Editing Jeff Bridges (section)

=== 1971–1989: Breakthrough and stardom ===
In 1971, he played the lead role Mike in the television film ''In Search of America''.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/in_search_of_america|title= In Search of America|website= Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> 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]].<ref name=tca>Stated on ''[[Inside the Actors Studio]]'', 2003</ref> He next co-starred in the 1972 gritty boxing film ''[[Fat City (film)|Fat City]]'', directed by [[John Huston]]. In 1973, he starred as Junior Jackson in ''[[The Last American Hero]]'', a film based on the true story of NASCAR driver [[Junior Johnson]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_last_american_hero|title= The Last American Hero|website= Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> He was again nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance opposite [[Clint Eastwood]] in the 1974 film ''[[Thunderbolt and Lightfoot]]''.<ref name=tca />

In 1976, he starred as the protagonist Jack Prescott in the first remake of ''[[King Kong (1976)|King Kong]]'', opposite [[Jessica Lange]]. This film was a commercial success, earning $90&nbsp;million worldwide, more than triple its $23&nbsp;million budget, and also winning an [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0074751/|title= King Kong (1976)|website= Boxofficemojo|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://mubi.com/en/films/king-kong-1976/awards|title= King Kong (1976) Awards & Festivals|website= Mubi|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> Towards the end of the decade he acted in mystery ''[[Somebody Killed Her Husband]]'' (1978) opposite [[Farrah Fawcett]],<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/23586/somebody-killed-her-husband#overview|title= Somebody Killed Her Husband (1978)|website= [[Turner Classic Movies]]|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> the satirical black comedy ''[[Winter Kills (film)|Winter Kills]]'' (1979) alongside [[John Huston]],<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/18402/winter-kills#overview|title= Winter Kills (1979)|website= [[Turner Classic Movies]]|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> and the comedy-drama ''[[The American Success Company]]'' (1979).<ref>{{cite web|url= https://screenrant.com/american-success-company-movie-release-history-jeff-bridges/|title= The Bizarre Release History Of Jeff Bridges' The American Success Company|website= ScreenRant|date= October 13, 2019|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> In 1980 he acted in [[Michael Cimino]]'s large [[Western (genre)|Western]] ensemble film ''[[Heaven's Gate (film)|Heaven's Gate]]'' acting opposite [[Kris Kristofferson]], [[Christopher Walken]], [[John Hurt]], [[Sam Waterston]], and [[Isabelle Huppert]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/77643/heavens-gate#overview|title= Heaven's Gate (1980)|website= [[Turner Classic Movies]]|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> The film was a public critical and commercial failure and was blamed for the downfall of the studio, [[United Artists]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/michael-cimino-heavens-gate-book-excerpt-1234710106/|title=Why Michael Cimino's Disastrous Epic Western 'Heaven's Gate' Was Blamed for Ruining United Artists|website= [[IndieWire]]|date=March 29, 2022 |accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> 
[[File:Jeff Bridges by Gage Skidmore.jpg|thumb|right|170px|Bridges in 2009]]

In 1982, Bridges starred in the [[science fiction film]] ''[[Tron]]'', in which he played Kevin Flynn, a video [[game programmer]]. Critic [[Roger Ebert]] described the film as "brilliant" and compared it to ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980), writing, "This movie is machine to dazzle and delight us...[and] in a technical way maybe it's breaking ground for a generation of movies in which computer-generated universes will be the background for mind-generated stories about emotion-generated personalities".<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/tron-1982|title= Tron movie review|website= Rogerebert.com|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> Also in 1982 he voiced Prince Lir in the animated fantasy film ''[[The Last Unicorn (film)|The Last Unicorn]]'' alongside [[Alan Arkin]], [[Mia Farrow]], and [[Angela Lansbury]]<ref>{{cite web|url= https://parade.com/403820/scottneumyer/exclusive-clip-how-jeff-bridges-earned-his-role-in-the-last-unicorn/|title= Exclusive Clip: How Jeff Bridges Earned His Role in The Last Unicorn|website= Parade|date= June 8, 2015|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> and starred in the romantic comedy ''[[Kiss Me Goodbye (film)|Kiss Me Goodbye]]'' directed by [[Robert Mulligan]], acting alongside [[Sally Field]].<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1982/12/24/this-kiss-doesnt-tell-us-much/c759c2fe-71ba-4af5-8fa3-7ecc339a35ad/|title= The Kiss Doesn't Tell Us Much|newspaper= The Washington Post|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref>

In 1984, he starred in the [[John Carpenter]]-directed science fiction romance ''[[Starman (film)|Starman]]'' playing an alien opposite [[Karen Allen]]. For his performance he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor.<ref name=tca /> During this period he also performed in the [[neo-noir]] ''[[Against All Odds (1984 film)|Against All Odds]]'' (1984) with [[James Woods]] and [[Rachel Ward]],<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/against_all_odds|title= Against All Odds|website= Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> the thrillers ''[[Jagged Edge (film)|Jagged Edge]]'' (1985) opposite [[Glenn Close]]<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/jagged-edge/2000029722/|title= Jagged Edge|website= TV Guide|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> and ''[[The Morning After (1986 film)|The Morning After]]'' (1986) with [[Jane Fonda]],<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-morning-after/2000277889/|title= The Morning After|website= TV Guide|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> and the crime comedy ''[[Nadine (1987 film)|Nadine]]'' (1987) alongside [[Kim Basinger]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.tvguide.com/movies/nadine/2030282269/|title= Nadine|website= TV Guide|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> In 1988 he portrayed automobile entrepreneur [[Preston Tucker]] in the [[Francis Ford Coppola]] directed biographical film ''[[Tucker: The Man and His Dream]]'' which earned positive reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/tucker_the_man_and_his_dream|title= TUCKER: THE MAN AND HIS DREAM|website= Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref> The following year he acted in two romance films, the [[Alan J. Pakula]] directed ''[[See You in the Morning (film)|See You in the Morning]]'' with [[Alice Krige]] and Farrah Fawcett and the [[Steve Kloves]] directed ''[[The Fabulous Baker Boys]]'' starring opposite [[Michelle Pfeiffer]] and his real life brother [[Beau Bridges]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fabulous_baker_boys|title= The Fabulous Baker Boys|website= Rotten Tomatoes|accessdate= March 3, 2024}}</ref>