Beau Bridges

The eldest son in a family of actors (including his father Lloyd and brother Jeff), Beau Bridges was more interested in basketball than in drama growing up. Born Dec. 9, 1941, in Hollywood, Calif., he played roundball in college before switching to acting when he realized his height (5 foot, 10 inches) precluded a professional hoops career.

By the early 1970s, Bridges began to land major parts in feature films such as The Landlord. Eventually, however, character roles became his niche, with stunning turns in films such as Heart Like a Wheel (1983) and 1989's The Fabulous Baker Boys (opposite his brother).

Bridges has also received many accolades for his TV work. He collected Emmys for his performances in the 1991 miniseries "Without Warning: The James Brady Story," The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom" (1993) and "The Second Civil War" (1997).

Filmography