9 Life Lessons We've Learned From Jeff Bridges

Few people on Earth are cooler than Jeff Bridges. Here are a few pieces of wisdom from a guy you'd definitely want on your side if you were fighting an army of evil spirits.

1. Keep people on their toes.

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Bridges has made a career out of unexpected, challenging roles. He's also pursued a rich variety of extracurricular activities outside of Hollywood (which we'll get to later).

2. Your family makes you stronger.

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Jeff grew up in an acting family and had a number of small roles in the 1950s and 60s alongside his brother Beau, father Lloyd, and mother Dorothy.

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Some of his first roles were in the TV series Sea Hunt, opposite his father.

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Jeff and his brother later co-starred in numerous films and even staged a fight when they co-hosted Saturday Night Live in 1983. They were the only siblings to hold that honor until the Olsen Twins did it in 2004.

3. Be your own rock star.

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Bridges played in bands as a teen, but put music on hold to pursue acting. It's become a big part of his life, and he even played most of the music in Crazy Heart (which won him an Oscar).

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Jeff has since had the opportunity to jam with some of the most beloved vocalists on the planet.

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...and play air guitar with members of Creedence Clearwater Revival.

4. Patience is a virtue.

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Seriously. Bridges co-wrote a book about meditation and living a mindful lifestyle. The book is aptly titled, The Dude and the Zen Master.

5. Take bad situations in stride.

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For example, there's not much you can do when the ashes of your cremated friend end up in your face.

6. Express yourself in a variety of mediums.

Bridges is an accomplished illustrator and photographer, and both were hobbies he picked up in his spare time. He created all of the custom illustrations for his website, and provided the watercolors that were featured in the movie, The Door In The Floor.

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He's renowned for taking behind the scenes photographs of his films.

7. It's important to make a difference in the world.

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Bridges co-founded the End Hunger Network, which combats childhood hunger. He's also worked with the Obama Administration to bring attention to the issue.

8. Beards are timeless.

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Bridges is one of the rare Hollywood celebrities who has been able to rock a beard in each of the last four decades.

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Although, his neck beard in the 1976 remake of King Kong was a little much.

9. Video games can prepare you for life's challenges.

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The creators of Tron brought video games to the set to help the actors get into the mindset of gamers. Jeff was reportedly a natural and beat everyone.

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And by the looks of it, he can still pass as a gamer.

For more reasons to love Jeff, check out R.I.P.D., opening July 19.