Jeff Bridges has faced a difficult battle with cancer over the last few years, but he was determined not to let his health struggles get in the way when it came to his daughter’s wedding day…
Bridges revealed that he worked with a trainer so he could walk his daughter down the aisle.
Scroll on to find out more…
Jeff Bridges is an award-winning actor.
Hailing directly from Los Angeles, Bridges came from a family of actors so this career path was low-key destined from a very young age.
At the age of seventeen, Bridges toured with his father in a stage production of Anniversary Waltz…
And it was around this time when he moved to New York City where he studied acting at the Herbert Berghof Studio.
From there, Bridges acting roles began…
He landed the role of Cal Baker, a Jobs Corps crew member in the TV series Lassie in 1969.
In 1971, he played the lead role of Mike in the TV movie In Search of America.
His first major role came in the 1971 film The Last Picture Show, for which he garnered a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
He then went on to star in movies such as Fat City (1972), The Last American Hero (1973), Thunderbolt and Lightfoot (1974), and King Kong (1976).
And not forgetting Starman (1984), Jagged Edge, and Against All Odds. (1985).
But the role Bridges is perhaps most acclaimed for was as “The Dude” in the 1998 movie The Big Lebowski…
And this iconic role remains to be Bridges’ most famous to this very day.
In 2005, Bridges turned up to a Lebowski Fest in L.A. in character as The Dude and sang the movie’s theme song by Bob Dylan, “Man in Me.”
He went on to sign a recording contract with Blue Note Records/EMI Music Group in 2011, in which he worked with producer T-Bone Burnett and released his album, Jeff Bridges.
But, despite the success in his career, it’s not all been great for Bridges.
For the past few years, Bridges has been battling cancer.
Back in October 2020, Bridges revealed that he was battling Lymphoma.
In a tweet at the time, he wrote: “As the Dude would say… New S**T has come to light.”
“I have 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.”
Thankfully, Bridges is now in remission.
In a post on his website in September 2021, Bridges revealed that his lymphoma was in remission after receiving treatment for many months.
“The 9″ x 12″ mass has shrunk down to the size of a marble,” he wrote.
Months after the announcement, Bridges was spotted out walking with his wife, Susan.
The couple, who have been married since 1977, were spotted walking along the streets of Santa Barbara, People reports.
They appeared to be taking their pet pooch for a walk.
Recently, the actor has spoken out to say he feels “terrific.”
He shared his feelings during a virtual panel interview for his latest series The Old Man.
“As far as I’m concerned, FX and all of the team were so considerate and gave me all of the time I needed to heal and all the support I needed,” he told The Wrap at the time.
“The protocols — we were still in COVID — made me feel very safe and eager to get down to business and play.”
The FX series took 2 blows in 2020, after being postponed once due to the pandemic and again for Bridges treatment…
“I went through a year and a half of this bizarre dream and then came back,” he said. “It was great to be back with the gang.”
Bridges also talked about the ugly side of his cancer battle, revealing on his website that he often felt he was close to death…
“While I had moments of tremendous pain (screaming singing, a sort of moaning song all through the night) getting close to the Pearly Gates, all in all, I felt happy and joyous most of the time,” he said. “This brush with mortality has brought me a real gift — LIFE IS BRIEF AND BEAUTIFUL. LOVE IS ALL AROUND US, AND AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES.”
However, Bridges explained that the experience helped him create a connection with his character Dan Chase, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
“In times like that, it seems like all your philosophies and spirituality comes to you. It tests you,” he said. “All of that has been made more mature by that experience. I’ve always approached life the same way, [but this] made things sharper.”
We’re so happy he’s doing well!
And now, Bridges has spoken out about a major accomplishment.
Revealing that his health struggles left him only able to stand for “45 seconds” at most, he began treatment to help him get stronger.
And there’s a heartwarming goal he had in mind to help him achieve this.
His youngest daughter’s wedding.
He wanted to walk his daughter Hayley down the aisle.
Bridges shared with The Independent that it was a long road to get there.
“The first goal was how long can I stand up, and my record was 45 seconds, that’s how long I could stand up. And then it was, how many steps can I take?” he said.
After working with a trainer for a little while, Bridges said: “Maybe I can do it, you know”.Â
“And it turns out I not only got to walk her down the aisle, but I got to do the wedding dance.”
Incredible!