Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend - Jeff Bridges

Episode Date: September 9, 2024

Actor Jeff Bridges feels very open and a lot of love about being Conan O’Brien’s friend. Jeff sits down with Conan to discuss his early work in Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, pouring himself into his music with his albums Emergent Behavior Volumes 1-5, the lasting legacy of The Dude, and how his cancer diagnosis give him new perspective on life. Later, Conan and his team pitch actionable ways to emulate Jeff Bridges in their own lives. For Conan videos, tour dates and more visit TeamCoco.com.Got a question for Conan? Call our voicemail: [phone]. Get access to all the podcasts you love, music channels and radio shows with the SiriusXM App! Get 3 months free using this show link https://siriusxm.com/conan and code CONAN.

Okay, hello. My name is Jeff Bridges. And I feel very open, very, a lot of love, man. A lot of love feelings are surfacing now about being Conan O'Brien's friend and being here with him, actually. Good Lord, this is the most thoughtful. Yeah. Well, I'm beautiful.

You're just a lovely, you're a lovely guy. Thank you, man. I feel the same about you. I mean, I can't remember all the times that we've encountered each other over... I've come into your house plenty of times at night when you're sleeping. Oh, that was you! That's me, yeah. And I always take a little something when I go.

But you leave a little something too. I leave a little something too. Hear the yell, back to school, ring the bell, brand new shoes, walk and lose, climb the fence, books and pens. I can tell that we are gonna be friends. I can tell that we are gonna be friends. Hey there, welcome to Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend, joined by my stalwart companions, Sonam Obsessian, hey, Sonam. Hey, hello. And of course, Matt Gourley.

That's the name. Yes, I just wanted to- You got it. I just need your social security numbers now. And then I can steal your health insurance. I want to bring up something to Sona, which is over the years, I guess, it's become well-known, Sona,

that you are my assistant and that you are Armenian. Yes. People just come up to me now, wherever I am, in any situation and say, Conan, I'm Armenian, barev! And I know to say, because we went to Armenia together, oh, inch pasak! We are everywhere. Everywhere, but the thing is, it's almost like if other people

are around and around are like, ah, is it a year and a lot, I'll leave him alone. No, Armenians, just to like, and I don't mind it, I love them, they're very nice, but I'm starting to notice that they will crash through a wall if I'm alone in a room and go, Conan, berev! I'm like, hey, whoa, inch passe.

I will say, I mean, just my experience is we're not great with boundaries. And we don't pick up on like social cues of when it's okay and not okay to stand. Well, it's always okay. And I think they're really excited to see you. And they always want to hear like how Sona's doing. They want to know how you're doing.

But then- I don't imagine that's the case. Matt Gorglian. Oh, Matt Gorglian, yeah. Matt Gorglian. I just said Matt Gorglian. Yeah. Oh, Matt Gorglian. Matt Gorglian. I just said Matt Gorglian. I just wanted to tweak it a little. I wanted to punch it up.

Yeah. It's Gorglian. But then they ask, they wanna know all about you. And I say, you've got these twin boys. They wanna know, they're always very interested in the fact that who did you marry? And I say like, relax, he's Armenian. So they don't get mad at me. If you tell them they're,

cause I am a little self-conscious that I named them such American names. Do they like look, of course, Mikey and Charlie. No, I never bring that up cause I think they might not like it. Oh, really? Yeah, because, well, I never say, because I was surprised when you told me,

when you said that the twins are born, this is like three years ago now, I was so excited. And I said, I'm downstairs, can I come up at the hospital? And you said, I'd rather you didn't, just leave whatever gifts you have. And I was like, well, that's weird. I drove all the way. Has anyone cut the umbilical cord yet?

Yeah. I really thought I'd be a big part of the... You made it very clear I should just get back in my car and leave, but no, I was... And then I said, what are your kids' names? And you went, Mikey and Charlie. And I thought it was going to be, you know, Grudy and Strudy. No, no, Grudy and Strudy. Well, what's wrong with that?

First of all, it sounds like Grudy and Strudy sounds Swedish. I went through a... How about... That's what's wrong with this. Give me the names that they could have been. Like Armin and Rafi, or Kevork. Arthak. Arthak is tax name.

Yeah, yeah, Arthak Jr. Arp, air, air, AirPod? AirPod. Hovannes. Hovannes. AirPod's Max. Car, Carvan. Carvan?

Beats by Dre. Yeah. Oh my God, what are you guys saying? Vortex, is Vortex? No. So you wanna keep trying? I think we should, yes. I think you're trying to say you should stop now.

No, but- But unfortunately you said, do you think we should keep trying? Right. Which makes me wanna go, Grrrogo! Okay. Okay.

But anyway- No. But do you get some flack in the Armenian community for naming them Mikey and Charlie? They go to an Armenian school and a lot of the parents name their kids Armenian names. And then I just see Charlie and Mikey and I'm like, I think we let our people down a little bit. Also you taught them that song since they were very little.

We must assimilate, assimilate, assimilate. We must assimilate. That song. assimilate. We must assimilate. That song. It's a Mr. Rogers song. Shed our immigrant past. We must assimilate, assimilate. And I was like, why are you teaching them this? Oh my god.

Shed our immigrant past? That's the song you taught them. And Tak plays it on the guitar. We must assimilate, assimilate, assimilate. We must assimilate and shed our immigrant past. Shed our immigrant past. Shed our immigrant past. So going.

As far as anybody knows. Weird little Dutch boys. Da-da-da-da-da-da. I just think it was a weird song to teach your children at such a young age. But they should assimilate, right? I don't know, it's good. I think I always feel badly for my mom

because I think deep down she really wanted us to be the kind of kids that could go to a country club. And we just weren't, we were Irish pirates. And I used to just pretty much tell her that. Like, what are you talking about? We're just Irish. We're 100% Irish. Yeah.

We're bums. But she was an intellectual. Your dad is an intellectual. I know, but it doesn't, it was, no. And then, I know my parents are very smart, accomplished people. And then they had kids and we were like, argh!

But it kind of backfired on them because you are very intellectual, but in a way that probably infuriates them. Yes, yes, I know. I know. It's like some kind of Cassandra curse, like be careful what you wish for. Yeah, yeah, well, I don't know,

something went horribly wrong, but I think I like Mikey and Charlie, and I do think they've grown into those names. They are Mikey and Charlie. That's who they are now. Do they have Armenian middle names? Yeah, yeah, Krikor and Tanyel. You're halfway there.

Krikor, I love that one, Krikor. Yeah. And what's the other one? Tanyel, I mean it's. Tanyel, it's Daniel. Daniel, yeah. And what's Krikor? Gregory.

Oh. I named him after my grandparents. Oh, you just forgot? Your grandparents are named Charlie and Mikey? Yeah. No, they're Cricor and Tanya. They're my grandfather's. Grandpa Mikey and Grandma Charlie.

Oh, yeah. I'll never forget the day in 1907 when Mikey saw a beautiful Charlie walking down the lane, carrying that basket of dried apricots. Oh, come on! Cricor, Cricor! My grandma went by Eddie, that was her name. Is that true? Yeah.

What's her full name? Why? Eleanor. But why Eddie? I don't know, to be honest. My grandmother, who lived with us for a while, who I think was born in 1890, so she really saw everything in a lifetime. But her, we always knew her as Maudie.

Her nickname was Maudie. And we would say, why is your name, what does everyone call you Maudie? And it was because there was a comic book, a comic strip when she was about eight years old about a mule named Maudie that would kick. And at the playground, she once kickedule named Mahdi that would kick. And at the playground, she once kicked,

like some boys were bothering her and she was kicking at them and they called her Mahdi. And so a hundred years later, we're saying, hey Mahdi, pass the salt. What's her real name? I'm shocked you guys weren't country club people. Yeah, I know. You mule damaged lineage.

Yeah. What's her real name? Yeah. It was Ruth. Ruth. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, which was my mom's name too.

I didn't know that. Yeah. That's cool. Oh, so she, that's your mother's mother? Yes, my mother's mother. And they did like a female junior. She was named after, she was named after this kicking mule in a comic strip that was popular in 1900 or 1898. Then it stuck like one day on the playground.

Yeah, you're a real molly that one. Then cut to us 100 years later. Not 100 years, but us, 100 years later. Not 100 years, but whatever, 85 years later. You called her by her nickname though? You didn't call her grandma? We called her Maudie. Okay.

And we called our grandfather, my mother's father, Hoofer. And because, no, that's true, because he, as a young man, he was a policeman in Worcester, Massachusetts, who directed traffic, but he knew, like, one dance step. And people were like, yeah, you're a real hoofa.

And that kicker over there is a real moddie. And so we called him Hoofa and Moddie. And then the one day we go to enlist at the country club, they're like, well, tell us a little bit about yourself, kid. Hey, there are six of you. You seem to have been born three months apart. And your shirts are all torn. Tell us about yourself.

Well, our grandmother's Marty after the kicking mule, and our cop grandfather is called Hoofer because he knew a dance step. He used to kick the winos with it. All right, well, there's this back door here you can use. What should I tell my mother? Should I tell her that we're in? And we can come here and eat peanut butter and jam

sandwiches? No, get the fuck out of here. Do you want to hear about my other grandfather, shitsy? Get out! Get out! Grandfather shitsy By the way, God rest your soul Why they call him shit see hey took a shit When World War one was declared he shit his pants cuz he knew he had to fight. So he called him Shitzy. Say hello to Jiz Schmechman.

Oh, shitzy. What's your, well, who did he marry? He married, oh, fuck it. Oh, fuck it, yeah. When she was three in 1850, she banged her shit on a stool. Ah, fuck it! So, ah, fuck it, Matt Chitzy. So, about this country club application,

where do I sign and where do my 15 brothers and sisters sign who are all born the same day? And where do we check inbred? Hey, is that a golf course can we play we've got hockey sticks Quick apology to my family too late throwing you Hey my guess today My guess today is an Academy Award winning actor. Oh my God, why?

The chasm between the shit we talk about, the chasm between how low we are and the quality of the people that come here. It's like, our first guest won the Nobel Peace Prize. My guest today is an Academy Award winning actor who has starred in such films as Tron, Iron Man, and The Big Peace Prize. My guest today is an Academy Award winning actor who has starred in such films as Tron, Iron Man, and The Big Lebowski. Now you can see him in the FX series, The Old Man.

I really do love this show. I'm glad it's back. I'm thrilled he's here today. ["The Old Man"] Jeff Bridges, welcome. So, you know, it's so funny because you've done so much incredible work and I've also thought about how I just have this bond with your family because when I was a kid, they would show reruns a lot and my brothers and I, there was one thing that we watched in the summer and it was...

We would watch Sea Hunt. Sea Hunt was on, and of course, your dad, the great Lloyd Bridges, was the star of Sea Hunt. And so, I remembered when you first came on the scene, and I'd see you in movies and people, I would think of you as Lloyd Bridges, that's Lloyd Bridges' son! -♪ Ugh! -♪ Because he was on Sea Hunt,

and that's the show we would watch with my brother Neil and Luke, and we would watch Sea Hunt, and we just like, and we thought that was the coolest show in the world. And of course, we were watching it long after it had been on. We're watching it in the 70s. Oh, right, no, it was the late, the early 60s. Now you've triggered a story.

Can I tell a story? Okay, that's what I do. I trigger people. You've triggered me. Okay. Sea, you've mentioned Sea Hunt. Now, this is also a plug for a fella named Richard Peterson. Hmm. Okay. People can Google Richard Peterson's first movie, Big City Dick.

It's called Big City Dick, Richard Peterson's first movie. That's the official title. And I met this fella maybe 30 years ago in Seattle. I'm getting dressed to go down and do this movie, American Heart. I hear this, bop bop bop b I look out there and there's this ball kind of, heavy-set guy in a tight, madras sport coat. And it's like, I know, I go down there,

I forget all about the guy, and he comes up to me, he goes, oh, Lloyd Bridges' son, son of Sea Hunt. And I say, you got me. And then I realized what he was playing on his trumpet was seahunt music. And he comes up to me and he says, these are the cues. I need the other cues. These cues. And I say, what is this?

He says the cues from seahunt. Every time they go, he saw it, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun. So this fella, Richard Peterson, is a savant, and his subject, Sea Hunt. No, no, yeah, all Ziv music. And also what's crazy is his connection with you, as mine was, just like early, early on, was through your dad. And then you've gone on to have this insane career,

but it doesn't matter what you do to this guy, you'll always, the connection will always be sea hunt. The son of sea hunt. The son of sea hunt. So now years later, I'm about 20 years later, I'm doing a sea biscuit in Pasadena, have a big suite of us have a piano in the room, and these guys come over and say,

do you know Richard Peterson? We're some documentary film directors. The three of us have gotten together. I said, oh yeah, I tell him this story. And they say, now Richard's downstairs. Can he come up? I said, oh, wonderful. I've always wanted, because he's really a

piano player. I said, we got a piano. And we get down there and we start playing sea hunting music. You're playing the stings to an early 60s television show. That's hilarious. And as I'm walking him out the door saying, Richard, you know, are you into jazz? Because it's kind of, you know, out there music playing and you'd like to follow me as Monk, for instance. And he looks at me, I dig Sea Hunt. Have you heard of Mozart?

Was he on Sea Hunt? I dig Sea Hunt, so Sea Hunt. No, it's wild. But you know, I don't know, I know that you, you're in the business, you did obviously some cameos on Sea Hunt with your brother, Bo. And then I remember a movie came out that to this, I love this movie, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.

And my, you know this film? And it's Clint Eastwood, it's you, it's George Kennedy. It's a great fucking movie. And I love that movie and you're, you popped so much in that movie. You must've been a young kid at the time. Yeah, I can't remember how old I was. I think it was, the movie's 1974,

they probably shot it in 73. But you're just such a great character. Well, it was, it was Chimino's first movie. Michael Chimino. Michael Chimino's first movie, he's the guy who directed Heaven's Gate. Yep, yep. Completely different experience.

Mm-hmm. You know, in Heaven's Gate, we would do up to 60 takes. You know, but, you know, we're here, we'll show up, and I'm not sure if I really dug that approach because nobody, you never know what it's gonna take. You know, are you into it? But with Thunderbolt and Lightfoot, Clint always only liked to do, you know, one take, maybe two, you know. And I was the kid who'd go up to Jermaine and I'd say, I got it.

Oh, that's the boss. And Clint would say, yeah, give the kid who'd go up to Chimino and say, I got an idea. Well, that's the boss. And Clint would say, yeah, give the kid one more take. Yeah, but that film is very close to my heart because that's the first film I did in Montana. Yeah. And man, I just came back from Montana, so I'm a little countrified. Well, there is, I know a movie's great

when the loss of a character upsets me on an emotional level, or if a character's hurt, it upsets me. Cause you know, there's a lot of violence, there's a lot of things that can happen in movies and television, and you just don't feel anything. And George Kennedy gives your character a beating and it upset me,

because I was so invested in your character. And I thought that's a good movie. And that's a good, that's proof to me that the acting here is top level. When I'm upset, I mean, you see, if you just casually watch anything, you'll see people getting the shit kicked out of them a million times. I mean, you see, if you just casually watch anything, you'll see people getting the shit kicked out

of them a million times. You're numb to it. But I don't know, I felt a real loss there when your character was beaten like that. It just upset me and it still does. I'm smiling because I... It's funny, when I see movies that I'm in, they're like home movies.

I remember so many different things about it when I watch it, and as you're telling that story, my mind went, like, very much like the Richard Peterson story that I just shared with you. It was perhaps too long. Do you like a longer, and you edit this, right? No, no, just from you. Okay, okay. Jeff, Jeff, Jeff. Okay, I'll just leave.

Jeff, I assure you, I assure you, this is all gold. This is a great day for me. I love that you're here. You can do no wrong. Cool, man. You're the dude, you know, I think we have to acknowledge you are the dude. Yes.

And you know what's so crazy? You came on my show once and you were wearing sandals, jelly sandals, and then you revealed these are the same ones you wore as the dude. And I felt like I was in Rome watching, looking at like a religious icon. You know, it was just crazy that you had those. Yes!

What? Not them. These are my hokas. Yes! No, not them. These are my hokas. You guys are hip-dol. Those are the dudes 2000s. These sandals. Oh.

Yeah, the dude is evolved. Oh, man. The dude evolves. Yeah, the dude is. So let me hit. That should be the new one, the dude evolves. The dude evolves. There you go.

It's all set up. Yeah. You and Lebowski, too, right? Yeah. And in this one, in this one. He's got a, he's pregnant, but Maud's got a baby on his leg. The stranger set it up. And the one difference is his footwear,

it's still open-toed, but it has more support. Orthopedic. It's orthopedic. Yeah, that is right. Exactly. That's really the only difference. I like it. I like that.

I, you know, I was was gonna, oh, go ahead. He had that story. Yeah, I was gonna tell the story. So what that triggered when you were talking about the Thunderbolt in life, but that scene that you're talking about where I die in the car with Clint, I go up to Mike and I say, Mike, did you mean me?

Mike Chimino, yeah. I've got an idea, Mike. Now, I can do this with my eye. I don't know where the camera is. See, oh yeah, see. See, like that, I can hold a half blank pretty good. See? Yeah. So I said, why don't we get a dentist?

Because I'm supposed to die of a brain hemorrhage. Brain hemorrhage. You've been beaten really badly and Clint thinks you're gonna be okay, yeah. I said, let's get a dentist up here and shoot me with novocaine in the side of my face and I'll go like that, you know? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And he said, okay, so we did that and it worked great and they lost the film. What? And we had to do the whole thing again. Yeah. I love being the, who comes in and tells you that? You know the thing where you, the dentist has to come in. That's unbelievable.

Cause that's a very powerful ending where you think everything's okay and then you realize that you're gone. Man, I don't know what your approach is. I know that you're a very philosophical person who thinks about things and doesn't take things for granted. I also happen to know that through your father,

you learned like, this is a job. Do you know what I mean? You've got to respect the crew. This is real work. So you grew up with this great ethic. And do you have a perspective on your career? Because you've done so many, how do you see it? Do you see it as like, I rode a wave?

Do you see it as I worked hard, I made good decisions, a mixture of both? Well, it's quite amazing, you know. A friend asked me, what's it like to be famous? Kind of like, you know, what do you, you know, what? And I grew up with fame. You know, my dad was famous with Sea Hunt. You know, so it was kind of natural.

And then the movie seems very, very natural thing. It doesn't seem anything too special about that to me. But as I think about the movies, and I'm so fortunate to have discovered this camera, this wide-lux camera that my wife gave me on our first anniversary, and I've taken pictures while I'm doing the movies, and I look at those books and they're like little lifetimes. You remember all those intense relationships and then poof, it's gone. And that's how I look back at it.

Because you can have a very intense experience whether you're doing True Crit or Last Picture Show or whatever film you're doing, you have this, it's, I cannot, it's crazy for me to try and compare, but the only thing that I can relate to a little bit is when I do comedy stuff or a show or travel to a different country, that's all I'm in it 100%.

And then it's over and I'm gone, but there's a document afterwards. And later on I look at it and I go, oh, that's right, I was in Cuba. And what am I doing? I'm on a seawall in Cuba and I'm drinking rum with some kid I met and smoking a cigar. And that was, it fires off little neurons in my head,

but I also know that there's a thousand other things that I moved on to. Yeah, it almost, it feels like the product, the movie or the TV, that is sort of the by-product. And the real product is the experience of doing it. It's almost incidental. As crazy as that sounds, because you've done all this amazing work.

Yeah, it's funny. It's what I was saying, I look at movies I'm in, they're like home movies. It's hard for me to follow the story. ["The Last Supper"] As terrific a career as you've had as an actor, music haunts you. You grew up playing music and you really were seriously considering, am I going to go into acting or am I going to be a musician? There's a fork in the road and I feel like it's something you're still wrestling with.

That's funny. Kind of dancing with it, man. I don't know. I think maybe it's kicked my ass, basically. I think at this moment, I don't know if I'll get back into it as strongly as I did after Crazy Heart. Yeah. Right around when I did your show.

You came on my show to do Crazy Heart, which was this phenomenal, phenomenal movie, phenomenal performance. And you know, in 60, whatever I was Crazy Heart, which was this phenomenal, phenomenal movie, phenomenal performance. And you know, in 60, whatever I was, 62, whatever, I finally had my Beatles moment, you know? Because there's nothing like playing in a band. You're a musician. Yeah, I love that.

And it's just like, it's so great to do that. And my buddy T-Bone, you know, when we did Crazy Heart together, he did all the, you know, most of the music for it. And after Crazy Heart, I got my, you know, music, you know, it was tickled. I said, well, I got some more tunes to do, Bone, you know, and he said, sure. And so we did an album and then like get a band together. He said, well, I'm gonna get the band together. And all these friends I got in Santa Barbara, and I had that, I'm

being triggering myself here, I had my Beatle moment with my band at a Lebowski Fest. Yes! So it all came together. Oh, and you're playing to a sea of dudes. Oh, man. Oh man. Oh man. Woo. No, but you know what's so nice is, I don't know about you, my experience has been,

I've had, and Sonny, you were along for the 2010 experience where I went on this tour and there was a lot of music and crazy crowds and we did comedy, but we also, I got to have my moments of soloing in front of a sold out, like multiple tier. And it was just, it was a crazy experience. And what would happen is I'd start to think to myself, Hey, you know, I think I could do, yeah, I could, this is what I could do, this is what I could do.

And you know what always resets it? I'm around a Jimmy Vivino or a Jack White or any of these guys who really does it. And I go, oh. Oh, I see. Oh, and I'm constantly being humbled by people that I love it, it's fun. I like to do it for fun.

But if this was something I was meant to be doing, I'd have been doing it when I was seven years old. And that's comedy for me. So that decision was made, I didn't have to make it. You know? Yeah, well, now when you say wrestle or struggle, that's a really, you know, this thing about comparison and everything.

I, you know, when we had all this downtime with the strikes and COVID and all this stuff, and the different guys did different things during that time. You must have seen Inside, right? That guy, Bo Burnham. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. Fantastic.

Weren't you impressed, man? Bo is phenomenal. Oh man. Phenomenal talent. That movie, the eighth grade. You know, he's phenomenal. So I had a bunch of time and you're a creative person, you say, what am I gonna do?

So I decided I'm gonna go back in my mind, my music mind and discover old tunes and things that I'm now, I'm one of my 74. I say, how to perfect all that stuff going to a music. That's a lot of effort, there's a lot of things I like slowing down, not doing as much as I might have when I was younger. I said, I've got all these things, you know, I'll just play with them. And I started going on the internet and finding things to juxtapose these tunes, you know, and then I would

take my little iPhone out and do things and juxtapose Great great. I'd had planted fun and I said, okay You know more for this other guy who knows how to make websites. Yeah, why not release this? I mean, why not, you know what it you know, I'm just sharing man. This is my offer Well, I got you know and listen to it. There's so much there's so much This is what I got, you know, and listen to it. There's so much, there's so much shit out now, isn't there, man? I mean, there's so much going on. So I said, well, why not put your shit out there?

So I decided to release this thing called Emergent Behavior, volumes one through five. And just, and, you know, so that's what I've done kind of musically and that's where I'm at and I don't know, I feel kind of spent, I don't know, do volume six or what, but it was interesting, you know, what you were talking about comparing yourself to the Beatles or these guys, you know, and wow, that really gets in our way, man. Well, I comparison. You know, because, because ultimately, isn't the spot that you want to get into where it's doing you, you're not even doing it with what you do.

I'm sure you get into that place all the time. Oh, yeah. And just not take it too damn seriously, man, and let the thing come through. What it wants to do, don't be so ego tripping like, oh, you know, just... Right. What is it? There's a famous quote that I'm not coming up with right now, but it's like,

comparison is the death- Is the thief of joy. Is the thief of joy, thank you. Oh, I thought it was, Aaron Blair was the thief of joy. Oh, yeah. And then it goes on further from there, and also Aaron Blair.

No, no, but thank you, Aaron. That was, I don't want, I punished a guy for having the right answer. I know. It's so, welcome to Stalin's holiday camp. But on the other side, but yeah the other side of that practice, man, like you say, that's what I regret, not woodshedding. I've got some friends that did it when they were 12,

and now they're just so facile. They can play whatever they want. Yeah. It's humbling. But I think the bigger point is comparison gets you nowhere. And trust me, I'm sure there are many actors that have hurt themselves by comparing themselves to you, like your career, what you've accomplished. They've hurt themselves.

Unnecessary. Do you know what I mean? It's just, it's a, you can't get into that game. I just been hanging out with a guitarist. Do you know Blake Mills? I know the name. Oh man, you gotta check him out. Here's another just, I'm not, you know, we're talking music.

Volf Peck, do you know them? No. Ah, you know that then? And the Fearless Flyers. Blake has a great version of Signed, Sealed, and Delivered that he plays with the Fearless Flyers. It's really remarkable. It's amazing, I just always find,

people will ask me, who are your favorite groups? And I'll say, it's not even about a group for me. They're just certain songs, you know, that I hear it, I have to learn how to play it, and I can't stop playing it. And sometimes it's by a very obscure musician. I don't really know if they've gone on, what else they've gone on to,

but it just grabs me by the throat, and then I have to do it. I just have to learn it, play it, until everyone around me is so tired of it that I'm asked to live in the yard. And then I'm- You must have seen Standing in the Shadow of And then I'm- You must've seen, standing in the shadow of Motown, didn't you?

Yeah. Wasn't that a great movie, man? Also, you narrated, I believe. I narrated the history of rock and roll just like 40 years ago. But you also narrated, didn't you narrate the Credence Clearwater revival documentary? Oh, of course, yeah, that's right. That was great.

And I remember thinking- Well, they were great. Oh, I love them, but then the minute you were narrating it, I thought, oh, this is the right guy to take me through CCO. Yeah, absolutely. I got to play with him, got on stage and played- With Fogarty?

Yeah, with the motorcycle, Sturgis. Oh yeah, yeah. You played with John Fogarty. Yeah, man. Do you remember what you- Singing, singing. No, I sang, I got to sing. I left the guitar work to John.

You know what's becoming clear to me? You were not acting in The Big Lebowski. What? Everything I see, you're like, yeah, man. That's where, yeah. Now you just get like a white Russian and start drinking it and going, yeah, a lot of angles. Lot of angles, lot of.

You let the dude do you. Yeah, exactly. The dude did you and then never left. And then never left. You know what's so funny? Dude-ism. Dude-ism is a religion now. Dude-ism, and you know what?

I was raised Catholic. I'd switch to dude-ism. I think it makes more sense to me. I just visited the Pope and I would talk him into doing Judaism. Tell me more of this Judaism! He did have a White Russian. He did have a White Russian and he was saying,

there's a lot of, you know, I gotta get the rug back. It ties the Vatican together. It ties the Vatican together. It's one rug. But Judaism is a religion. Well, yeah, the whole, yeah, the Lebowski just keeps, you know, and there's the fest that goes on for three days, and it's religion, and there's a book, you know, what is it? The Book of the Dude? No, the hell, many books, one book is written in Shakespeare, like Shakespeare would do it, you know, Two dudes in Verona.

I'm sitting at this dinner party, and on my right is Ram Dass, you know, the guy who will be here now. And this guy over here is a guy named Bernie Glassman. And he's a Zen master, and he leans over to me and says, really, Doug Lebowski. I say, oh great. He says, it's full of koans.

I say, koans? What do you mean? You know what a koan is? I don't know. It's like, what is the sound of one hand clapping? These kinds of Zen. These kind of weird Zen riddles. Yeah, that make you think. There's no logical answer to it.

He says, the film's logical answer to it. And he says, the film's full of Koans. I said, what are you talking about? He says, well, who wrote and directed the film? The Koan brothers. He says, I'm all about- He's a wise ass is what he is. I'm all about bringing Buddhism and Zen to modern times.

He says, let's write a book about Lebowski. And I said, what do you mean? He says, well, the dude abides. Very buddhistic. I said, what are some other koans? Shut the fuck up, Donnie. Yeah, yeah. That's a koan? Yeah, yeah. Shut the fuck up, Donnie. Yeah, exactly. Or that's just like your opinion, man.

Yeah, yeah. So we go up to Montana and write for two weeks when we wrote a book, The Dude and the Zen Master, another blooming thing out of this movie. It just keeps giving. You know what's interesting to me is when that movie came out, it was not a success. It was not deemed a success, but like the best things,

it resonates and then it grows and it grows and it grows and it grows and it's gonna keep on growing. And I think, you know, like a thousand years from now, there will be giant dude-ism centers that people go to. Well, those brothers, the Coen brothers. Yeah. I mean, they're just masters. And they make it look like it's nothing, but you know.

The two guys, I'm pretty, I think I've met everybody. I revere the Coen brothers, love them. I'm obsessed with them, never met them, and I saw them once in a restaurant, and I was sitting very nearby, and I didn't say a word. Oh, and you wish you did. Well, I kind of was, that's how high up they are for me, which is like, I do not, I would not,

just to meet them would make my year. They're intimidating. Yeah, I do not, I would not, you know, just to meet them would make my year. They're intimidating. Yeah, I think so, yeah. And I have such, they really are my go-to filmmakers and I've watched all of their films so many times. Yeah, you can see them over and over and just appreciate the mastery. I mean, with Lebowski, you know,

if something comes on that I'm in on TV, Al, click, watch a scene, click. But with Lebowski, I'll say, oh, just watch, you know, till Donnie dies or something like that, and I'll keep, I get hooked. Because it's like a couple. I love you watching Lebowski. I love you at home. Oh, oh, man.

Watching Lebowski and- It's like a black hole folding in on itself. I love you at home watching Lebowski. It's like a black hole folding in on itself. I know, exactly. In a good way. It's the snake eating its tail. It's the snake birthing its tail. Birthing it, very nice. Talking about a home movie, man.

I mean, that is very much a home movie. One of my favorite parts about that movie is whenever you have a chance to get your favorite drink, as people do that your favorite drink, you will, as people do that like their drink, they'll kill time just so they can drink more. I always get the sense, you're always saying like, yeah, a lot of angles, a lot of angles, a lot of levels. And you're bullshitting, you're totally,

and I know I've done that in my life, when I just did like, I got a nice glass of wine here, my wife thinks maybe we should, let's move on, let's pay the check, and I'm like, you know, we got a lot to talk about here, a lot of angles, a lot of moves. I just wanna have just, just everyone settle down for a second.

Duturo made that movie, you know, another out shoot of Lebowski, what's the name of it, you know? Oh, where he plays his character. Yeah, he plays the ped it, you know? Oh, where he plays his character. Yeah, he plays the pedophile. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, the role everyone's after. Yeah.

Yeah. I turned it down six times. You know, you went through this intense experience, which makes me very grateful that you're here and looking like a million bucks. You were, you got a cancer diagnosis, I think in, it was 2021, is that right? I can't remember, but something like that.

Yeah, and you, it's a lymphoma, you're fighting that, and then you get really bad COVID at the same time. And it was, I've read that it was, and you've talked about, it was rough. It was incredibly rough. And I don't know, you come out of that with a different perspective. Yeah. I've read that it was, and you've talked about it was rough. It was incredibly rough. And I don't know, you come out of that with a different perspective.

Yeah. Yeah, to think of something like that as a gift is seems bizarre or before it actually happened, seems bizarre. Now I can understand it. Now you learn things during those times like those that you can only learn it in times like those, which is, this is a gift, man.

We're alive doing this? Yeah. Oh, yeah. No, no, I... I... We take it for granted, you know? Yeah. I've learned, I wish this wasn't true.

I think it's just human nature, but there've been a number of times in my life where there's been some difficulty or death, or there's been some, and I get this incredible perspective, and it starts drifting away within 20 minutes. And I had it yesterday where I talked to a fan who's quite ill and we had this really intense conversation.

And I thought I have no problems. I have no, it was, I thought this person's giving me a gift of this amazing perspective. And then I feel that for a while, but then inevitably you go home and then you can't get the cable to work. You know? But what I'm saying is it's like, you immediately go, well, god damn it, this Crestron never works. Sorry, Crestron. I know you do incredible work, but you god damn-

Put your name check, then. I'm sorry. Sorry, Crestron. I know you do incredible work, but you got to take it back. And I think- Put your name check, then. I'm sorry. Well, they had it coming. They had it coming, apparently. This tech screen isn't immediately giving me the entertainment I want to watch.

Oh, Jesus. And then I stop myself and I go, wait a minute. You were talking to someone who's quite ill and you had this amazing moment, and all it took was your drive from Larchmont over to Brentwood to get you to this? Like, that's the part that... But you had that flash.

That's the important flash that you... The second one that pulls you back. Yeah, you said, oh, oh, and that word practice comes to mind. You know, we can practice this kind of attention, you know, and like you said, God, I fall into that all the time. Like what, these bumps, you know, something.

And what about the body, man, as you age? Oh, I don't like that shit. Well, unfortunately, my body's perfect. Yes, exactly. Well, you saw that when you walked in. You probably thought. When I hugged you, I noticed the delts. You were rubbing me for a while.

Remember that. Hey. You know, talk about a gift. You know, it's this world we live in of streaming, which I'm still getting used to, where a show will come out and I'll start watching it and I'll binge it and I'll love it and then it's done. And then I'll say, okay, I want more

because that's how we are. And so when the old man came out, I watched this show, my wife and I watched it and absolutely loved it. Absolutely loved it. Just loved it and your character, the way the story unfolds, we know so little about you but then we start to realize there's more to this guy than meets the eye and then more and more layers The way the story unfolds, we know so little about you, but then we start to realize there's more to this guy

than meets the eye, and then more and more layers start getting exposed. John Lithgow is it, who's also one of my favorite people, and he's fantastic, and then we learn you two have this big history together, and it's about the CIA and generations and our involvement in foreign wars. But it's a great story, great acting, and it was over, and I was like, I want more right away. And I've had to wait, and now it's back.

And I'm so happy that you guys have this other season, because I can't wait, you know? Yeah, yeah, I hope you enjoy it. It's a good one. A lot of twists and turns, and just the ante keeps, you know, yeah. I hope you enjoy it. It's a good one. A lot of twists and turns and just the ante keeps, you know, up. Yeah, the writing is spectacular. Yeah, well, that's this guy, Joan Steinberg, who is our showrunner, the writer, and really, yeah, he really put it together. And then the cast, not only the actors who are all splendid, you know,

Amy Brennan and Joel Gray, we get to do some stuff with Joel. But it's the cameramen. I'm impressed with the cinematography of this thing. You know, being primarily in movies, I didn't know about the TV thing, you know. But there's such great stuff on TV, my gosh, now. So that, I said, oh, yeah, no. Don't put that on there. Because the making of it, I mentioned the cinematography of the thing.

It's like, you know, same attention that goes into making movies. Well, you know, what's happened is I don't think the line between what's a TV show and what's a movie is meaningless to me now. Yeah. Because it used to be the case that, you know. It's what's a movie is meaningless to me now. Yeah. Because it used to be the case that, you know. It's just a running length is the order.

Yeah, exactly. But it's really the, some of the best acting, directing, I don't know if any of you saw Ripley, which was. What about Succession? Succession, oh my God. Oh man, what is that cool? But you see these things play out

and you think, no, no, this is great. This is great cinema, call it what you want. I'm not seeing it in a theater. What about, I'm sorry. No, no, I love that we're now plugging other people's projects. Oh, no, but what about- What about any show that's not your show?

No, but what I was saying about The Old Man is that The Old Man is a cinematic experience to me because what got to me was when from the first episode, you realize what is going on with this guy. This guy looks like he's got a pretty simple life. And then I can tell you're aware that something isn't right. You've been laying low for a long time. And then you realize people are something isn't right. You've been laying low for a long time,

and then you realize people are coming to get you, and I'm in, I'm thinking, what is happening? And then the way, the patience, you have to wait for it. You have to wait for each thing to unfold to find out who is this guy, Dan Chase, who is he? Who was he? And then we get to see that in flashbacks. But the whole thing is teaching, I hope,

a younger generation about patience. Like you don't get, you know, the way, I think what happened with movies is there's so much money on the line. Everything had to happen right away. And they had to show you a trailer that showed you everything. Oh, I thought you hate that.

Yeah. And then I think, I did think once, if Citizen Kane came out today, there'd be a trailer online that shows them that Rosebud is a sled. And shows them burning it. Because you know, we don't want anyone to have to wait for that.

And that would be like the first thing they'd show is, it's about a guy who says, Rosebud, don't worry, it's a sled. It would also be merchandised as a toy sled. Yeah, and toy sled, Get the Rosebud sled. And so the whole mystery would be gone. But I love that with your show, with a lot of these shows, you have to wait.

And so I had to wait for the old man to come back. And it's like, even though I think I'd have some pull with you when I could get you to call me up and tell me what happens, no, I had to wait. Well, what's so wild? I don't know what's gonna happen. It's very much like life. You don't know what's gonna happen. It's very much, you know, like life. You don't know what's gonna happen the next second.

And hopefully we're gonna go into season three, and I don't know where that's gonna go. I know I'm this guy, and I put my faith in the showrunner, you know, and do it. And so it's a... that's a fresh experience. I'm gonna take these things. I'm gonna try that I just matched you What do you think?

Hey check me on this. Who's got better hair than this man? You, I mean, you're just, you know, I... You, the two of you. You, no, you. No, no, no, mine is more of a caricature. You have, that's fantastic. That's fantastic.

And my hair heroes, you're one of them. The other was Jack Lord in Hawaii Five-0. Oh yes, Jack Lord. Remember he had that big sweep. Very nice. And then I was, the other was Jack Lord in Hawaii Five-0. Oh, yes, Jack Lord. Remember he had that big suite? Very nice, yeah. And then I was, my heart was crushed because I found out on this podcast, remember who we were talking to who did a scene with him as it was a, who was a child actor at the time?

Was it? Was it Kurt Russell? Kurt Russell. Who himself has amazing hair. Yeah, who himself has amazing hair. But Kurt Russell's talking to me and went, yeah, I was a kid actor and I did a Hawaii Five-0 and we were, they were doing my shot, so the camera wasn't on Jack Lord

and he took his hair off. And I said, what do you mean he took his fucking hair off? And he said, well, you know, it was a piece. And I went, I didn't know it was a piece! No! Did you know? Go ahead and take yours off. No, no.

I'm looking at you now, we're talking hair and I'm thinking, my favorite haircut was shaved head, bald. Oh really? And I'm looking at your head, and I said this man would look wonderful with a bald head. Should I go for it? Yeah. Have you ever thought about it?

Never had a shaved head. I've never had a shaved head. It's really nice, have you guys? Never. None of you guys? Uh oh. Yeah, in college. Well you were a terrible skinhead for a while. It also wasn't my choice.

My friends did the thing where they, yeah, they shaved my head. Oh, oh, oh. And tattooed his face. Did you like it? Finally, did you get into it? You know what, I will say, I did like it. It's, you feel so, you feel so like clean and smooth.

Yeah, well it's very, you know, all the, at first it feels, you know, like you're just your forehead but up here and then you get this shark feeling. It feels like shark skin. And you get a little velvet thing. Yeah, it's erotic. It is. A cat's tongue, a little bit of a cat's tongue.

The way water hits on there and stays in there when you take a shower. But also, no fuss, no mush. I mean, I'm six hours every morning with my hair team. Oh my God. You know, they're putting, they're using curlers, they're, no muss. I mean, I'm six hours every morning with my hair team. There you go. You know, they're putting, they're using curlers, they're injecting various- Oh, wow. This is after six hours?

Yeah. Oh, okay. And it just, well, then I was in a terrible accident. My hair saved my life, but it shattered. Would you, do you- I don't think I would shave my head because it's such a part of my identity that I've been pretty much reduced to like, I am a Woody Woodpecker cartoon, you know?

Like I'm not even a person anymore, I'm a cartoon character. I was gonna ask you, did you, you know, you, now I'm saying this is a silly question because I'm imagining, of course you did, but maybe I'm wrong. Did you put product in your hair and work that? Yeah.

You know, she's a slow type. Zeus! Zeus is in the house. I know, everybody's in that volume. You know. Look at that. Zeus. I know. Zeus is in the house. Look at that volume. No, you have no idea. How do you do it? I did it.

What was your product? Like, pro or? Okay, I'll tell you exactly what it was. I got into rockabilly. That was my first love, rockabilly music. Oh, man. And I would play the old, like, Burdent brothers, and I would, I grew the sideburns,

and I realized my hair would do that, so I first. Oh, you must have, oh, of course. Piled it up, and I would, I grew the sideburns and I realized my hair would do that. So I first piled it up and I used this stuff that a friend of mine turned me on to, he was like, use 10X. And there was this stuff they made called 10X and you'd put it in your hair and then you could comb it up. And I was doing this in the eighties, not a lot of other people were doing it.

And then I got a job on The Simpsons. I remember I met The Simpsons and I had, I'm a writer, producer, and I have these sideburns, Eisenhower jacket with the collar flipped up, whew, hair. And I'd walk in, the writers would be like, what are you doing? This isn't a production of Grease. We're writing The Simpsons.

I'm like, hey man, we know. You know, but I don't know what it was. I was, that's what I wanted to do. And so my first big magazine cover was Rolling Stone and they put me on the cover of Rolling Stone. And this guy had this idea, which is he took my hair and then he added these extensions and we blew it way out. And it's one of my favorite, I've seen it,

like it's in an airport somewhere where they just put Rolling Stone covers up, but mine was one of them. And the hair, it's like 50 pounds of hair and a giant wave on my head and it looks absolutely insane. But I was like, in my mind, even though that's a joke, that's what I really wanted it to be and still do, you know? Well, and you must do that. I do it sometimes and my wife is like, can't we go?

Yeah. Not yet, I do it sometimes and my wife is like, can't we go? Yeah. Not yet, I need more mayonnaise for my cloth. How about a duck tail? Never did the duck tail. Never did it. No. That's kind of classic rockabilly. I know, I didn't do the duck tail,

but I just got lost in all that craziness. I don't know, it comes down to this for me. I think there's a lot we do that's compulsion. When people tell their story, they act like they made choices and they forged who they are. And more and more I think, I don't know, my life is a bunch of synaptic misfires.

And now here I am. The hair, the choice of so many things. That's very doodist. No, but it is. I mean it, yeah. And I say misfires, meaning I have a... It sounds absurd for me to say I made any of this happen. I didn't make any of this happen.

And I'm here talking to you and I don't know, you're one of my all time favorite actors, people, and you're here talking to me, I didn't make this happen. This just happened and I couldn't be happier. There's this guy, Sapolsky, who's saying, there's no such thing as willpower. That's, you're not in control at all from the very, from the, just the circumstances you come out of.

I don't know, I kind of feel mixed about that. You feel, I do. Cause it maybe lets us off the hook too much. Yeah, yeah, well, yeah. Circumstances you come out of I don't know I kind of feel mixed about that you feel Because it maybe lets us off the hook too much. Yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah, because then anyone could say Yeah, I just murdered eight people and left their bodies by the roadside, but that's just what I did He's big on on cry on the crime all those people in jail who we say, you're a bad, he's saying, it's the circumstances. Yeah, a lot of times that's true. From the very, very beginning of all how it turns out. Yeah. I think it's kind of, don't you feel life is so paradoxical?

You know, there's not one way, one thing. I think it's kind of both, you know, maybe it's only willpower. I don't know. Co-Ons, man. Co-Ons, it's Co-Ons. Yeah, there you go. It is, it is.

And there are two Co-Ons. Yeah, that's the sound of one Co-On brother clapping. Yeah, that means one Co-On brother's really pissed about something. It doesn't like the edit. Well, I wanna make sure people check out the second season of The Old Man. It's so easy to binge the first season

and I'm just a lifelong fan and not just of your work, but you're an authentically nice and feeling person. And I'm just, it's an honor to know you, it really is. Feel that same way. Yeah, yeah, well I'm a good actor we don't do this often you're crinkling papers in the background. It sounds like... Oh, let's try again. Abide, man. Just abide.

Yeah. That'll work once they know what I'm talking about. Here we go. Three, two, I control everything. Controllo. The opposite of the dude. Yeah, you really are. Quiet. There is no rug. What?

Three, two... We don't do this often. Oh, my God. All of this is staying in. Yes, two. We don't do this often. Oh, my God. All of this is staying in. Yes, please. But no. My control will come out. You'll never know. You'll never know. You really will. Never know. Someday I will listen to this podcast

as soon as I can figure out how to work... my... my... whatever machine plays this. I couldn't even think of anything. I don't know the machine. Your phone. I am definitely going to edit the first part of this segment. It's not common that we have a guest on, the guest leaves and then we say we have to talk.

We have to talk immediately. But the great Jeff Bridges just left the building. There is something nourishing about being in that man's presence. He's such a talented guy, but he's also very humble and sweet and wise. And we're just sitting here with him and I don't know, I just, I feel like I've been healed.

It's like a car wash for the soul or something like that. I love his vibe. He's got a good vibe. He's got a very good vibe. Can I tell you something that happened that is just so dude? Yeah. The listeners wouldn't know this, but every one of these seats has a little tape mark for where your belly button is supposed to go so that we line up with these cameras.

And people are reminded of it every time they come in. We are. Just to make sure that we get good footage of the person. Yeah. And there's a point about, I don't know, 30 minutes to this interview where he just, can I take off these headphones? And then he just looks down at the piece of tape and just goes, shh!

Takes it off. He feels it off. Yeah. Like, I will not be, not be burdened by this mark that I have to hit. No. It's so wonderful. Why would the dude...

So symbolic. Symbolic that someone was trying to control him with a little piece of tape. Like keep your belly button here. No, no, I'm just gonna, I'm gonna let the universe guide me. Not this colored piece of tape. My belly button mark is where my belly button is. Yes. That's basically, that was a,

that's very wise slash stupid. Yeah. But I thought, I loved when he took the headphones off. I'm always wondering, now here's where we get into it with Eduardo. Eduardo always says we need to wear these giant cans on our head so that we're reminded of where to put our mouths near the microphone.

And part of me thinks, huh, because wouldn't people be more relaxed and look cooler if they didn't have that burden of having these things on their ears? We've had some guests request not to do it, and I think those have turned out fine. Eduardo, why don't you weigh in from your very narrow technological perspective?

Happy to. There are professionals out there who I would trust to not wear headphones because they've been around mics enough times that they know to always be near the mic. Like DJ Jazzy Jeff or Shabbity Shrimp. Exactly. And then there are other people that I think are great storytellers, and they start

to tell stories with their hands or their body, and then they start to drift away. Yeah, who was that recently that really sat back in their chair? Yeah, I can't recall. Oh, yeah. But it's been more than a few. Oh, it was Lean Along Jones. Well, no, but so without the headphones,

Yeah, I understand, I understand. they don't realize that they're. So I think the answer here is to improve the technology so that the microphone moves with the person. Sure. And the cameras move when the person moves and the lights move. Now I realize this is a lot of money.

Camera does move. Camera does move. They move it. Then why don't we have a belly button mark? Well, I mean. Ah, why don't we have a belly button mark? We have a belly button mark because if we move too far, then we're in each other's shots.

That's right. Why am I explaining this to you? I love it. I found you years ago. Oh, god. Don't even. No, don't attack me. From Shrevebury and Glendale.

And don't explain to me. No, I appreciate that. No, I understand that there needs to be a general reference point. Yeah. But I do think it's important that people are comfortable. And let's get back to the important thing. Two points, one, Eduardo has failed us.

And I think also, hamstrung us creatively. And I'll get you, Eduardo, if it's the last thing I do. Two, two. Adam's with me on this one. You didn't have a second point. I did have a second point. You just wanted to get on a rant and you don't even know what you're complaining about.

No, two is, let's get back to Jeff Bridges. Can you be more Jeff Bridges? Can you try? You know what? I honestly believe that I should. Go across the Jeff Bridge, go across the bridges of Jefferson County and be more like Jeff Bridges.

I hope you're proud. I hope you're happy with yourself. So far. And you know what? That's staying in. That was so. That's staying in. I stand by that, I'm proud of that.

You are? Proud of it? I want it on my tombstone. Yeah. Oh, trust me. It'll go on your tombstone and it'll be soon. I love them all. You know, I'm ordained in the Church of Dude. Yeah, what's the story here? Yeah, when I was officiating

one of my closest friends' wedding once, and she, and I was so nervous, cause you need to get ordained. You've done it. It takes minutes online. And so I got ordained at four different online churches and one was the church of dude. Why four?

Because I got nervous, I wasn't ordained enough. It's like it's good to have different passports. You never know what's gonna come down. It is. You didn't wanna bring that up while he was here. I was nervous around him. He made me nervous. There are very few people who've been here who've made me up while he was here. I was nervous around him. He made me nervous. There are very few people who've been here

who've made me nervous and Jeff Bridges. I'm gonna say this. I know. But I love him so much. Ultimate chill chum. I'm gonna say this. I do, and I'm saying this not as a joke or anything. At my stage in my life, my career,

I do think it should be a mission of mine to become, I'm being completely honest. I agree. More like Jeff Bridges. I don't wanna- What else is the point? What's the point? And it'd be one thing if you could say, yeah, but he's a great example

because his body of work is fantastic. And I think he's lived this ethos. He's authentic. He doesn't seem to be affecting it. Did you notice too, after we finished, he got up and he just did this. Now, can I just say something? I do that, I used to do that around the interns

and I was spoken to. It was lit. I was spoken to. It looked so much cooler when he did it. I'm not denying that. It's going on my tombstone. And this is a podcast, you should explain what you did. Yeah.

I think the audience gets it. Okay. And you need to not do that around interns. I used to do it and say, it's old Lighthouse crotch. What's your- And not the shape, it's the illumination. Jeff Bridges stood up and he stuck his tummy out and sort of did like a rotation.

Like hula hooping without a hula hoop. Hula hooping without a hula hoop is fine. And yeah, I think that that's something I would never do. I don't have that, he's just so comfortable with himself. Yes. He's got like a stoners vibe. He does. I think, yeah.

So I wonder, I don't know. Does he partake or? Hey, I have a question. Why don't, well, I was gonna say we become stoners now, but Sona is a stoner. But like you and I, Matt, we have a similar thing, I think, which is we're probably warriors, we prepare. Wound up.

A little wound tightly. And I was thinking the other day, like at this point, why not just, I don't know, just become a stoner? That part about just practice, about what you said really resonated me when you're talking to that person who is ill and how you lose it because the cable goes wrong. What else is the point?

Well, you know what it is? I think we drift. There's constant drift. You're never in a fixed place. So I saw this in New York on 9-11. After 9-11, 9-12, 9-13, I mean, everywhere you went, people were asking each other, how are you? You'd go to a restaurant, the waitress would come over, the waitress would sit with us, we'd talk. How are you? Where do you live? How are you getting to work?

Is everyone you know okay? It was just incredible. And then I remembered thinking, I think it lasted like three and a half weeks. And then people went back to being, you know, we're New Yorkers and I'm not, this is not about New York. It's the same, it would be the same thing in Boston, it would be the same thing in Los Angeles, San Francisco.

We're human beings. So hit us over the head really hard with a two by four. And we have this incredible wisdom and generosity of spirit. And then wait 20 minutes. And it's like, Hey, I said I want chicklets. You know, that's the kind of gum. Give me my chicklets.

Yeah. You know? Are chicklets gum? Wow, I had no idea. Did you know about chicklets? I don't know if something I'm saying is... Can you just be more like Jeff Bridges, please? Okay, he would not do what you just did.

Try it. You were like, oh, this moment in history, and then you immediately do something very un-JB. And it's not, you're just, you have a long way to go. Go over a Jeff Bridge too far. You have to stop making bridge jokes. How many tombstones can one man have? You cannot have too many too quickly.

I'll put you that. No, you know what, you two have a lot of work to do. I feel like I'm there, Mason. Yeah, he wouldn't have gotten, he wouldn't have thrown out, even if he did say chicklets, he'd just say it. And then if you picked up on it, you picked up on it. But I'm like, well, do you know what that is? That was, is that still a gum?

I don't want to look like I'm too out of touch. I should have just said it. But Sona, also, you are the most Jeff Bridges of us all. But if you were at true peak Jeff Bridges, you wouldn't have had a problem with that joke I made. He would have been like, all right, man. He wouldn't have laughed. Yeah, he wouldn't have laughed.

But he would have appreciated the end. No, I don't think he would have laughed. I don't even think it's funny. I think a hyena would have not... A hyena that was laughing would have... There would have been a cessation of laughter. Start crying. If there was a hyena going,

ah, ah, ah, ah, Bridges too far, ah. He would have just turned into a coyote. Stone cold silence. Well, it's time to wrap. And then the minute I come back in the room, ah, ah, ah. I don't like the tone of this, it's time to wrap. All right, well anyway, Jeff Bridges,

you are a very special, cool spirit and we're indebted to you. And let's all try to be more doodler as we move forward on this podcast. True. Amen. God, you could have just ended there. No.

Oh, God. ["Sona of Sessian"] Conan O'Brien needs a friend. With Conan O'Brien, Sonam ofsesian, and Matt Gourley. Produced by me, Matt Gourley. Executive produced by Adam Sacks, Jeff Ross, and Nick Leow. Theme song by The White Stripes. Incidental music by Jimmy Vivino.

Take it away, Jimmy. Our supervising producer is Aaron Blair, and our associate talent producer is Jennifer Samples. Engineering and mixing by Eduardo Perez and Brendan Burns. Additional production support by Mars Melnik. Talent booking by Paula Davis, Gina Battista, and Brit Kahn. You can rate and review this show on Apple Podcasts, and you might find your review read on a future episode.

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