Appearing on Variety and PBS’ Actors on Actors, interviewed by fellow star Matthew McConaughey, Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges looks back on his experience on the set of director Jon Favreau’s original Iron Man. While Bridges, a veteran actor and consummate professional, claims to have arrived on the set of the upstart film in 2007 prepared and knowing all his lines, he was shocked to discover that the production was in a state of chaos, especially regarding said lines with almost daily re-writes of the script. As Bridges reveals: However, lest anyone think that Bridges is looking back on his Iron Man experience through a bitter lens, he ultimately explains that – in a manner almost akin to his iconic character The Dude from The Big Lewbowski – he found a very Zen way to abide the chaos of the set. As Bridges endearingly explains: Indeed, the original Iron Man – actually budgeted at $140 million – became a $585 million global hit and a bellwether event for not only the comic book movie genre, but the overall film industry and the reverence with which similar genre properties are bestowed. Having tolerated the behind-the-scenes bedlam atmosphere, Bridges is able to brandish bragging rights for having played the inaugural villain of the MCU, which currently manifests as 14 films and 5 televisions shows with plenty more on deck.
