Jeff Bridges and Cohen Brothers team up for ‘True Grit’
LOS ANGELES - Nearly a year after his Oscar win for best actor, Jeff Bridges has gained awards buzz again, teaming up with his “The Big Lebowski” directors, Joel and Ethan Coen, in “True Grit.”The film, released in the United States yesterday, shows off Bridges’ acting chops in the role of drunken U.S. marshal Rooster Cogburn in the post-Civil War era Western. “True Grit,” first adapted in a 1969 film that won John Wayne an Oscar as Cogburn, is based on Charles Portis’ novel about a 14-year-old girl (newcomer Hailee Steinfeld) who teams with Cogburn and a Texas ranger (Matt Damon) to avenge her father’s death. Bridges sat down with Reuters to talk about the film and how his career has changed since his Oscar win.
Q. The book was already made into a 1969 film. Weren’t you wondering why the Coen brothers wanted to make this?
A. I was curious. But they said, “We aren’t remaking the movie, we are making a movie of the book ‘True Grit’ by Charles Portis. Have you ever read it?”
And I hadn’t, so I did. I could see why they wanted to make this movie. The book is wonderful and it reads just like a Coen Brothers script.
How did you create a character different to John Wayne?
I don’t know how, but his portrayal is not something I would refer to as I’m studying my lines. I took it as a totally fresh thing.
Your character is a pretty good gun slinger. Was that you doing the shooting, or was there a stunt person?
I don’t really mess with guns too much outside of the movies, but yeah, that was really me shooting in the film.
You spent pretty much the entire movie on a horse. Do you ride?
I love riding. To be communicating like that with another species - it’s a wonderful team that you develop.
Reuters
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
To write comments, please log in to one of the accounts.
Standards Board Policy (0/250자)