Man, can you imagine “The Dude” being played by anyone other than Jeff Bridges in The Big Lebowski?
Well, it almost turned out that way, all because he was worried how playing the role would affect his three daughters.
Here’s what Bridges recently told Conan O’Brien about his decision-making process…
“I’ll tell you what, on that one, it was tough. I read the script, I loved the script, but I’m playing this pothead guy, not that I have anything against potheads. I know there’s kind of a downside to being the kid of a famous person, there’s a lot of baggage. I thought, you know, I don’t know how my girls…I had three young girls at the time…how they were going to feel. How they were going to get teased or how they would feel about that.”
Thank goodness Bridges decided to go ahead and do it, huh?
Just think, would that movie have become the beloved classic that it is with a different actor playing “The Dude” in it? Hard to believe it would have.
On the plus side, and I am just guessing here, but I bet his daughters are now REALLY glad he didn’t turn it down.