hour. the dude. this is "piers morgan tonight." good evening. is it possible to have a 40-year career in hollywood, makeover, 60 movies, and still have a reputation as mr. nice guy? well, apparently it is if you're jeff bridges. and he joins me now for me to test his theory. 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. what the hey? >> have you always been easy to work with? because the running theme of all your co-workers has always been 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. >> great actor. >> who loved showbiz so much. i got to work with him as a kid on "sea hunt." whenever there was a role for a little kid, he'd say come on, get out of school, come on, 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 bubbles out. >> and your mother actually came up with a similar sort of entraity to you, to have fun in your life. >> that was the tip that she would always give me. and my wife does it now. after i go off to a job. my mom used to say, my wife says now, she'll say, remember, have fun and don't take it too seriously. you know, that really -- that's a good tip. >> have you learned that? or have you -- because i notice the interesting career path you've taken. you've taken this year off to do music. but you also made about ten movies before you were really convinced you want to do this at all. >> oh, absolutely. >> the tear in your life's always been between the music and the movies. >> yeah, you know, like most kids i didn't want to do what my folks wanted me to do. you know, i had my own ideas. >> they were both movie stars. >> well, no, my mom wasn't a movie star. they met at -- in ucla. you know. in the drama department. and my mom is probably the best actor of the whole bunch. but they were so, you know, encouraging about the -- about show business, and my dad loved it so much. pretty much. but i had this music thing going that i just -- i really loved. and i had those dreams. but then the movie thing took off and it was like the path of least resistance kind of thing. and like i say, i enjoyed it. and so at a certain part of my -- i can tell you kind of the moment. you want me to tell you the -- this is kind of an in-depth interview. you go into those kinds of things. >> yeah. >> i was making a movie called "last american hero." this is maybe in my -- >> i remember it. >> -- 14th, 15th movie. and it was about -- playing a stock car driver. and normally, after a film i had this feeling of oh, i never want to make another movie again. it uses a funny kind of muscle, you know, this pretending business. and i said, i don't want to pretend anymore, i just want to be me. you know, that kind of thing. so i was going through that period right after that film. and about a week after that film was completed i got a call from my agent, very excited. and he said, oh, i've got great news. john frankenheimer wants you to be in "the iceman cometh," with robert ryan, frederick march, and lee marvin. and i said, oh, that's nice, i'm going to pass. he says, what do you mean? i said, i'm bushed, man. you know, i'm going to pass. he said, you're kidding me. i said no. he hung up. and about five minutes later lamont johnson, the director, from "last american hero," called me up. and he had a very low voice. and he said, "i heard you turned this iceman cometh down." i said, yeah, i'm bushed, lamont. he said, "you're bushed? ?" he said, "you are an ass." and he he hung up on me. and i said -- i'm one to do experiments on myself from time to time. and i thought, well, i'm wondering what my career path will be here. and i know i don't really partly want to do this. maybe i will do it and this will put the final nail in the coffin of my acting career. so i'll experiment. so i got on board on that film. and it was such an interesting experience. you know, most movies if you're lucky you get two weeks rehearsal and then you shoot for eight, ten weeks. this was like flipped around. it was a ten-week rehearsal with these great master actors and a wonderful director. and then we shot it in two weeks. it was a big play. and that play is like four hours long. so it was the chance of working with these old masters -- >> and is that when you really fell in love with the craft of acting? >> oh, yeah. yeah. i mean, something about it. it was an interesting thing. i thought early on maybe it's this anxiety, you do it for so long and it kind of goes. but on that film, "the iceman cometh," i learned it is not the case. wonderful actor. robert ryan. we had a lot of scenes over a table like this. and he was sitting there like this. he said, all right, we're ready to go, rolling. and he put his hands down, and i see these big puddles of sweat. and i said, bob, after all these years you're still nervous? he said, "oh, yeah, i'd really be scared if i wasn't scared." >> really? >> and then you see frederick march. he was like in his late 80s. and his anxiety, his not wanting to drop this great opportunity -- >> and do you get that? >> big-time. >> people imagine making movies because of the pace of them, unlike, say, live theater there's no real nerves because if you make a mistake you just redo it. >> oh, no. but it's the whole -- that term, "dropping the ball." that's what it feels like. remember, with "crazy heart," for instance, what an opportunity, to do this movie with -- >> for you it's the perfect film. >> oh, my gosh. >> you're playing the dream role. >> and my buddy t-bone, you know, burnett is in charge of the music. how wonderful. 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 that long ball, please let me catch this thing. it creates more anxiety. you know. >> 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. you could have had this career, this washed-up old cowboy, has-been. >> i'm glad i listened to the old man. >> when you were wobbling about the movies, what did your dad say to you? >> what did he say? he didn't have to say much because these opportunities kind of kept -- "the last picture show." that happened when i was maybe 19, 20 years old. that got nominated for an abl academy award -- >> let's watch a little clip from "last picture show." >> what did you get so mad about? i didn't do nothing to you. >> screwing my girl ain't -- >> i didn't screw your girl. >> she's not your girl -- >> she is my girl. i've always lived here. i'm get herring back i'm telling you right now. she's going to marry me one of these days when we get a little more money. >> she's not going to marry you. >> she will. >> she's going to go off to college. i doubt i'll get to go with her myself when she gets off. i didn't see what it hurts to go with her this summer. she ain't going to marry you -- >> she is. don't you tell me. she'll never let you screw her. that's for sure. >> what do you think of when you see that? >> i'm thinking of timmy bottoms. what wonderful actor he is. he didn't get the recognition he deserved in that movie. but movies are full of that kind of thing. you know, the stuff that goes unnoticed. you know, that's all the -- >> what's the best role you think you've played and didn't get the recognition you thought it might? >> i don't know about the role, but as you ask that question i think of the movies i wish i would have seen more. and because so many things have to come together to make it a success not only financially but artistically, and a movie called "the amateurs." i don't know if you've ever seen it. it's available on dvd. it had a wonderful cast. you know. about roles, i don't know. it's a funny thing. when i look at my own work, i'm quite critical when i view it. i can't help but be. it almost seems like a green light and a red light that goes off saying yeah, yeah, oh -- >> are you a good critic of your own actor? >> a good critic, you mean -- >> are you a -- i mean, are you right? >> i think so. i think so. yeah. i think, you know, you kind of hone. you get better. >> you got oscar nominated six times, and then finally you get the gold. and it was a wonderful moment when you won the oscar. and we'll come back to that a bit later. but did you feel that despite all your best efforts, 60-odd movies, you were neve actually going to win an oscar? and does it begin to eat away at you? >> no, no, no. it's a relief. you know, when they don't call your name, oh, [ muted ], don't have to get up -- >> don't tell me -- >> oh, it's stoeltly true. >> a relief to lose? >> yeah. i think i even said in the thing, it kind of blows my underappreciated status. that was the cool place to be. that's the place you want to be. >> because it's more comfortable there. you're not as exposed, right? >> yeah. for all kinds of reasons. you know, it's just -- it's just nicer. you know, to be not put on the spot, you know, of having to, you know, beat anything else or anything. no, it's really -- it's wonderful to be acknowledged by your peers, you know, for guys to do what you do, to get that tip. in the nomination. that feels -- >> 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 the slightly more comfortable zone? >> kind of challenging. yeah. only when you say it. normally i don't think of that kind of stuff. >> very few people have had the kind of run of success you have. and yet very bravely, or perhaps it's because of your feeling of slightly unnerved by, it you're saying okay, let's just -- >> yeah, yeah. >> is it partly that? >> is it partly what? >> are you partly deliberately getting out of the movie game just to give it a break, to calm things down? you must be getting every script out there. >> yeah, yeah. i just -- i did a bunch back to back with "tron" and "true grit" came close together. talk about that pretend muscle getting exhausted. i was pretty wiped that way. but -- also, you know, with music, we might get into this later on, is this year i wanted to not do the movies but do music and also work on ending hunger in our country. >> we're going to talk about the charity. it's a very good charity. i'm just curious, before we go to a break, just about the psychology of jeff bridges, who at the peak of his powers, with everybody wanting to gf you the best roles out there, you walk away for a year. >> hmm. >> what should we read into this? it can't be just because you fancy a bit of music. >> well, it was just bushed. you know, that's the word. i was bushed. you know. and that's kind of always how i've played it. just -- you know, i've been so fortunate. my god. i mean, i'm a product of nepotism. you know. my dad -- the hardest thing about acting as a profession is getting the break. you know. as you know, you do a show all about that kind of stuff. that's the toughest thing. and my dad, you know, he was saying, come on, do this thing. he would -- so he got me in there. and once that kind of took off, i've never really been that ambitious, you know, or eager or any of that stuff. you know? it's funny. >> well, you should reserve the right to feel bushed. >> yeah, there you go. yeah. >> when we come back, i want to talk to you about the woman who you said this about. "when i was younger in my 20s i had a fear of marriage. i thought it was a giant step toward death." and then you met a woman and you thought, now this is interesting. and everything changed. >> are we taking a break or you want me to -- [ nadine ] buzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzz, bzzzz, you know, typical alarm clock. i am so glad to get rid of it. just to be able to wake up in the morning on your own. that's a big accomplishment to me. i don't know how much money i need. but i know that whatever i have that's what i'm going to live within. ♪ ♪ so i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates. shouldn't it be given in an amazing way? ♪ the lexus december to remember sales event is here, but only for a limited time. see your lexus dealer. 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[whoosh, clang] you need lifelock-- the only identity protection company that now monitors bank accounts for takeover fraud. lifelock-- relentlessly protecting your identity. call 1-800-lifelock or go to lifelock.com today. take it back. hey! >> go to bed, frank, or this is going to get ugly. yeah? >> come on. ooh. >> [ bleep ] newlywed game. >> you hit me. >> that was of course you and your brother beau in the immortal "the fabulous baker boys." did you enjoy working with your brother? >> what a dream that was. beau, music, and michelle. my god. dream come true. >> the dream team. >> oh, man. yeah. >> i read you a quote before we went to the break about how your view on 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 than ever." and that was 34 years later. >> yeah. >> what was it about her? how did you know she was going to be that interesting to you? >> it was the corny love at first sight thing. >> literally? >> oh, yeah. >> where were you? >> i met her on a movie set. i was in one of my favorite states, montana, making a movie called "rancho deluxe." we were doing a scene with sam waterst waterston, harry dean stanton, and richard bright, and we were soaking in a hot tub in a dude ranch up in montana called chico hot springs. >> i just love the image you're conjuring. >> oh, yes. and you know how guys -- you know, they'll take a magazine or something and they'll look like this, use that as a shield to check out the girls. you know. so i'm doing that. and i see this girl, gorgeous girl who's 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 her. and 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 -- >> men find it much harder than women think they do. >> don't you think? >> totally. >> so i finally worked 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 said okay. and her prophecy came true and maybe -- it might have been that night or the night after that, i saw her in a bar and we danced and you know, that was it. now we cut 20 years later or something, i'm married. we've got three kids. i'm sitting at my desk opening my mail and i get a letter from the make-up man on that show and he says, i was going through my files and i came across a photograph that might be of interest to you. it's a shot -- it's two shots of you asking a local girl out for a date. and i look at the thing, and it's a picture of me asking my wife out for a date. >> from that first -- >> from that moment. and her saying no. and there was a picture taken. >> of the moment of rejection. >> of that moment. and a close-up because he thought -- she was the prettiest girl in the joint, you know. and he took a -- i'll show it to you right now. >> really? >> i carry it. this is my prized possession. and here it is. you won't -- you'll see -- you ask me why i fell in love or what -- well, there are the pictures right there. >> look at that. >> isn't that wild? and you can see -- >> that's 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 show how pretty she is with her two black eyes. >> you have the face of -- >> oh, i'm just cold cocked. >> this is her again? this is her with the black eyes? >> that's her with the black eyes. >> how did she get the black eyes? >> car accident. i thought it was her boyfriend. i was going to save her and all that. but no. >> i love this. >> isn't that sweet? >> what an amazing thing. >> so whenever i think was she the right woman? and there's no question. you know. >> why do you think you've been able to have such a happy sustainable marriage in a business which is so littered with failure in that department? >> luck i'm sure has a lot to do with it. my parents were very -- i was i was going to say happily, but they went through, you know, unhappy times, too. and i think sue and i, we've developed a practice of kind of leaning into those tough times, you know, and looking at those -- now, 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, you know, so much. and in a marriage -- i was going to say -- we've been married, what, 34 years. i can't -- i forget that sometimes. but it's a long time. but 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 the love grow a little bigger, to hold that, and to hold that, and then you do that quite a while and you do that quite a while and you make that your practice -- >> do you think too many people just throw in the towel too early? >> i think so, yeah. yeah. because the rewards become so wonderful and it becomes more and more precious, the deeper -- the more you do that, the deeper -- the deeper the intimacy becomes. that's the high in life, isn't it? be intimate? that's what we want to do, all of us, i think. >> also there's a great comfort, isn't there, from having that kind of relationship with somebody for so long, if you can be that close with someone, go through the peaks and troughs. >> oh, yeah. >> when you get the great moments, it must be ten times better. >> and i find that the clash is always -- it's kind of an ancient thing. it's almost a little different version of the same thing. you know, over and over. >> we're going to have a little break and come back and talk about my personal favorite part of your life, and it's obviously "the big lebowski." you are obviously to me always going to be the dude. so dude, when we come back, we're talking dude. ♪ [ female announcer ] you use the healing power of touch every day. the healing power of touch can be even more powerful. with precise from the makers of tylenol. precise pain relieving cream works quickly to activate sensory receptors. it helps block pain signals fast for relief you can feel precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. [ gargling ] oo-ay-ow. savings. savings. savings? progressive was the first to offer online quoting. you can do better. first to show comparison rates. ding! the "name your price" tool. oh! gosh, don't mind if i do. who was the first to offer pet injury coverage? we were. and when did you know you wanted to sell insurance? i said i wouldn't cry. um... whee! it's flo time. now, that's progressive. call or click today. are you employed, mr. lebowski? >> wait, let me explain something to you. i am not mr. lebowski. you're mr. lebowski. i'm the dude. >> you are the dude. i mean, to millions of people around the world, jeff bridges, you will always be the dude. i can't pretend anything else. loved you in "crazy heart." loved lots of other movies. to me every year ritually i watch "the big lebowski." >> good for you. that's a great movie. >> bottle of wine, great friends, and we howl with laughter. >> isn't it a good one? >> just one of the best movies. >> it's so good. >> just smart funny comedy. these things should go hand and hand. >> those coen brothers. they just know how to do it. they make it look so easy. >> did you know from the script how good it was going to be? >> yeah. i mean, i read that thing and it made me laugh, you know, all the way through it. i was kind of surprised when it first came out and it didn't do much here. had to go over on the other side of the pond, then come back years later and it became the kind of a cult thing. >> john goodman came out with a great quote about your performance. it's like watching a diamond cutter. when you look at the diamond you don't think of the work, you just notice there are no flaws. >> oh, that's beautiful. how beautiful. >> what do you make avenue that? >> that's very sweet. that's very sweet. >> quite a compliment. >> it is. it really is. that's kind of what i aspire to and the kind of work that i appreciate where you don't see it. you don't see it going on. you know. >> are you aware of the kind of, i don't know -- admiration is not really quite strong enough word that you now have amongst your peer group. i mean when we talk to them, they all now talk about you as being one of the great, great actors in the country right now. >> oh, that's good to know. >> are you aware of that? are you proud of that? >> yeah. >> does it unnerve you? >> yeah. especially with this award thing. when those guys stood up -- wow. strong. that's a strong feeling. >> when they announced you as the winner of the best actor, what did you really feel in that moment? >> i felt my folks. yeah. i feel like i'm an extension of them really. >> what would they have made of it, do you think? >> they were there, circling the room and they were just, you know, beaming, smiling and, oh. >> you could feel it? >> oh, god, yeah. >> was that the greatest moment of your life? >> i would say the kids -- seeing my kids born beat that. >> but professionally. >> yeah. >> but for an actor to win best actor at the academy awards, it doesn't get better than that. >> yeah, that's true. getting that nod. it feels great. but then there's just the work itself and working with all these great -- the cool thing about the profession as far as i'm concerned is the chance to work with all these other artists. you know. and then to throw your -- throw all of your artistry together and you shake it up and you don't know what's going to happen. you've got high hopes, but every once in a while it just transcends everyone's expectations. >> well, it did this perfectly in "crazy heart." let's have a look at a clip from "crazy heart." ♪ ♪ ♪ baby, i don't know >> i mean it was a spectacular role. as you finished that movie, did you quietly have a feeling this could be the one? >> it felt so good. so many elements. but, you know, there's a lot of stumbling room between finishing a movie and then it coming out and people seeing it. you know. we were so fortunate to have fox searchlight be our distributor, who are -- you know, they're the specialists at really treating those kind of movies like that. >> i want to read you some great quotes. and you'll recognize these because you put them on your own website. and i found this fantastic because there's such a varied, weird collection of sayings and quotes. this one i love. it's a zen saying. "after ecstasy, the laundry." i love that. did you get a laundry moment after the oscars? you wake up the next day your wife says, put your hants on. >> yeah, yeah, that's part of life. yeah. >> i like this one. randolph bourne. he who wounmounts a wild elepha goes where the wild elephant goes. have you mounted many wild elephants in your time? >> yeah. i'm on one now. you never know. yeah. >> do you feel like life's about mounting wild elephants, it's about taking risks? >> it can be. it can be. risk taking is a wonderful thing. you don't want to just take it just for that sake of that. i mean that can get you in trouble, you know, too. >> what's been the biggest gamble do you think you've taken with your career? >> with my career. when you first said it before you said the word career i was going to say marriage. i was deathly afraid of getting married. >> why were you? because clearly you're very good at it. >> well, i said -- you made a little bit of the quote there about the death thing, which drives my wife crazy when i say it. but my theory is that if death is the -- kind of the end of the story, like the last chapter in the story, that marriage is a giant step in that direction. because -- >> towards death. >> towards death. >> no wonder your wife doesn't like you -- >> exactly. because this is the woman for the rest -- now all the other women, no, no. this is the one. so the fear of marriage is really the fear of death. >> because there's a finality to it. >> yeah. now getting back to the movies. what was the question? >> the biggest gamble professionally. >> well, in a funny way, we kind of touched on it earlier. is "crazy heart." even though it was so -- it was tailor made. the director, scott cooper, was -- you know, he wrote it with me in mind. you know, t-bone. all these things. >> it's about not being able to fulfill your own expectations. >> yeah, yeah. that's the big thing. >> because as a musician yourself you don't want to be seen as a poor performer. >> yeah, yeah. >> it wouldn't be good for you, would it? >> this is what i care about and please, you know, let me do this well. yeah. >> we're going to have another break, come back and talk to you about music, the other great passion in your life, and about your crazy music heart. >> good. >> just throbs away. >> mm-hmm. when bp made a commitment to the gulf, we knew it would take time, but we were determined to see it through. today, while our work continues, i want to update you on the progress: bp has set aside 20 billion dollars to fund economic and environmental recovery. we're paying for all spill- related clean-up costs. and we've established a 500 million dollar fund so independent scientists can study the gulf's wildlife and environment for ten years. thousands of environmental samples from across the gulf have been analyzed by independent labs under the direction of the us coast guard. i'm glad to report all beaches and waters are open for everyone to enjoy. and the economy is showing progress with many areas on the gulf coast having their best tourism seasons in years. i was born here, i'm still here and so is bp. we're committed to the gulf for everyone who loves it, and everyone who calls it home. [ woman ] ♪ what i want this season ♪ if you'd like to try and guess ♪ ♪ it is something very special ♪ i would readily confess [ dogs barking ] ♪ 'cause all i want this season ♪ ♪ is something from your heart ♪ la da da, la da da [ male announcer ] thinking of others this holiday season, travelers. ♪ i know that you've been feeling down and blue ♪ ♪ there ain't nothing really wrong with you ♪ ♪ you just need a little tending to ♪ ♪ let me show you what a little bit of love can do ♪ ♪ it's amazing what a little bit of love can do ♪ ♪ let me show what you a little bit of love can do ♪ that was a song "what a little bit of love can do" from your self-styled first album. tell me about music. i know you love it and obviously you're incredibly good at it. tell me about the passion. where does it come from, the musical passion? >> hmm. where does it come from? well, beau, my big brother, he's eight years older than i am. so my early memories are, you know, chuck berry and little richard and buddy holly, those guys. and then picking up -- i remember he had a white danelectro guitar that i really coveted and finally stole from him. >> here's the ultimate question i would suspect. here's the deal. you're going to win a grammy for best album, for the album that's coming out, but the deal is i take away the oscar. would you take the deal? >> no. >> you can't have both. >> you know why? i dig the statue, that statue. >> where do you keep it? >> it's sitting on -- between our kitchen and our dining room. >> how often do you look at it or caress it? >> every time i go by, check it out a little bit. it's got a good weight to it. it's a beautiful statue. >> they're heavy, aren't they? >> yeah, it is a beautiful thing. >> so you wouldn't swap them? >> no, i don't think swapping. no. no. >> are you nervous about critical reaction to the album? >> i'm kind of hopeful, i guess. i want people to like it. just like movies you do. you do a movie, you want people to enjoy it, you know. but all the -- it's pretty much a done deal as far as that goes for me because i dig the album. bone digs it. my wife digs it. johnny goodwin, the guy who wrote a lot of the songs, one of my best and oldest friends, digs it. that's about it. >> are you proud of it? >> oh, yeah. >> is it what you hoped it would be? >> oh, man. it was like the thing i told you about the movies exceeding all your expectations. that's what it did for me. the musicians that t-bone assembled. oh, my god, they're just so remarkable. >> i want to read you another quote from your quotes list on your website. germane greer. "you're only young once but you can be immature forever." is there a little streak of immaturity still in jeff bridges or have you properly grown up now, you think? >> i don't think you ever do. i don't know. i think there's always -- you know, haven't turned out the light yet. >> you were quite a party boy in your time, weren't you? >> yeah. not as bad as some, or good, whatever you want to say. you know -- >> do you miss those days? >> i just had one a few days ago. i had all the guys up in montana. we jammed. you know. yeah. got a little drunk. it was pretty cool. >> what does being alive mean to you? >> well, it's riding the elephant, you know, taking the risk. a lot of the stuff that we've been talking about, intimacy. you know. getting high. you know. >> the one thing you are brilliant at in movies is getting drunk. and so when we come back after this break i want to talk to you about your skill at portraying drunks, and where you got it from. because there's been a lot of practice. clearly. ♪ [ woman ] my boyfriend and i were going on vacation, so i used my citi thank you card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? we talked about getting a diamond. but with all the thank you points i've been earning... ♪ ...i flew us to the rock i really had in mind. ♪ [ male announcer ] the citi thank you card. earn points you can use for travel on any airline, with no blackout dates. you tell us what you want to pay, and we give you a range of coverages to choose from. who is she? that's flobot. she's this new robot we're trying out, mostly for, like, small stuff. wow! look at her go! she's pretty good. she's pretty good. hey, flobot, great job. oops. 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[ firing gun ] that chinaman is running them cheap shells on me again. >> another oscar-nominated performance by jeff bridges in "true grit." for someone who fights the acting you pretty good at this, aren't you? the drinking. >> yes. >> have you been a big drinker in your life? where do you get this masterful portrayal of drunks? >> you know, i've done -- i've been puke drunk before, you know, a few times. >> when was the last time -- >> that i've been puke drunk? >> yes. >> oh, i would say 20 years ago, something like that. you know. long time ago. >> so you just hold it better these days? >> yeah, i -- i don't like getting hung over. it's just a terrible thing. i've made the mistake early in my career of saying oh, i've got a drunk scene, well, i'll just get drunk. you know, that seems to be the easiest way to approach that. so i made that mistake. i remember it was a movie with sally field and it was a scene to get drunk. so i made myself screwdrivers early in the morning. you know. 6:00 in the morning for my scene at 9:00 and i danced my ass off. brilliant scene. but then there was the next scene and the next scene and the morning after. you know. so i never made that mistake ever again. i learned my lesson. and now i simply use something us actors call sense memory. >> what's that? >> well, that is you remember how that was and you recall it and you pretend. you know. >> really? >> yeah. >> sense memory. >> sense memory. occasionally i'll do something like for rooster, for this guy, i'll take a little wild turkey or something, you know, that helps the other actors, too. they say they smell that stuff really coming out. but you don't want to get drunk or high. >> i wondered what the odor was. >> what's that? >> i wondered what the smell was. >> exactly. >> who do you think are the greatest living actors right now? if you were casting a dream team for a movie. >> god, there's some good ones. tommy lee is awful good. tommy lee jones. i got to work with him. he's awful great. meryl streep's awful great. i haven't worked with her yet. i'd love to work with her. got to work with bob duvall in "crazy heart." >> is there a great role you haven't played that you'd like to play? is there a great book you've read or a great remake you'd like to be a part of? something that's stirred in your gut for a while? >> generally, i'm not one of those guys who has that kind of -- you know, i've got to play lincoln or something like that. there are a couple of things that i can't even really tell you about because i don't want to, you know -- >> jinx it. >> -- jinx it or put anything on. and i don't even know if it will ever happen. because right along with that same kind of -- it's like oh, yeah, that's really unique. that would be a great thing to do. there's another side of me that's -- you know, it's the bushed side. please. do i got to do that? you know what i mean. please, don't make me have to do that. >> you must have enough money to just say you know what, forget this acting lark, i'm just going to go and -- i'm going to go to montana and play the guitar. >> yeah. >> are you tempted to ever push that button? >> yeah, i'll be pushing that a little bit. that's kind of what i did this year, you know. >> did you like it? or did you miss the movies? >> no, i didn't miss the movies at all. no. you know, one of the cool things about fame and success is it gives you a voice to talk about some of the things that are important to you or help kind of direct the world in the direction that you'd like to see it going. so as i was saying earlier, this year i did my music, which was kind of a very satisfying thing personally, but i also got to focus attention on ending hunger here in our country wp. >> hold that thought because it's exactly what i wanted to talk to you about after this last break. the no kid hungry campaign. ] it's easy to see what subaru owners care about. ♪ that's why we created the share the love event. get a great deal on a new subaru and 250 dollars goes to your choice of five charities. ♪ with your help, we can reach 20 million dollars by the end of this, our fourth year. [ female announcer ] get 0 percent apr financing on select models for thirty-six months and we'll donate two-hundred and fifty dollars to your choice of five charities. now through january 3rd. can be even more powerful, with precise pain relieving heat patch. it blocks pain signals for deep relief precisely where you need it most. precise. only from the makers of tylenol. on my journey across america, i've learned that when you ask someone in texas if they want "big" savings on car insurance, it's a bit like asking if they want a big hat... ...'scuse me... ...or a big steak... ...or big hair... i think we have our answer. geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more on car insurance. look around you. one in four kids in the u.s. faces hunger. it's not always easy to see the signs, but in this land of plenty there are kids that don't know where they will get their next meal. >> you're a spokesman for the no kid hungry campaign. just very quickly tell me what it is at its essence. >> it's about ending childhood hunger here in america. and we're doing that by going state by state, working with governors and mayors and, you know, heads of food pantries and so forth, finding what is the -- where's the bottleneck? because in america we have enough food. we have programs that we know can end hunger, but it's the access to those programs is really a huge problem. >> is president obama doing the right amount of stuff, do you think? >> well, he's the guy who really put the whole thing in context when he was campaigning. he said we're going to end childhood hunger here in america by 2015, and that really got all of the hunger organizations to pay attention. >> and that's not going to happen, is it? >> well, he said -- they said our president for the first time -- you know, obama, he lived on food stamps. this is the first president who really knows what that's about. and he said the hunger organizations said we're going to get behind this guy. and this is what we have to do, mr. president. and they started to really, you know, list these things. and what you just said, it's not really going to happen, that's kind of what i thought, 2015, i think he kind of -- i think he kind of went off a little bit half-cocked because i think the hunger organizations were really going for more, you know, 2020, but the fact that he said that, it set a goal. and goals are interesting. you know, it's like when kennedy said in ten years we're going to put a guy on the moon and all of a sudden all the arguments about what kind of fuel and the shape it should be, all of a sudden now the context has changed, now those arguments are helping each other. you know, we're going to figure out. you know, i want to know why you don't think this is going to work. and so, you know, goals are interesting that way. they're kind of inspiring, you know? >> what goals do you have left? >> to end childhood hunger in america is a big -- is a big goal of mine. that's maybe -- that could be my only goal, i mean, as we sit here right now. i really can't think of anything that i really want to do more than that. >> you ticked a great box -- >> what's that? >> you ticked a great box recently in the goal department. you became a grandfather. >> oh, man. yeah. >> one of your three daughters gave you a grandchild. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> how did that make you feel? >> oh, my gosh. grace. it's so wild. she had the baby on the bathroom floor. can you imagine? >> really? >> she called us up 6:00 in the morning saying i think my water's broken. but get to the hospital. no, i think we're just going to -- you know, with the doula we have she says no, we don't have to do that. when you go to the hospital, you know, when the water breaks, they want to pitch you -- pitocin right away. because the baby can get -- oh, is that -- >> that is -- >> oh, my gosh. >> that is grace, the daughter of the dude. granddaughter of the dude. >> isabel -- i'm going to be called dudepa. isabel -- she was in such great shape mentally, she meditates twice a day, yoga and everything. and so, you know, i said, well, did it hurt? you know. she goes, well, it was an intense sensation but no, i can't say it really was painful. you know, very wild. >> your daughters, i mean, do they feel particularly blessed to have the dude as their dad? >> oh, i don't know. maybe. i think so. we tell each other we love each other all the time. and i think they mean it. i think so. but you know, it's a funny thing. that's when that's all you know. you know, i kind of felt that about my own folks. i just want to say one thing before -- i know our tim

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