the dude. this is piers morgan tonight. is it possible to have a 40-year career in hollywood makeover, 60 movies, and still have a reputation as mr. nice guy? everybody tells me in the business and out, you're the nicest guy in show business. how do you plead? >> i'm going for guilty. >> have you always been easy to work with? the running theme is that you're just the nicest guy to work with. >> yeah, i think i have, you know. i take my lead from my old man, lloyd. lloyd bridges, you know. my dad. >> yeah. great man. >> who loved showbiz so much and, you know, i got to work with him as a kid. whenever there was a role for a little kid, he would say, come on, get out of school, play with dad. you know, that kind of thing. but as an adult, i got to work with him twice on "tucker" and a movie called "blown away" and it was a little different experience, you know, as an adult i saw when he came on the set how much fun he was having and how that fun was kind of contagious, you know, and when you're having fun you kind of relax and your best work kind of bubbles out. >> and your mother actually came up with a similar to you, have fun in your life. >> that was the tip that she would always give me and my wife does it now, whenever i go off to a job. my mom used to say, my wife says now, remember, have fun and don't take it too seriously. you know, that's -- that really is a good tip. >> have you learned that or have you -- i notice an interesting career path. you're taking this year off to do music but you also made ten movies before you were really convinced you wanted to do this at all. >> absolutely. >> the tear in your life has always been between the music and movies? >> well, like most kids, i didn't want to do what my folks wanted me to do. i had my own idea. >> they were both movie stars? >> my mom wasn't a movie star. they met at ucla, you know, in the drama department. and my mom was probably the best actor of the whole bunch. but they were so encouraging about showbiz and my dad loved it so much. and, you know, i dug it pretty much. but i had this music thing going that i really loved. and i had those dreams. and then the movie thing took off and it was like a path of least resistance kind of thing. like i said, i enjoyed it. and so a certain part of my -- i can tell you the moment -- do you want me to tell you -- this is kind of an indepth interview. i was making a movie called last american hero. this was maybe 14th, 15th movie. and playing a stock car driver. and normally after a film i had this feeling of, oh, i don't want to ever make another movie again. it uses a funny kind of muscle, you know, in this pretending business. i said, i don't want to pretend anymore. i just want to be me, you know, that kind of thing. so a week after that i got a call from my agents very excited and he said, i've got great news. john frankenheimer wants you to be with robert fry andly marvin. i said, oh, that's nice. i'm going to pass. they said, what do you mean? i said, i'm bushed, man. i'm going to pass. they said, you're kidding me. he hung up and five minutes later lamont johnson called me and in a very low voice and said, i hope you turn this ice man cometh down. i said yes, i'm bush. he said, you're bushed? and i said yeah. and he said, you're a [ bleep ] . and he hung up on me. and i thought, well, i'm wondering what my career path will be here and i know i don't really particularly want to do this. maybe i will do it and this will put the final nail in the coffin. so i experimented. i got on board of that film and it was such an interesting experience. you know, most move ies if you're lucky, you shoot for eight, ten weeks. this was a ten-week rehearsal with a wonderful director and then we shot it in two weeks. so it was a big play and that was play was like four hours long. it was a chance of working with these old masters. >> and is that when you really fell in love with the craft? >> oh, yeah. i mean, something about it. and it was interesting thing about anxiety, remember, have fun and all of that. and i thought early on, gee, maybe if this ng tea, you do it for so long and then it kind of goes. and on that film, ice man comeeth, i learned that that was not the case. robert ryan, a wonderful actor, we had a lot of scenes over a table like this. and i see these big puddles of sweat and said, bob, after all of these years you're still nervous? he said, oh, yeah, i'd really be scared if i wasn't scared. >> really? >> and frederick march, he's like in his late 80s and anxiety and not wanting to drop this great opportunity. big time. >> imagine making movies, because of the pace of them, unlike live theater, there's no real nerves because if you make a mistake you just redo it. >> oerk, no, but it's the whole -- you know, the term, dropping the ball. that's what it feels like. remember with crazy heart, for instance, what an opportunity to do this movie with -- >> it was the perfect film. >> oh, my gosh. >> your dream role. >> burnett is in charge of the music. how wonderful. yeah, but are you going to be able to pull it off? are you going to do it. >> it's like the wide receiver going out for a long ball. please, let me catch this thing, you know. >> fascinating. >> yes. it creates more anxiety. >> yeah. and when you played that role, obviously music being this great passion outside of movies for you, you could see it in the depiction of the character. i mean, have you ever thought that could have been you? you could have had this career and ended up like washed up old cowboy has been? >> i'm glad i listened to the old man. >> when you were wobbling about the movie, what did your dad say to you? >> what did he say? you know, it -- he didn't have to say much because the opportunities kept -- you know, the last picture show, that happened when i was maybe 19 or 20 years old. that was nominated for an academy award. >> let's play a clip from "the last picture show". >> my girl anlt mean nothing to you? >> she isn't your girl. >> she is my girl. >> you don't even live her name. >> that don't make no difference. i'm telling you right now, she's going to marry me when i get some more money. >> she's going off to college. i doubt i'll be able to go with her again when she gets off. she's never going to marry you. >> don't tell me she won't. she'd never let you view her, that's for sure. >> what do you think when you watch yourself? >> i'm thinking of timmy, what a wonderful actor he is and he didn't get the recognition, i don't think, that he deserved in that movie. but movies are full of that kind of thing. the stuff that goes unnoticed. >> you're a good critic of yourself? >> a good critic, you mean -- >> are you right? >> i think so, i think so. yeah. you get kind of honed, you get better. >> you won six times and then finally you -- it was a wonderful moment when you won the oscar and we'll come back to that later. but did you feel that despite all of your best efforts, you were never actually going to win an oscar and does it begin to eat away? >> no. no. no. it's a relief. when they don't call your name, you're like, i have to get up there? >> you don't mean that? >> oh, it's wonderful. yeah. oh, yeah. i think i even said in the thing, kind of what blows my underappreciated status, that was the cool place to be. that's the place up want to be. >> because it's like more comfortable there. you're not as exposed, right? >> oh, for all kinds of reasons. it's just nicer, you know, to be not put on the spot, not to beat anything else. it's wonderful to be acknowledged by your peers, you know, the guys who do what you do to get that tip. that does -- you know, that's in the -- >> are you comfortable with the fact that right now you're about as big a movie star as america has? does that scare you? does that unnerve you? do you wish you could crawl back into a slightly more comfortable zone? >> as you say that, kind of challenge it. only as you say t i normally don't think of that kind of stuff. >> very few people have had the run of success that you have. you're saying, okay, let's -- >> yeah. >> is it partly that? >> is it partly what? >> are you partly deliberately getting out of the movie game for a year to calm things down? you must be getting every script out there? >> i just wanted a little bit of a break. i did a bunch back to back with tron and "true grit" came very close together. talk about that pretend muscle getting exhausted. >> i'm curious, before we go to a break, about the psychology of jeff bridges who, at the peak of his powers, with everybody who wanted to give you the best roles out there, you walk away for a year? >> hmm. >> what should we read into this? it can't be because of the fantasy of music. >> well, it was just, you know, bushed. i was bushed, you know. and that's kind of how i always planned it. i've been so fortunate. i'm a product of nepotism, you know. the hardest thing about acting is the profession is getting the break. as you know, you do the show. you know about that kind of stuff. and my dad got me in there and once i took off, i've never really been ambitious or eager or any of that kind of stuff. it's funny. >> you should reserve the right to feel bushed. >> there you go. yeah. into when we come back, i want to talk to you about the women that you said this about. when i was young and in my 20s, i feared marriage. i thought it was a giant step towards death and then you met a woman and you thought, now this is interesting and everything changed. >> taking a break or are you going to talk about that? there's another way to help eliminate litter box dust: purina tidy cats. our premium litters now work harder to help neutralize odors in multiple cat homes. purina tidy cats. keep your home smelling like home. >> hey, go to bed, frank, or this is going to get ugly. yeah? come on. >> he hit me. >> that was you and your brother bo in the baker boys. >> what a dream that was. you know, bo, music, and michelle. dream come true. >> the dream tape. >> yes. >> i read the clip before the break about how your marriage changed. you said, this is interesting when you met this woman called susan. and then last year you said, i really am more in love with her now more than ever. that was 34 years later. >> yeah. >> what was it about her? how did you know she was going to be that interesting for you? >> it was the corny love at first sight thing. >> initially? >> oh, yeah. >> where are were you? >> i met her on a movie set. one of my favorite states, montana, we were doing a scene with sam, harry, and richard bright and we were soaking in a hot tub at a dude ranch called chico hot springs. and you know how guys will take a magazine or something and look like this and use that as a shield to check out the gishls, you know, so i'm doing that and i see this girl, a gorgeous girl who is watching us and she looks like she's working there or something. she's got a broken nose and two black eyes and she's just gorgeous. i cannot take my eyes off of her. she busts me every time. i look at her. and it's -- i don't know about for you, i would imagine for you, too, it's tough asking a girl out. you've got to really, you know, get the courage -- >> yeah. don't you think? >> totally. >> i finally work my courage up to ask her out and i say, would you like to go out tonight? and she goes, no. it's a small town. maybe i'll see you around. i said, really? she goes, yeah. i say, okay. and her prophecy came true and maybe -- i think it might have been that night, the night after that, i saw her in a bar and we danced and that was it and now we cut 20 years later, so i'm married. we've got three kids. i'm sitting at my desk opening my mail and i get a letter from the makeup man on that show and it might be an interest to you, it's two shots of you asking a local girl out for a date and it's a picture of me asking my wife out for a date from that moment and her saying no and there was a bic picture taken. >> of the moment of rejection? >> of that moment. and a closeup. because she was the prettiest girl in the joint. and i'll show it to you right now. >> i know. >> i carry it. this is my prized possession. and you'll say, why did i fall in love. >> look at that. >> isn't that wild? you can see -- >> absolutely. >> that is the moment -- >> that's the picture? >> those are the first words that i ever spoke to my wife asking her out and her answer was no. >> that is absolutely extraordinary. >> and it shows how pretty she is with her two black eyes. how did she get those black eyes? >> a car accident. >> when i think was she the right woman and there's no question. >> why do you think you've been able to have such a happy, sustainable marriage in a business in which is t is so littered with failure in that department? >> luck i'm sure has a lot to do with it. my parents were very and we developed a practice of leaning into those tough times. here's an opportunity for us to get a little more intimate, to know a little bit more about each other. and we don't shy away from it. it doesn't scare us so much. and in a marriage, you know, i was -- we've been married, what, 34 years, you said. i forget that sometimes. but it's a long time and it doesn't take 34 years to find out that you're going to clash. and whether you take those clashes and say, all right, that's it. that's the line, i am out of here, or you take that as an opportunity to make that growth a little further to hold that and hold that and hold that and then do you that quite a while and make that your practice. >> do you think too many people throw in the towel too early? >> i think so. yeah. yeah. because rewards become, you know, so wonderful and it becomes more and more precious. the deeper the intimacy becomes. that's the high and life. to be intimate. theats what we wanted to do. and when you get the gray moments, it's ten times better. and then the clash, it's always kind of an ancient thing. it's almost like a different version of the same thing. you know, over and over. we're going to go on a break and talk about my personal favorite of your life and it's obvious, you are obviously to me and always going to be the dude. so, dude, when we come back, we're talking dude. let me explain something to you. i am not mr. loboski. you're the dude. >> you're the dude. to millions of people around the world, you will always be the dude. lots of other movies. to me, every year, literally, i watch it. >> good for you. >> bottle of wine, few friends, we howl with laughter. >> isn't that a good one? >> one of the best. >> so good. >> smart, funny comedy. right? how those things should go hand in hand. >> i don't know how they do it. >> you know, i read that thing. it made me laugh, you know, all the way through it. i was kind of surprised when it came out and didn't do it. and had to come back years later and it became a cult hit. you notice that there are no flaws. >> how beautiful. >> what did you make of it? >> that's very sweet. that's very sweet. >> compliment. >> it really is. you don't see it going on. >> are you aware of the kind of, i don't know, admiration is not a strong enough word. are you aware of that? are you proud of that? >> yeah. especially with this reward thing. when these guys stood up and, strong, that is a strong feeling. >> what does that tell you? >> about my folks, i feel like i'm an extension of them, really. >> what would they have made of it, really? >> they were there, circling the room and they were just, you know, beaming. smiling. oh. >> you could feel it? >> oh, god yeah. >> was that the greatest moment of your life? >> it feels great. you know, then there's the -- you know, the work itself and working with all of these great -- and with all of these other artists and to throw all of your artistry. >> let's have a look of kras glee heart. >> as you finish that movie, did you have a feeling that this could be the one? flares a lot of stumbling room between finishing a movie and coming out and people seeing it. we were so fortunate to have fox search light be our distributor, who, they are the specialists that really treat those kinds of movies. >> i want to read you great quotes. there's a very weird collection of sayings and quotes. this one i live. after ecstasy, the laundry. did you get a laundry moment your wife says, put your pants on? >> that's part of life. yeah. >> how about this one? randolph, he who mounts a wild elephant goes where a wild elephant goes. mounted many wild elephants? >> yeah, i mounted one right now. you never know. yeah. >> do you feel like life's about mounting an elephant, about taking risks? >> it can be. it can be. i mean, you can get in trouble, too. >> what's been the biggest gamble that you've taken, do you think, with your career? >> before you said the word career, i was going to say marriage. i was deathly afraid of getting married. my theory is that death is the last step, that marriage is the next step because this is the woman, now of the other women, the fear of marriage is really the fear of death. and getting back to the movies, what was the question? what was -- well, the biggest gamble professionally. >> well in a funny way, we touched on this earlier, even though crazy heart was taylor made, the director, scott cooper was -- he wrote it with me in mind. all of these things. >> it's not about being able to fulfill your own expectations? >> yeah. that's the big thing. >> because as a musician yourself, you don't want to be scene as a poor performer? >> yeah. yeah. >> this is what i care about. and, yeah. >> we're going to go to break and come back and talk to you about music and about your crazy music heart. let me tell you about a very important phone call i made. when i got my medicare card, i realized i needed an aarp... medicare supplement insurance card, too. medicare is one of the great things about turning 65, but it doesn't cover everything. in fact, it only pays up to 80% of your part b expenses. if you're already on or eligible for medicare, call now to find out how an aarp... medicare supplement insurance plan, insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company, helps cover some of the medical expenses... not paid by medicare part b. that can save you from paying up to thousands of dollars... out of your own pocket. these are the only medicare supplement insurance plans... exclusively endorsed by aarp. when you call now, you'll get this free information kit... with all you need to enroll. put their trust in aarp medicare supplement insurance. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. the prices are competitive. i can keep my own doctor. and i don't need a referral to see a specialist. call now to get a free information kit. plus you'll get this free guide to understanding medicare. and the advantages don't end there. choose from a range of medicare supplement plans... that are all competitively priced. we have a plan for almost everyone, so you can find one that fits your needs and budget. with all medicare supplement plans, there are virtually no claim forms to fill out. plus you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare. and best of all, these plans are... the only medicare supplement plans endorsed by aarp. when they told me these plans were endorsed by aarp... i had only one thing to say... sign me up. call the number on your screen now... and find out about an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan. you'll get this free information kit... and guide to understanding medicare, to help you choose the plan that's right for you. as with all medicare supplement plans, you can keep your own doctor and hospital that accepts medicare, get help paying for what medicare doesn't... and save up to thousands of dollars. call this toll-free number now. 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