by Bridges in the 1993 Peter Weir film. Rosie Perez was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Carla Rodrigo.
Playing the stoner/slacker, White Russian-drinking Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski in the comedy "The Big Lebowski," Bridges wore several items from his own closet, including the character's signature jelly shoes. While the movie didn't do well when it first came out at the box office, it is now a cult classic. The Coen brothers movie even has its own ""https://www.lebowskifest.com/" target="_blank">Lebowski Fest," a celebration of all thing Lebowsi, held each year in different cities across the country.
For his role as U.S. President Jackson Evans in the 2000 political thriller "The Contender," Bridges was nominated for an Academy Award, Golden Globe, Satellite Award and Screen Actors Guild Award.
Jeff shaved his head for his role as supervillain Obadiah Stane/Iron Monger in the 2008 superhero film directed by Jon Favreau.
Jeff talks with Backstage Online about his role and the excitement of working with Favreau and Robert Downey Jr.
For his highly acclaimed role as Bad Blake in "Crazy Heart," Bridges won the Academy Award for Best Actor, Golden Globe for Best Actor, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role. In an nterview with Charlie Rosei, Bridges said Stephen Bruton, who co-wrote and produced songs for the film, was his role model — as Bruton's life has many parallels to Bad Blake's.
Bridges is nominated for a 2011 Academy Award for Best Actor among nominees Javier Bardem ("Biutful"), Jesse Eisenberg ("The Social Network"), Colin Firth ("The King's Speech") and James Franco ("127 Hours").
With a Widelux camera, a gift from his wife, Bridges is known to take pictures during movie shoots and give books of photos to the cast — offering a perspective of making movies from an actor's point of view.
Bridges said in an interview with Charlie Rose, that if he hadn't been an actor he would have been a musician or artist. He enjoys making ceramics.
Jeff met his wife, Susan Geston, on the movie shoot of "Rancho Deluxe," and they married in 1977. They have three daughters; Isabelle Annie (born 1981), Jessica Lily (born 1983) and Hayley Roselouise (born 1985).
Jeff is currently working on an album with his buddy, T-Bone Burnett. He recently joined the cast of the 2013 film "The Seventh Son," with Alex Pettyfer and Jennifer Lawrence.
