By Jessica Wedemeyer
6:12am PST, Dec 4, 2020
Jeff Bridges was born to actor Lloyd Bridges and his wife, actress Dorothy Bridges, in Los Angeles on Dec. 4, 1949. The proud parents were snapped playing on the beach with their baby boy and his big brother — Beau Bridges, who also grew up to be an actor — sometime in the early '50s. Jeff also has a younger sister, Lucinda "Cindy" Bridges, and another older brother, Garrett, who died of sudden infant death syndrome in 1948.
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Jeff Bridges — who's pictured during his teen years with brother Beau Bridges, mom Dorothy Bridges and dad Lloyd Bridges — cut his teeth as an actor in various small roles on his father's TV shows "Sea Hunt," "The Lloyd Bridges Show" and "The Loner" in the late '50s and early '60s.
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Jeff Bridges made his feature film debut in 1970's "The Yin and the Yang of Mr. Go." He starred as aspiring writer Nero Finnigan alongside actress Irene Tsu.
Jeff Bridges achieved his first big breakthrough when he was cast as Duane Jackson in 1971's "The Last Picture Show." He scored his first Oscar nomination for his work in the coming-of-age drama.
Jeff Bridges scored his second Oscar nomination for his work in the 1974 crime-comedy "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot." He starred as a carjacker who gets caught up with a bank robber played by Clint Eastwood.
Iconic! Jeff Bridges starred alongside Jessica Lange in the 1976 remake of "King Kong." Although the monster movie scored mixed reviews from critics, it was a huge success at the box office.
Jeff Bridges met waitress Susan Geston while shooting the 1975 Western "Rancho Deluxe" in Montana. (He later described their immediate connection as love at first sight.) The couple shared the look of love at the opening of the Camp Beverly Hills Boutique on June 23, 1977. They tied the knot that very same year and soon added three daughters to their brood: Isabelle, Jessie and Haley.
Jeff Bridges and brother Beau Bridges were snapped with sister Cindy Bridges at her wedding at the Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles on Aug. 31, 1979.
It was another iconic performance for Jeff Bridges in 1982: He took on the dual roles of Kevin Flynn and Clu in "Tron."
Jeff Bridges and brother Beau Bridges co-hosted the Feb. 26, 1983, episode of "Saturday Night Live." (They're pictured during a massage therapy sketch.) Jeff returned to host the sketch-comedy show in 2010, breaking the record for longest gap between hosting gigs previously held by Sigourney Weaver with 24 years.
Jeff Bridges scored his third Oscar nomination after he starred as an alien being who falls in love with a human (Karen Allen) while impersonating her late husband in 1984's "Starman."
Lloyd Bridges sat on son Jeff Bridges' knee in a promotional photo for the 1988 biographical dramedy "Tucker: The Man and His Dream." Jeff starred as early automobile entrepreneur Preston Tucker while his dad had a small role as U.S. Senator Homer S. Ferguson.
Jeff Bridges and brother Beau Bridges shared the screen in 1989's "The Fabulous Baker Boys." They portrayed pianists whose lives are shaken up when they hire a former escort (Michelle Pfeiffer) to join their act.
Another lauded Jeff Bridges performance? In 1991, he starred in "The Fisher King" as a former shock jock who befriends a homeless man portrayed by Robin Williams. He earned his second Golden Globe nomination for his work in the dramedy.
Jeff Bridges and his father, actor Lloyd Bridges, shared the big screen for the second time in 1994's "Blown Away." Jeff starred as a Boston cop on the police force's bomb squad while Lloyd portrayed his character's uncle.
On July 11, 1994, Jeff Bridges was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. And get this: His star is positioned right next to the star belonging to his father, Lloyd Bridges! The two men beamed with pride while posing alongside their stars.
Jeff Bridges and his family — oldest daughter Isabelle Bridges, wife Susan Bridges, dad Lloyd Bridges, sister Cindy Bridges and mom Dorothy Bridges — posed together as Lloyd was honored with a Golden Boot Award, which recognizes contributions to the making of Western films, in Los Angeles on Aug. 17, 1996. Lloyd died less than two years later on March 10, 1998. He was 85.
Jeff Bridges was on hand when his big brother, Beau Bridges, won his third Emmy in 1997: The duo posed on the red carpet in Los Angeles with Beau's second wife, Wendy Treece Bridges, and one of Jeff's three daughters.
Jeff Bridges was joined by two of his real-life leading ladies — mom Dorothy Bridges and one of his three daughters with wife Susan Bridges — at the 1998 Emmys.
He may not have won any awards for his performance as The Dude in 1998's "The Big Lebowski," but it'll forever be the role with which Jeff Bridges is most closely associated.
In 2000, Jeff Bridges starred as President Jackson Evans in "The Contender." He scored his fourth Oscar nomination for his performance in the political drama.
Jeff Bridges has always been a musician as well as an actor. On Sept. 28, 2000, he performed during the Friends of the Dream Foundation benefit concert in Santa Monica, California. Earlier that year, he released his debut album, "Be Here Soon."
All grown up! Jeff Bridges was joined by wife Susan Bridges and two of their three daughters at the Los Angeles premiere of "Seabiscuit" on July 22, 2003. He portrayed the titular racehorse's owner, prominent Buick salesman Charles S. Howard, in the Oscar-nominated sports drama.
Is there anything this man can't do?! In 2003, Jeff Bridges published a self-titled book of photography. He signed copies at a New York City Barnes & Noble that December.
Jeff Bridges shared a tender moment with his mom, Dorothy Bridges, at a signing event for her book of poetry dedicated to husband Lloyd Bridges, "You Caught Me Kissing: A Love Story," in Los Angeles on Jan. 27, 2005.
Jeff Bridges posed with his mom, Dorothy Bridges, and siblings — brother Beau Bridges and sister Cindy Bridges — at The Hollywood Museum's annual awards ceremony on Nov. 30, 2006. Dorothy died less than three years later on Feb. 16, 2009. She was 93.
He was there when it all started… Jeff Bridges appeared in the very first installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: 2008's "Iron Man." He starred as Tony Stark's former mentor Obadiah Stane.
Jeff Bridges scored his first and only Emmy nomination for starring as a writer who adopts a wild dog while going through a midlife crisis in the 2009 HBO made-for-TV movie "A Dog Year."
In 2009, Jeff Bridges gave an award-worthy performance as ailing country star Bad Blake in "Crazy Heart."
Jeff Bridges finally won an Oscar — best lead actor for his work in "Crazy Heart" — at the 2010 Academy Awards. He also won his first Golden Globe, his first Screen Actors Guild Award and his second Film Independent Spirit Award for his work in the drama.
In 2010, Jeff Bridges returned to two of his most iconic roles — Kevin Flynn and Clu — in "Tron: Legacy," the long-awaited sequel to 1982's "Tron."
Jeff Bridges earned yet another Oscar nomination for his performance in 2010's "True Grit."
Jeff Bridges made the 2011 Oscars a family affair. He was joined on the red carpet by wife Susan Bridges and their three daughters: Haley, Jessie and Isabelle, who was pregnant at the time, along with her husband, Brandon Boesch.
Jeff Bridges released his self-titled country album in 2011. He signed copies of his CD in New York City that August. Four years later, he released his third album — "Sleeping Tapes," a spoken word album with ambient music by composer-producer Keefus Ciancia.
Jeff Bridges teamed up with Buddhist roshi Bernie Glassman for the New York Times bestseller "The Dude and the Zen Master," which uses "The Big Lebowski" as a starting point for the two men to share and discuss their Zen philosophies. They attended a reading in New York City on Jan. 8, 2013.
"The Big Lebowski" is so wildly popular, it spawned a religion, Dudeism, and an annual fan convention, Lebowski Fest. In 2014, Jeff Bridges made a special appearance at the event in Los Angeles, where he performed with his band, The Abiders.
Jeff Bridges' seventh Oscar nomination came when he starred in 2016's "Hell or High Water." He portrayed a Texas Ranger alongside Gil Birmingham.
A true honor! A beaming Jeff Bridges placed his handprints in cement during a ceremony at the iconic Chinese Threatre in Hollywood on Jan. 6, 2017.
Jeff Bridges slipped back into The Dude's iconic cardigan while honoring "The Big Lebowski" co-star John Goodman — who playfully bowed down to him — with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 10, 2017.
Jeff Bridges and wife Susan Bridges made for quite the comely couple during the annual Barnstable Brown Gala during the Kentucky Derby in Louisville on May 5, 2017. They celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary that year.
Jeff Bridges was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille Award for outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment during the 2019 Golden Globes.
Jeff Bridges released his second self-titled book of photography in 2019. He posed with a copy at a signing event in Hollywood that October.
Jeff Bridges made a special appearance during the virtual 2020 Creative Arts Emmys to present the award for best original music and lyrics. The following month, he announced on social media that he'd been diagnosed with lymphoma. "Although it is a serious disease, I feel fortunate that I have a great team of doctors and the prognosis is good. I'm starting treatment and will keep you posted on my recovery," he said. In addition to battling cancer, the Oscar winner is also gearing up for his first big TV gig: He's set to star as a retired CIA officer on the FX on Hulu thriller series "The Old Man."
