In 2016, Matthew McConaughey and Jeff Bridges discussed their favourite roles as part of Variety’s Actors on Actors series. Bridges has appeared in over 70 movies since 1970, but there’s one of his best movies that was the perfect marriage of actor and character, and which will forever be the first role people think of. The Dude, His Dudeness, the Duder, or El Dudarino – if you’re not into the whole brevity thing.
McConaughey brought it up with Bridges by saying; “iconic characters, dude.” McConaughey compares The Dude to his character Wooderson in Richard Linklater’s 70s-set high school comedy Dazed and Confused. Wooderson was McConaughey’s first ever movie role. McConaughey says that people still quote Wooderson to him, and says that people must quote The Dude to Bridges all the time, and asks him how it feels.
Bridges says; “I love that, man. I’m such a fan of that movie, what a good movie. Whether I was in it or not, it would probably be one of my favourite movies. The Coen Brothers are so good. Any kind of recognition from that movie, I never get tired of it.”
Bridges continues; “I have a band, man and we’re called The Abiders – I’m realizing a teenage dream. I had my Beatles moment – we went to a Lebowski Fest. We showed up and played to a sea of Dudes.”
Bridges also says that he admires the Coens because you don’t see the effort. “There’s some bold stuff in there, like [John] Turturro man. I’ll be spinning the TV clicker and Lebowski will come on and I’ll say; ‘I’ll just watch until Turturro licks the bowling ball, then I’ll move on.’ And then I can’t stop, because each scene is just candy, man.”
Check out our guide to the best comedy movies.