The life and career of Jeff Bridges

Veteran actor Jeff Bridges is in his seventies and seems to have settled down lately as a retired man. Aside from his age, he may be resting because he is facing a serious illness: lymphoma.

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Jeff Bridges was born on December 4, 1949, in Los Angeles. He was raised in an artistic family and started acting early on.

His father was Lloyd Bridges (1913-1998), an actor with a prolific career, and his brother is actor Beau Bridges.

Together with Beau, Jeff would make the film 'The Fabulous Baker Boys' in 1989.

Before making that movie, Jeff Bridges got his start on the big screen in 1970. The next year, he played the role that got him his first Oscar nomination for his supporting role in Peter Bodganovich's surprising masterpiece 'The Last Picture Show'. This important nomination marked the beginning of an uninterrupted career of success and prestige for Bridges.

On a personal level, Jeff Bridges got married to photographer Susan Geston in 1977 and has been happy with her ever since.

Together for more than four decades, they have three daughters: Isabelle Annie, Jessica Lily, and Hayley Roselouise.

The actor believes that starting a family was the best thing he has ever done. Susan Geston and his daughters are his greatest support.

With more than five decades of projects under his belt, it is difficult to summarize Jeff Bridges' career in an article. Some outstanding titles of the early decades are: 'Thunderbolt and Lightfoot' (1974), 'King Kong' (1976), 'Tron' (1982), and 'Starman' (1984, photo).

In 'The Fisher King' (1991) he starred with Robin Williams and they were both nominated for a Golden Globe. Williams took the prize home.

Jeff Bridges is known for several unforgettable characters. Jeff 'The Dude' Lebowski in 'The Great Lebowski' is one of the best-remembered roles. It excellently brings out Bridges' comedic style.

'The Big Lebowski,' released in 1998, became a milestone in Bridge's career. The absurdist movie by the Coen brothers depicts a group of friends (including John Goodman and Steve Buscemi) who get tangled up in the affairs of a troubled millionaire with the same 'Lebowski' name. It is considered a cult classic in the history of cinema.

Fellow 'Lebowski' star John Goodman has great memories of the film which added a classic to his repertoire.

Jeff Bridges also appeared as Bill Django in 'The Men Who Stare at Goats' (2009) with a star cast that included George Clooney, Ewan McGregor, and Kevin Spacey. Earlier, he had been the villain Obadiah Stane in 'Iron Man' (2008).

The actor got two Oscar nominations for Best Supporting actor for his roles as the fictional U.S. President Jackson Evans in 'The Contender' (2000) and the Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton in 'Hell or High Water' (2016, photo).

The 2000s and 2010s brought cinematic highs for Jeff Bridges. In 'True Grit' (2010) he played Rooster Cogburn, a role by John Wayne in the earlier version of the film. Bridges got praise for the role from film critics and was nominated for an Oscar, BAFTA, and SAG award, among others.

The most successful role for Bridges was Bad Blake in 'Crazy Heart' (2009). He played a lonely country singer whose career has taken a dive and whose best friend is the bottle. When he falls in love with a young woman, played by Maggie Gyllenhaal, he starts thinking differently about life again.

'Crazy Heart' showed Jeff Bridges' melancholic side and his talent for music. Apart from being an actor, he is also a musician and producer, photographer, cartoonist, storyteller, and wine grower in his spare time.

Bridges won the Oscar and the Golden Globe for Best Male Actor in 'Crazy Heart.' Later, in 2019, the Academy awarded him the Cecil B DeMille Prize to celebrate his career.

Jeff Bridges identifies as a Buddhist and activist. He is involved in projects to feed the poor, such as 'Share Our Strength' and 'End Childhood Hunger.'

In October 2020, Bridges turned to his iconic movie character, Jeff 'The Dude' Lebowski, to announce his illness. "As the dude would say... New S..T has come to light. I have been diagnosed with lymphoma. Although it is a serious disease, I feel lucky to have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good. I am starting treatment and will keep you informed about my recovery."

Picture: TheJeffBridges / X

A few months after this message, the actor announced that his tumor had shrunk. However, he's not out of the danger zone. And that is too bad, because Bridges is one of those iconic figures of Hollywood that we would hope to see on the big screen for many more years.

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