Jeff Bridges is a lucky break for first-time writer-directors. Thirty-five years ago he got his first Oscar nomination in Michael Cimino's debut, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot. This year, he scored his fifth nomination with Scott Cooper's Crazy Heart. Bridges on beginner's luck.
Bridges discusses being directed by and acting alongside Hollywood legend John Huston, the advice of Crazy Heart's music producer/songwriter T. Bone Burnett, the enthusiasm of debut director and fellow actor Scott Cooper; The Iceman Cometh as a turning point in his acting career, Francis Ford Coppola's novel approach to directing Tucker: The Man and His Dream, and how, despite years of acting experience, he still suffers performance anxiety.