The most memorable Jeff Bridges roles

Bridges has been “grizzled” for so long, it can be hard to remember him as a young, angular actor. In only his second film role, Bridges showed he was more than just Lloyd’s son. In fact, in this coming-of-age film that made Peter Bogdonovich’s career, Bridges was nominated for Best Supporting Actor.

The next year, Bridges went from working under a rising director to an old hand in John Huston. In this sports drama, Bridges plays the young boxer mentored by the aging pro played by Stacy Keach. It was another critical success for the actor.

Wow, did Bridges ever begin his career with gusto. We’re only a few years into his career, and this is already his second Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He’s Lightfoot, by the way, starring opposite Clint Eastwood in this Michael Cimino film.

The ‘70s King Kong has now been overshadowed by Peter Jackson’s epic remake, but this film definitely made a splash at the time. The whole moviemaker aspect was dropped for this movie, so Bridges’ lead character Jack Prescott is a paleontologist. He’s opposite Jessica Lange in this film.

Heaven’s Gate is a famous flop. Michael Cimino’s career basically ended with this movie. It’s a fiasco, to be sure. That being said, its infamous spot in movie history is also what makes it so memorable. There are a lot of forgettable films, but Heaven’s Gate will be remembered for a long time.

This film feels like a vestige of bleak ‘70s dramas, perhaps making it the end of an era. Bridges has something of the straight-man role opposite John Heard as Cutter, a hateful, angry alcoholic. It’s not a fun hang, but the performances are impressive.

At the time, Tron felt fresh and innovative. Now, it feels like a throwback. The special effects have aged well and not aged well in equal measure. People love the look, though, and they made a sequel many years later for a reason. It’s a classic ‘80s sci-fi flick.

This is a showy role, but Bridges doesn’t ham it up. He plays an alien who has taken on the image of Karen Allen’s dead husband. That means Bridges is playing an extraterrestrial not accustomed to moving or talking like a human. It’s a lot of “acting” business, but Bridges never goes too far. The Academy agreed, giving him a Best Actor nomination.

Preston Tucker is perhaps not a famous name, but the automaker made for an interesting figure for this biopic. Bridges plays Tucker in this film from Francis Ford Coppola. The lesson that has become clear here is that iconic directors love to work with Bridges, and it’s easy to see why. While this film flopped commercially, it was a big hit critically.

Jeff and his brother, Beau, got to star opposite one another, which is fun. And yet, we must admit the Baker Boys are overshadowed in this movie. Michelle Pfeiffer steals the show to some degree, especially with her singing.

Like a lot of Terry Gilliam movies, this is a weird film at times. However, it’s got quite the cast. Both Robin Williams and Mercedes Ruehl were nominated for Oscars, with Ruehl winning. Explaining the plot of the film is a little difficult. It’s a quasi-fairytale set in the gritty streets of New York, and that’s maybe all we should say for now.

Bridges' turn in Fearless is considered one of the best of his career. He plays a man who emerges from a plane crash unharmed and delves into the aftermath of that experience for him. It’s kind of like an existential take on Cast Away thematically in some ways.

Now, and likely forever, this is Bridges’ defining role. Oddly, The Big Lebowski was not necessarily a success when it was released. Then, it became a cult classic. Then, it became the cult classic. Bridges turn as The Dude has come to color our perception of Bridges even off of the screen. He seems like The Dude, or maybe we just want him to be The Dude, because we love The Dude. Or El Duderino, if you aren’t into the whole brevity thing.

The Contender has maybe been forgotten these days, but it did make at least a critical splash at the time. For this political drama, Bridges was once again nominated for Best Supporting Actor. Of course, he remained without an Oscar — for a little while longer.

After a few years being somewhat in the wilderness — being in K-Pax was not a stepping stone to glory — Bridges found himself in a movie that ended up, you know, changing the world of film. Iron Man is the first movie of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the film series that has set the closest thing to a monoculture we have currently. Bridges isn’t just in the film. He’s the villain. The first MCU villain!

At long last, Bridges won his Oscar. We won’t tell you that Crazy Heart is his best work. It’s definitely not his best movie by any stretch. That’s not really Bridges fault, though. Sure, he’s a bit tic-heavy in his performance, and it’s showy, but Bridges finally won his Oscar, and that makes Crazy Heart memorable forever.

Funnily enough, if the Academy hadn’t given Bridges an Oscar for Crazy Heart, they probably would have given him it for True Grit. Reuniting with the Coen Brothers, Bridges played Rooster Cogburn, the role that won John Wayne his Oscar. It’s similar to his Crazy Heart turn, but better. He got the Best Actor nomination, but the Academy wasn’t going to reward Bridges in back-to-back years.

By this point, Bridges had found himself getting a little typecast as grizzled, gravelly-voiced dudes with some sort of country outlaw vibe. R.I.P.D. is the nadir of that, but it definitely spoke to the moment. That is to say, it features Bridges basically doing Rooster Cogburn and Ryan Reynolds not finding his footing as a movie star. R.I.P.D. is not good, but we definitely remember it, and this is about his most memorable roles.

Bridges playing a Texas ranger in a heist drama? Yeah, that’s right up his late-career alley. Fortunately, this time it worked again. This sleek, low-fi drama was a critical darling. Hell or High Water got Bridges another Oscar nomination, his last one as of this writing.

Bad Times at the El Royale does not entirely work. It has its moments that really sing, and those that fall flat. The thriller has its showy moments and feels like it wanted to create memes, and that can be a little frustrating at times. Nevertheless, Bridges never undersells a moment and gives it his all. When he’s on screen, he’s always working, even when the scene around him isn’t.