Steve Buscemi names the only actor capable of bringing about world peace
The world would be a much better place if everyone were a bit more like Steve Buscemi. The man clearly appreciates art, having appeared in some of the most cherished indie and arthouse movies of the past three decades. Not only is he a phenomenal actor, but he also seems to be a pretty stand-up guy. A firefighter prior to his movie career taking off, Buscemi returned to his old profession as a volunteer after the September 11th terror attacks. He has remained a prominent campaigner for fire services since, even getting arrested in 2003 for protesting against the closure of a fire station in New York City.
If any actor is going to have the answers to all the world’s problems, it’s Buscemi. However, according to him, a different performer holds the key. Whilst taking part in an Ask Me Anything (AMA) on Reddit, the star was asked about his time on the set of The Big Lebowski. Buscemi obliged, and had some very nice words to say about one of his co-stars.
“Jeff Bridges is one of the sweetest guys,” he wrote, revealing that his colleague used to take great pictures of the rest of the cast whilst they were working. “He’s been in like, all these great movies, and it was just fun to hear him tell us stories of what it was like to work with John Huston on the set of Fat City… Jeff Bridges could bring about world peace.”
Bridges plays one of the titular Lebowskis in the Coen brothers’ madcap comedy, better known as ‘The Dude’. A laid back, no care-having, White Russian-drinking, bowling mad slacker, ‘The Dude’ is up there with the very best characters in cinema history. Bridges plays him to perfection. A heavier touch might have turned him into an unlikeable lout, but he strikes the balance between useless and charming just right. Buscemi, in one of his most underserved roles, plays Donny, the often-chastised third member of ‘The Dude’s bowling team, alongside John Goodman’s gun-toting Walter Sobchak.
Buscemi isn’t the only big name to tell tales of how nice Bridges is. Winona Ryder once recalled her audition for the movie Fearless, which would have seen her play Bridges’ love interest. The older actor flat out refused to kiss Ryder, claiming it didn’t feel comfortable as she was a similar age to his real-life daughter. Given that this story comes from the early 1990s, when Hollywood was even sleazier than it is now, this is a refreshing change of pace.
Despite clearly being a big fan, this is the only time Buscemi has worked with Bridges. He did receive a special ‘thanks’ credit on Bridges’ movie The Long Road in 2009, but that’s it. As for the Coens, Buscemi is a regular collaborator with them. He’s appeared in four of their films, including one where he was cast because of his ‘unique’ looks. Hopefully he took that as a compliment, although we’re not sure it was one.
By all accounts, Bridges is a top geezer. The fact that fellow top geezer Buscemi was willing to endorse him in this way only confirms this to be true. The two barely got to interact in The Big Lebowski, so fingers crossed they get another chance to actually show what they’re capable of on screen.
