How Jeff Bridges built his fascinating body of work

For The Dude, I looked at myself, saw what I could use, and magnified it for the role. That’s the beginning, and then it’s what aspects of the character do I want to kick to the curb that don’t apply? For The Dude, I used a lot of myself, and the Coen brothers had a guy named Jeff Dowd who was their inspiration. We met and talked, but I didn’t base the role on Dowd too much.

You have played cops and criminals throughout your career. Do you have a preference? Or maybe you prefer to play a character like murder suspect Jack Forrester in “Jagged Edge,” who may be a hero or a villain?

I like both, not one more than the other. It’s interesting to explore the darker side, but the hero piece is interesting as well. It’s like choosing between comedy or drama. I like to do both.

What particularly impressed me about your performance was a key scene where Hamilton has to take a shot. There’s a tension in him to do it, but also a very palpable reaction/response after he fires the gun. Can you talk about how you portrayed this scene, which reveals so much about his character?

Yeah, a lot of that is in the script and hanging with Joaquin. Then there is just the acting of the scene, the “surprise” element; you can’t calculate how you are going to respond. So you let the emotion, in the process of putting yourself in the character’s position, you let it rip through your body. It’s a bit of an improvisation, really. You don’t know what’s going to happen.

Are you a good shot in real life?

Pretty good. In real life, I shot an M1 [rifle] in boot camp.

What can you say about Hamilton’s sense of humor? He has several sly, racist comments about his partner, Alberto (Gil Birmingham), that are amusing and insulting at the same time.

I come from a family of teasers myself. My grandfather was from Liverpool, and he had a dry sense of humor and he would tease us terribly. My brother Beau was so skilled in his teasing that he could get a rise out of me by simply pointing at me. My mother and father would explain it was affection — that Beau knew me so well he knew what buttons to push. But it’s tough being on the other end of that. That kind of teasing is prevalent. And it’s also how you’re raised and treated by your family. You witness your parents’ behavior.

Hamilton’s partner Alberto is constantly teasing him about his impending retirement. Do you think there will come a time when you’ll stop acting and focus on something else?

Well, I’m kind of doing that now in a way with this music thing late in my career — making it professional. I’ve been playing music since I was a teen, but “Crazy Heart” inspired me to get a band together, The Abiders. Unlike Texas Rangers, we actors don’t have a stop date, so I don’t know about retiring. Sometimes I want to stop acting, but then you get a good script!

With all you’ve done in your career, is there a part you always wanted to play, or an actor or director you wish you could/could have worked with?

Not really. I’m not one of those guys who has to play FDR. I like to be so inspired by a script that I’ve got to do it. I do my best to not engage in the scripts. I’m pretty fussy. That’s my method. I don’t have anything I’m dying to do. I wanted to use my music when “Crazy Heart” came along.

You also made beautiful music with “The Fabulous Baker Boys.”

Yes, “The Baker Boys!” Two first time directors, Steve Kloves for “Baker Boys” and Scott Cooper for “Crazy Heart,” and they knocked it out of the park!

Speaking of directors, is it too soon to ask you about working with the late Michael Cimino?

He was a wonderful director and I loved working with him. I did his first film, “Thunderbolt and Lightfoot,” with him, and then we made “Heaven’s Gate.” Both were different experiences and different films, but I’m happy “Heaven’s Gate” is getting more respect these days. It’s a beautiful film. I could go on about Mike. I live in Montana in the Hog Ranch that was used as the whorehouse in “Heaven’s Gate.” Mike gave it to me.