Jeff Bridges facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jeff Bridges
Jeff Bridges at the 2017 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	Jeffrey Leon Bridges (1949-12-04) December 4, 1949 (age 75) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor film producer singer
Years active	1951–present
Spouse(s)	Susan Geston ​ (m. 1977)​
Children	3
Parent(s)	Lloyd Bridges Dorothy Bridges
Family	Beau Bridges (brother) Jordan Bridges (nephew)
Awards	Full list
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service/branch	United States Coast Guard
Years of service	1967–1975
Rank	Petty officer second class

Jeffrey Leon Bridges (born December 4, 1949) is a famous American actor. He is well-known for playing main characters in movies and TV shows. Over more than 70 years, he has won many awards. These include an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. He was also nominated for three BAFTA Awards and two Primetime Emmy Awards. In 2019, he received the special Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award.

Jeff Bridges grew up in a family of actors. He appeared on the TV show Sea Hunt (1958–1960) with his dad, Lloyd Bridges, and brother, Beau Bridges. His first big movie was Halls of Anger (1970). He then starred in The Last Picture Show (1971), which earned him his first Oscar nomination. He became a leading actor in movies like King Kong (1976), Tron (1982), and The Big Lebowski (1998).

Bridges received more Oscar nominations for films like Starman (1984) and True Grit (2010). He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as a singer in Crazy Heart (2009). He has also been in big movies like Iron Man (2008) and Tron: Legacy (2010). On TV, he was nominated for Emmy Awards for A Dog Year (2009) and The Old Man (2022–2024).

Jeff Bridges' Early Life and Family

Jeff Bridges was born on December 4, 1949, in Los Angeles, California. His dad, Lloyd Bridges, was an actor, and his mom, Dorothy Bridges, was an actress and writer. He has an older brother, Beau Bridges, who is also an actor. He also had a younger sister, Lucinda, and a brother, Garrett, who sadly passed away as a baby.

Jeff and his siblings grew up in Holmby Hills, a part of Los Angeles. He was very close with his brother Beau. Beau often helped take care of him when their dad was away working. Jeff finished University High School in 1967. When he was 17, he acted with his dad in a play called Anniversary Waltz. After that, he moved to New York City to study acting. He also served in the United States Coast Guard Reserve from 1967 to 1975.

Jeff Bridges' Acting Career

First Roles in Movies and TV

Jeff Bridges' father Lloyd Bridges with whom he acted alongside in Sea Hunt and The Lloyd Bridges Show

Jeff Bridges first appeared on screen in 1951, when he was just a baby. He was in a movie called The Company She Keeps. As a child, Jeff and his brother Beau sometimes appeared on their dad's TV shows. These included Sea Hunt (1958–1961) and The Lloyd Bridges Show (1962–1963). In 1965, he had a supporting role with his father in an episode of The Loner.

Becoming a Star in the 1970s and 1980s

In 1971, Jeff Bridges got his first big movie role in The Last Picture Show. This role earned him his first nomination for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He then starred in the boxing movie Fat City (1972). In 1974, he was nominated for another Oscar for his role in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, where he acted with Clint Eastwood.

In 1976, he starred as Jack Prescott in the movie King Kong. This movie was a big hit, making a lot of money. In 1982, Bridges played Kevin Flynn, a video game programmer, in the science fiction film Tron. This became one of his most famous roles. Critics loved Tron, calling it "brilliant". He also voiced Prince Lir in the animated movie The Last Unicorn that same year.

Jeff Bridges in 2009

In 1984, he starred in the science fiction romance Starman. He played an alien, and this role earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. He also appeared in thrillers like Jagged Edge (1985) and The Morning After (1986). In 1988, he played Preston Tucker in the movie Tucker: The Man and His Dream. The next year, he starred with his brother Beau in The Fabulous Baker Boys.

Established Actor in the 1990s and 2000s

Jeff Bridges in 2013

In 1990, Jeff Bridges returned to his role as Duane Jackson in Texasville. This was a sequel to The Last Picture Show. In 1991, he starred in The Fisher King with Robin Williams. He played a radio host who becomes friends with a homeless person. For this role, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award. In 1992, he produced and starred in American Heart, winning an award for his acting.

In 1993, he starred in Fearless. Many critics consider this one of his best performances. In 1994, he was in the action film Blown Away with his real-life father, Lloyd Bridges. On July 11, 1994, Jeff Bridges received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his movie work.

Julianne Moore and Jeff Bridges at LebowskiFest in 2011

In 1998, he played his most famous role: Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski in The Big Lebowski. This movie became a cult classic. In 2000, he played a fictional president in The Contender. This earned him his fourth Academy Award nomination. He also starred in Seabiscuit (2003), a movie about horse racing. In 2007, he voiced the character Big Z in the animated film Surf's Up.

Recent Career Highlights

Jeff Bridges at an event for The Giver in 2014

In 2008, Jeff Bridges played the villain Obadiah Stane in the Marvel movie Iron Man. He also returned as Kevin Flynn in Tron: Legacy (2010). In 2009, he received great praise for his role as a country singer in Crazy Heart. For this movie, he won the Academy Award for Best Actor, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

In 2010, Bridges received his sixth Oscar nomination for True Grit. He played Rooster Cogburn in this Western film. In 2013, he wrote a book called The Dude and the Zen Master. It talked about the similarities between his character "The Dude" and Zen Buddhism. In 2014, he produced and starred in the movie The Giver.

Jon Hamm, Dakota Johnson, and Jeff Bridges promoting Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)

In 2016, he was nominated for his seventh Oscar for his role in Hell or High Water. In 2019, he received the special Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award for his amazing contributions to film. From 2022 to 2024, he starred in the TV series The Old Man, earning more award nominations. In 2024, it was announced that he would return as Kevin Flynn in Tron: Ares.

Jeff Bridges' Interests

Music Passion

Jeff Bridges during a concert in 2016

Jeff Bridges loves music as much as acting. He started playing piano when he was young. Early in his career, he sold two songs to famous composer Quincy Jones. While filming Heaven's Gate in 1980, he often played guitar with his co-star Kris Kristofferson. His character in Crazy Heart was partly based on Kristofferson.

In 1982, he sang two songs as Prince Lír in The Last Unicorn. He released his first album, Be Here Soon, in 2000. In 2005, he surprised fans at a Lebowski Fest by singing the theme song from The Big Lebowski, "The Man in Me". In 2011, he released his second album, Jeff Bridges, which was produced by T Bone Burnett.

In 2015, he sang a duet with Judy Collins on her album Strangers Again. That same year, he released an album called Sleeping Tapes. All the money from this album goes to his charity, No Kid Hungry. Jeff Bridges plays many guitars, including a special one made by Breedlove Guitars.

Photography Hobby

Jeff Bridges has enjoyed photography since high school. He started taking pictures on movie sets in 1984. His favorite camera is a Widelux F8, which his wife gave him. He has shared many of his photos online and in a book called Pictures: Photographs by Jeff Bridges (2003). In 2013, he received an award for his photography. A second book of his photos, Jeff Bridges: Pictures Volume Two, came out in 2019.

Jeff Bridges' Personal Life

Jeff Bridges at the premiere of True Grit at the 2011 Berlin Film Festival

Jeff Bridges and his siblings inherited their family home in Malibu. Sadly, the house was destroyed in a fire in January 2025.

Marriage and Family

Jeff Bridges married Susan Geston in 1977. They met while he was filming Rancho Deluxe (1975), where Susan was working as a waitress. They have three daughters, born in 1981, 1983, and 1985.

Health Journey

On October 19, 2020, Jeff Bridges shared that he had been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of cancer. He went through chemotherapy for treatment. On September 12, 2021, he announced that his cancer was in remission. This means the cancer had shrunk greatly. During his treatment, he also caught COVID-19 and fought it for almost five weeks. He shared that his recovery from both illnesses was a long process.

Giving Back to the Community

In 1984, Jeff Bridges helped start the End Hunger Network. This group works to stop childhood hunger. He supported President Obama's plan to end childhood hunger by 2015. In 2010, Bridges became a spokesperson for the No Kid Hungry campaign. This organization aims to end childhood hunger in the United States. Bridges also supports groups that work to protect the environment.

Jeff Bridges' Filmography

Awards and Nominations

Jeff Bridges' star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

Jeff Bridges' Music Albums

See also

In Spanish: Jeff Bridges para niños

• List of oldest and youngest Academy Award winners and nominees