*Jeff Bridges is Master Gregory in a time of enchantments when legends and magic collide. He is a demon-slayer with a tongue as sharp as his sword in the blockbuster “Seventh Son.”
Based on Joseph Delaney’s fantasy novel “The Spook’s Apprentice,” the action filled “Seventh Son” is helmed by Sergey Bodrov.
The beguiling and captivating fun filled film is the latest in a long list of films Jeff “The Dude” Bridges has appeared in over the last 45 years. He was drawn to “Seventh Son” because these kinds of stories can “shine some light on where we are today,” Bridges reflected.
Besides fighting the evil that exists in “Seventh Son,” there are also the love stories; and Master Gregory is not immune to the charms of Julianne Moore, the dark witch Queen Mother Malkin. And hell has no fury like a woman scorned. Mother Malkin becomes Mastery Gregory’s fiercest enemy when she seeks to destroy him for burying her underground. Instead of killing Malkin, he tried to restrain her wicked deeds by containment. At a press conference for “Seventh Son” in New York at the Crosby Hotel, Bridges and cast members were eager to answer questions.
Jeff, the film speaks a lot about fate and destiny. Have they played a part in your life?
JEFF BRIDGES: As The Dude (laughs), this is my opinion. You have the whole universe and everything you don’t know about, and everything comes out of the universe. So it’s destiny and fate that we are here, and all of our challenges and dilemmas are fate. They can be wonderful lessons for all of us.
Speaking of The Dude, it’s been 17 years since you and Julianne starred in ‘The Big Lebowski.’ What was it like to be together on the set again?
JB: Not many people know this, but I think we just let this out of the bag, that this film is actually a prequel to ‘The Big Lebowski.’ (Laughs) There are some kinds of weird parallels. I think of Maude flying (in ‘The Big Lebowski’). The Dude liked to smoke and drink, and I’m sure Gregory has some kind of smoking mixture. There are probably some similarities. I haven’t really thought too much about it, but now I will.
It’s positive baggage. Even doing what we’re doing here now, it’s kind of the same thing. We had the pleasure of doing a lot of interviews (earlier in the day) together, and it’s like performing together in a way. You’re riffing off each other and being inspired by each other.
Many were inspired during the Super Bowl to donate to Bridges’ End Hunger campaign when the commercial for his new album promoting sleep appeared. All proceeds from the album and downloads go to the No Kid Hungry campaign (www.nokidhungry.org). Few are aware he has been trying to end hunger since the eighties! It was at the 2008 “Iron Man” junket that I asked Bridges about the button on his lapel that had an eye and mouth on it. He took it off, gave it to me and I put it on. He then says, “There you go. Now when people ask you about it, you can tell them what I tell you about my End Hunger Network.” On the bottom of the button was hungrr.com
Julianne Moore, still riding high from her Golden Globe win was in her usual festive mood. When The Film Strip asked her about fate and destiny, she said, “That’s a tough one. I don’t know if I believe in destiny and fate, but I do believe in desire and luck. I always tell my children that I remember when I was 10, I would say I was going to have two children—a boy and a girl. (Laughs) I’d line up my dolls to show that. I always tell them that I got what I wished for, so I had a desire for something I knew that I wanted.
“So I feel lucky that it happened, but I can reframe it now, and say it was destiny. I think when we get what we want, we can say it was destiny.
On working with Bridges again after 17 years, she mused; “Has it been 17 years? I actually got pregnant with my son—he’s not Jeff’s [Laughs]—on ‘The Big Lebowski,’ and he’s 17 years old. So, that’s how I know it’s been 17 years. It’s just so great to be with Jeff again. Not only do we kind of drag our relationship along as people and as actors, but I think the audience does, too. So there’s that sense of, ‘Oh, I know those guys! They were in a movie together before.’ So it’s cool.”
Djimon Hounso, Ben Barnes, Olivia Williams, Kit Harington, Alicia Vikander, Antje Traue, and Kandyse McClure as the African witch.
Syndicated Entertainment journalist Marie Moore reports on film and TV from her New York City base. Contact her at [email protected]
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