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?
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.
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.
Jeff Bridges: Thanks man.