Jeffrey Leon Bridges was born on December 4, 1949, in Los Angeles, California, to well-known film and TV star Lloyd Bridges and his long-time wife Dorothy Dean Bridges. He grew up amidst the Hollywood scene with big brother Beau Bridges, frequently appearing in films and TV series alongside their parents. At age 14, Jeff toured with his father in a stage production of "Anniversary Waltz". He struggled with drug use in his teenage years, but recovered and began shaping his career.
Jeff appeared on TV as a younger version of his father in the acclaimed TV-movie Silent Night, Lonely Night (1969) and in the film The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go (1974). His breakthrough role came in the critically-acclaimed ensemble film The Last Picture Show (1971),earning him his first Oscar nomination. He went on to appear in a range of offbeat films, including Fat City (1972),Bad Company (1972),The Last American Hero (1973),The Iceman Cometh (1973),Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974),Rancho Deluxe (1975),Hearts of the West (1975),and Winter Kills (1979).
Jeff continued to be a scene-stealing favorite in the 1980s, starring in films like Tron (1982),The Fabulous Baker Boys (1989),and Starman (1984),for which he earned his third Oscar nomination. He received even higher regard for his portrayal of inventor Preston Tucker in Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988).
Since then, Jeff has continued to pour on the Bridges magic on film, with notable roles in The Fisher King (1991),American Heart (1992),Fearless (1993),The Big Lebowski (1998),and The Contender (2000),earning his fourth Oscar nomination. He won the elusive Oscar, plus the Golden Globe and Screen Actor Guild awards, for his down-and-out country singer Bad Blake in Crazy Heart (2009).
