Son of the famed actor, the late Lloyd Bridges, who starred in over 150 motion pictures, and at one time was on the Hollywood Blacklist headed by Senator Joseph McCarthy’s communist witch hunt, Jeff Bridges was born in to the royalty of Hollywood. With an actor father, an actor older brother, Beau Bridges, and a mother who was in the arts as a writer and poet, he had an open door to Hollywood. But Jeff Bridges was no coat tail riding kid with no talent, he went on to create a legacy of work, as one of Hollywood’s most enduring, gifted actors.
From Starman, to Tron, to Tucker – Man and his Dream, the recent Men who Stare at Goats, the cult classic Big Lebowski, Fisher King, Jagged Edge, and many, many more, the appearance of Jeff Bridges in a film creates a certain comfort for an audience. A Jeff Bridges film just feels right. He is all-American, calm, and cool. His performances work, and his presence lifts the stature of any film from just another film, to something significant.
But while his work as an actor, particularly now his performance in Crazy Heart, for which he just won best actor in a leading role, is no mystery as to the mastery of his craft, what few may know, is that Jeff Bridges element of talent and cool do not stop on the screen. His website, which he designed (link below), with his own skillful artwork, is one of the coolest we have ever seen. British actor Mark Woolley, who votes on best pictures for the U.K., states, “Crazy heart is a great story, with a great cast, and brilliantly executed. This kind of film is what drew me to the business.”
Mark Woolley, like Jeff Bridges, is both an actor and a musician who plays guitar. Of the song “The Weary King,” written by Ryan Bingham, which won best Achievement in music written for a motion picture – Original Song, in Crazy Heart, performed by Jeff Bridges, Mark Woolley states that the song “Encapsulates the mood and feel of the piece, and is also a really good song.”
Jeff Bridges tells us a bit about music and the new move of The Oscars to feature ten nominees for best picture this year. He states, .” ….one aspect of what these awards are all about to bring attention to all these great movies that we made, you know. And so I’m all for this ten Best Pictures. I think that’s wonderful. And I hope a lot of people can see Crazy Heart because of this.”
Q. Can you please talk about the music of Crazy Heart Mr. Bridges?
A. Jeff Bridges: Music is the same way. We have, you know, a movie about music here, but music and movies are a common link for all of us. And I am hoping that this will kind of raise my profile, and I am all about getting us, you know, getting us all together, getting the world healthy.
Q. That sounds great.
A. Jeff Bridges: Sometimes I’ll think of movies as a great example for the way the world can work. You have all these, you know, different opinions, and all these different ways we can work together. And we can make the most beautiful movie we can make, and we have the opportunity to make this the most beautiful world too. So I hope that furthers that idea.
Q. Thank you.
A. Jeff Bridges: Thanks man.
