The Dude returns, just not in a sequel to The Big Lebowski. Instead, he turned up unexpectedly in a guest appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. Jeff Bridges has a prolific career, with movies ranging from The Last Picture Show and Tron to True Grit and Iron Man, just to name a few. Yet his most iconic performance is still Jeffrey Lebowski, aka The Dude (or “His Dudeness, or uh, Duder, or El Duderino if you’re not into the whole brevity thing”) in 1998’s The Big Lebowski. Despite being a box office flop, The Big Lebowski became a cult hit and might be regarded by many as the most iconic film in everyone involved’s career.
Bridges appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote his latest film, Tron: Ares. Kimmel, speaking about the times we are living in, asked Bridges if The Dude from The Big Lebowski had anything to say before pulling out a cardigan and a pair of sunglasses, The Dude’s signature outfit minus the bathrobe. Bridges agreed and was handed the character’s favorite drink, a white Russian, to help get into character before addressing the audience. Bridges, as the Dude said:
“Hey world, The Dude here. So, uh, yeah, man. Can we just all calm the f–k down? I mean, c’mon. I’m talking about, you know, all the wars, the fighting, the canceling. I mean, let’s just chill out, man. C’mon, tone it down. We’re, like, at what? A nine? We ought to be at zero. Or zero and a half at max. ICE? Let’s get ICE off our streets and into our beverages, man. This aggression will not stand. Right? So let’s just abide. Abide together. Yes, we can do this. Now, that’s just, like, my opinion, but it’s a good one, don’t you think, Jimmy [Kimmel]?”
‘The Big Lebowski’ Legacy
The Big Lebowski was released in theaters on March 6, 1998, and was seen by many as a disappointment following the Coen Brothers’ previous movie, Fargo. Despite being a box-office bomb, the movie found new life on home video, quickly becoming a cult hit and, now, a mainstream pop culture phenomenon, where Bridges can reprise his role on a late-night talk show, and most audiences will get the reference. The Big Lebowski has since led to an annual Lebowski Fest and, in 2005, to a religion known as Dudeism, devoted largely to spreading the philosophy and lifestyle of The Dude.
While The Big Lebowski has never been given a sequel, there have been brief loose follow-ups. In 2019, Bridges reprised his role as The Dude in a Super Bowl commercial for Stella Artois. John Turturro reprised his role as Jesus Quintana in a spin-off film titled The Jesus Rolls, which Turturro directed. However, the Coen brothers were not involved, and no other Big Lebowski actors appeared in the film.
Bridges’ appearance as The Dude addressing the state of the world on Jimmy Kimmel Live! seems appropriate following the turbulent weeks the host of the late-night talk show had. Jimmy Kimmel was pulled off television for five days due to a perceived misunderstanding about a comment Kimmel made about Charlie Kirk’s suspected assassination. Disney’s decision to comply with the apparent targeted attack on Kimmel by the current White House administration drew major controversy and sparked a massive protest, leading, allegedly, to millions canceling their Disney+ subscriptions. Kimmel has since been reinstated and is thriving on ABC.
- Release Date
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March 6, 1998
- Runtime
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117 minutes
- Director
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Joel Coen
- Producers
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Eric Fellner