Photography by Kat Borchart
They call them dynasties: Barrymore, Carradine, Redgrave, Bridges. Some begin their film careers as toddlers on the silver screen, some grace theater stages from adolescence through seniority, and some, like Jordan Bridges – son of Beau, grandson of Lloyd, and nephew of Jeff – do a little bit of both, taking the time to explore music, education, and various other passions outside of the industry.
At 37, Jordan Bridges has been acting for twenty-two years, with generous gaps in between to pursue a diverse spectrum of interests, including Kung Fu, fencing, poetry, and film theory. He earned his SAG card at the age of five alongside his father in the aptly named, The Kid from Nowhere. After a successful venture in a 1986 Disney production, the young Bridges decided to put his nascent career on hold, to avoid the pitfalls of child acting that beset many members of such prestigious acting families. At the progressive Oakwood School in Los Angeles, Jordan would find his niche in various stage roles in school productions, and boldly test the waters of musicianship, in the rock-blues venture, “The Mighty Thermos.”
From these achievements, Jordan took a break from the plastic bustle of Hollywood and headed East towards the lush autumns and fresh springs of the Hudson Valley. He landed at Bard College and took full advantage of the broad curriculum of the prestigious school, studying everything from natural history to contemporary fiction. As a junior he traveled even farther to London to attend the renowned London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA), where he refined his acting skills, experienced the exalted theaters of the West End, took up fencing and, perhaps most notably, had
an epiphany that he is “not a drinker.”
The third-generation Bridges has been acting in Hollywood consistently since 1997, making his mark in roles for television series such as Law & Order, Dawson’s Creek, CSI: NY, and Charmed. He also gained notoriety through supporting roles across stars like Julia Roberts, Kirsten Dunst, and Dennis Quaid in films like Mona Lisa Smile and Frequency. He then reunited with his father Beau, playing a younger version of him in the 1999 biopic Barnum, about the infamous entertainer P.T. Barnum, and returned to New York for a role in The Lieutenant of Inishmore, on Broadway.
The gifted and handsome star has just finished filming three independent films in which he stars, all set for 2012 releases: Five Hours South, A Holiday Engagement, and Rush Light. Bridges can next be seen in the upcoming Clint Eastwood film, J. Edgar, alongside the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Naomi Watts, and Judi Dench. Currently, he stars on TNT’s hit series, Rizzoli & Isles, opposite Angie Harmon of Law & Order fame, as Frankie Rizzoli Jr. His young daughter, Lola, will soon add a fourth-generation to the acting dynasty when she appears in the series this coming fall. Gene pools aside, this Bridges has all the makings of an unpredictable star with distinctive skill.
– William Blake