How Jeff Bridges Masters This Series FX | Pretty Reel

Despite an easy path to Hollywood, guided by his Lloyd family and Beau Bridges, Jeff Bridges paved the way to fame through natural talent. Coached by his father and brother, Bridges developed skills that landed him all sorts of roles. As Alex Pappedemas of Men’s Health comments, Bridges played “cowboys and country singers, good men and flawed men and men who really want to kill Iron Man.” Yet despite portraying so many varied characters, Bridges maintains an essence in all of his work that is so authentically him.

In 2020, The Big Lebowski and Crazy Heart star was diagnosed with cancer. Shortly after overcoming his lymphoma, Bridges contracted COVID and, as he told Men’s Health, “coped [his] Mortality. Bridges’ dance with death encouraged him to experiment and pursue his career with his new FX project The Old Man. At first, the actor was preoccupied with work on television. He told Vanity Fair’s Derek Lawrence that he still saw a big difference in quality between movies and TV, and he thought a show would be “rushed or whatever.” He realized, however, that there are many “quality” shows out there today and felt that it was “worth experiencing”.

The Old Man is based on Thomas Perry’s 2017 novel and follows retired CIA agent Dan Chase, who resided off the grid for three decades. After killing an intruder, Chase is followed by his old nemesis, Harold Harper of the FBI, played by John Lithgow. Here’s how Jeff Bridges uses his talents for The Old Man.

Jeff Bridges learned to do more than just say lines

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Prior to The Old Man, Bridges had only appeared on two television shows, his father’s 60s project Sea Hunt in addition to The Lloyd Bridges Show. In a chat with Marc and Melissa Hunt of Smashing Interviews, Bridges explains that her dad told her to not just say the lines, but to hear them too. Bridges also learned that being ‘relaxed’ during work allowed ‘good things’ to flow, a skill he also learned from Lloyd Bridges. These talents translated into The Old Man.

Bridges delivers his lines like a former CIA agent would, with fatigue but also a certainty of who he is, a combination of fatigue and confidence that suits the character perfectly. The Guardian’s Adrian Horton called Chase’s Jeff Bridges performance “standout” and impressive considering he ” [toggles] between fight, flight and retreat modes.

Jeff Bridges connects with his character in The Old Man

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Given that Bridges was dealing with health issues prior to entering The Old Man, his character’s retirement and then abrupt return to work made sense to him; Plus, as a septuagenarian himself, he came to better understand a show about aging. Bridges told Vanity Fair that he was also drawn to the “theme of [life’s] consequences” and deal with outstanding challenges. In an article for The Daily Actor, Bridges reveals that he “starts with himself and sees what fits [his current] character. He gives the example of his performance in the Oscar-nominated Hell or Highwater, where he “magnified” his teasing qualities to boost his character’s credibility.

Watching The Old Man, you can see Jeff Bridges digging into his own life for the difficult emotions Dan Chase is going through. It’s the skill that makes all of Bridges’ work so appealing. Mike Hale of The New York Times describes Bridges’ performance in The Old Man as “absolutely compelling every moment” and conveys Chase’s “lethality and fragility” with ease.

The spirituality of Jeff Bridges is added to the FX series

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Although Jeff Bridges has always nurtured a spiritual side, his experiences over the past two years have further enhanced his approaches to acting. His battle with mortality taught him major and unexpected life lessons, much like former CIA agent Dan Chase. On the set of The Old Man, Bridges is assisted by a real CIA agent, Christopher Huddleston. Huddleston introduced Bridges to Stoicism, an ancient Greek philosophy that really resonated with the actor (and his Buddhist studies) and his current persona. In an article by Theresa Gambacorta of SPIN, Bridges explains that stoicism “leans into what you think is a problem rather than trying to avoid it.”

Dan Chase is totally in that mindset. He’s a tired old man, yet he can’t resist the disruptions that come to his life. Although Jeff Bridges faces new challenges and unforeseen lessons, these obstacles only strengthen his acting abilities.

In a CBS Morning News article, Jeff Bridges is called “a leading man with the soul of a character actor.” He can be a hero, a villain, a statesman, or a stoner,” mastering whatever comes his way. Like the Stoics, Bridges rolls with the punches. His new show, The Old Man, currently airs its seven episodes Thursday nights at 10 p.m. on FX, and is available to stream on Hulu; it has already been renewed for a second season.

How Jeff Bridges Masters This Series FX | Pretty Reel