I had success as an actor relatively early. When I was 22, I got nominated for an Academy Award for The Last Picture Show, so that road, you know, had the least resistance. I was doing my music all that time, but it's pretty hard to turn down these great movie offers. And my father counseled me; he said, "You know, one of the wonderful things about acting is that you can incorporate all of your interests into the different parts you play." I'm glad I listened to the old man, because that's the way it turned out.

Jeff Bridges

Categorized in : Father Men Acting

35 million people in the U.S. are hungry or don't know where their next meal is coming from, and 13 million of them are children. If another country were doing this to our children, we'd be at war.

Jeff Bridges

war country children

You've got to take care of yourself on the path, not just when you cross the goal line, because don't forget, wherever you are, that's the goal line.

Jeff Bridges

lines care goal

My wife, whenever I'd go off to work and I'd be kind of anxious, she'll say, 'Remember, have fun.' Oh, I forgot, thanks for the reminder. Because sometimes we do forget. We take it all too seriously and there's a lot of joy to be had wherever you are.

Jeff Bridges

wife joy fun

A fella who accepts himself and is relaxed into who he is - that appeals to people.

Jeff Bridges

appeals accepting people

Always maintain a joyful mind. Appreciate the struggles as opportunities to wake up.

Jeff Bridges

appreciate struggle opportunity

Live like you're already dead, man. Have a good time. Do your best. Let it all come ripping right through you.

Jeff Bridges

good-times men life

I've had really great experiences working with first-time directors. They come at filmmaking with fresh ideas. I've been very lucky that way.

Jeff Bridges

movie directors ideas

It's like that perfection thing, trying to be that thing you're not. You have to feel that discomfort and not try to get rid of it. Accept that aspect and get into it. Acknowledge those feelings and let them be. You are who you are.

Jeff Bridges

perfection feelings trying

My wife holds the kite strings that let me go 'weeeeeee', then she reels me back in.

Jeff Bridges

strings kites wife

Poverty is a very complicated issue, but feeding a child isn't.

Jeff Bridges

poverty issues children

Making films is sort of like you're pulling off a magic trick. It's sort of like an illusion. It's not real but you want it to appear real, and all kinds of things go into that, from the clothes you're wearing to the make-up, to the light.

Jeff Bridges

clothes light real

The more space and emptiness you can create in yourself, then you can let the rest of the world come in and fill you up.

Jeff Bridges

emptiness space world

What are the aspects of yourself that line up with the character? You magnify those, and the ones that don't match up you kind of kick to the curb.

Jeff Bridges

lines kind character

When I'm working, I'm very purposeful and everything else gets out of focus. Something I've had to work on together with my wife is how to acknowledge each other in the midst of this and keep the relationship going.

Jeff Bridges

wife focus together

We would do improvisation together. And that in a way, had almost a "student-film side" where we'd be sitting there with Robert Downey and Jon Favreau and we're playing around, we're jamming around and we read those pages and in next couple of days that's what we do, so it was a good experience. Kind of frightening at first because you didn't quite know how it was going to work out, but they had some very talented people there so it worked out well.

Jeff Bridges

work-out couple people

If you change partners every time it gets tough or you get a little dissatisfied, then I don't think you get the richness that's available in a long-term relationship.

Jeff Bridges

littles long thinking

One of the things I want to do that's outside the realm of acting and the arts - although both have their place in this - is ending childhood hunger here in America.

Jeff Bridges

childhood america art

Thoughts will change and shift just like the wind and the water when you're on the boat; thoughts are no different than anything else.

Jeff Bridges

different wind water

It's not enough just to treat women well. We have to work to make sure all men treat women well.

Jeff Bridges

violence powerful men

I'm always busy, but I'm lazy as well.

Jeff Bridges

being-busy lazy busy