Questionnaire conducted July to October 1999 - thanks to all who submitted questions (even the twit who asked whether Michelle Pfeiffer was a good kisser).
Special thanks to Jeff Bridges for kindly taking the time to answer these questions and and extra special thanks to the ever helpful Nicky Hulme for all her hard work in helping to organise and compile the answers.
Steve Kloves approaches you with a film script. It’s a slow, dark character piece (you must have heard the Hollywood moguls running for cover straight away) about an escort girl, a family man and his loser brother. It has an open ending and a 27 year old first time director. For some reason you agree. Why? What appealed to you about the project?
Jeff Bridges: When I first read the script of Fabulous Baker Boys I was immediately impressed by it's high quality - Steve wrote a script with excellent characters and dialog that felt very real. Also, it was an opportunity to work with my brother.
Apparently when you agreed to meet him, Steve actually flew out to your ranch to try and convince you. Is this true?
Jeff Bridges: I think he did come up to MT, but I can't really remember.
Had Steve been confirmed as director when you signed on?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, Steve was already attached to direct, this was due to his champion, the producer Mark Rosenberg. Mark is possibly the best producer I have worked with, he was so supportive of Steve and all of us.
Apparently you quickly agreed to try and convince Beau to act opposite you?
Jeff Bridges: I was excited to have Beau read this script - I was sure he would love it as I did and sure enough he did. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to work together and we were excited to have found a script that transcended the gimmick of two brothers working together, and I think we found it in Fabulous Baker Boys - it's one of my favorite movies that I've been in.
If Beau had said no, would you still have considered doing the film?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, I would still have done it.
Did Beau actually shave his hair down to make Frank look like he was balding?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, I talked Beau into shaving his head like that - he baulked but then finally agreed, however he wanted to do the maintenance on it himself and not the make up lady. One morning he came into the make up trailer and said "My God! Look what I've done!!" He had accidentally shaved too much hair off from his 'receding hairline' and the make up lady had her work cut out to make him look normal while we cried with laughter.
Even the closest of bothers suffer from some sibling rivalry. How much truth is there in the rivalry between the Baker Boys compared to the Bridges Boys?
Jeff Bridges: Beau and I don't consider ourselves rivals, but players on the same team.
You even came close to breaking Beau’s hand during the fight scene. Is that correct?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, that's true - we had a lot of fun choreographing that fight. Unfortunately we forgot to decide on a word to signal the end, so when Beau looked up at me as I was bending his fingers back and pleaded "Stop, you're hurting me," I thought "What brilliant acting!"
A rejected reshoot of the troublesome fight scene - Jeff and Beau karate each other's chins.
Had Michelle Pfeiffer even been mentioned as a candidate for Susie Diamond when you and Beau signed on?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, I believe Steve always thought of Michelle doing that role. I thought she would be perfect.
With you and Beau being so close, how conscious were you of Michelle being the ‘outsider’ of the trio. Did you have to make any special allowances or efforts to help her fit in with the two of you?
Jeff Bridges: No, Michelle was a real team player - Steve had known her from before and the four of us loved working together.
Michelle recalls that you took her out to various clubs to check out the lounge singers. What was that like?
Jeff Bridges: It was fun, we hung out at some lounges around LA airport.
How much actual filming was done in Seattle?
Jeff Bridges: Most of the film.
Michelle Pfeiffer has described herself as one of the ‘prudes’ on the movie industry yet here she is often uttering a string of four-letter words, singing ‘Makin’ Whoopee’ in a dress slit up to her thighs, then performing a seduction scene with you that must rank as one of the hottest in cinema history. Did she seem to find these scenes uncomfortable, and if so why do you think she agreed to do the film?
Jeff Bridges: No, she didn't. I think she was more concerned about slipping off the piano.
Pfeiffer was apparently under considerable stress during filming after a marriage breakup. Did this cause any problems on set? Do you think it affected her performance in any way?
Jeff Bridges: No.
Critics have both praised and criticised your lack of reaction during the famous ‘Makin’ Whoopee’ performance (the most you show is an uncomfortable grin). How and why did you try to play this scene?
Jeff Bridges: Jack was a pretty cool character and didn't show much.
In your album of photos from the film, there’s also a photograph of a scene involving a swimming pool that was eventually cut from the film. What was that scene about?
Jeff Bridges: That was a scene that showed what Frank's family life was like.
Can you recall any other scenes that were cut from the film or anything that you ran out of time to film?
Jeff Bridges: No, but I'm disappointed that Michelle's version of "More Than You Know" and Dave Grusin's wonderful version of "Jack's Theme" were left off the soundtrack album.
How did you find working with first time director Steve Kloves? Did he need alot of encouragement and were you able to give him any advice?
Jeff Bridges: Steve was one of my favorite directors I've worked with. He wrote a wonderful script and so if we ever needed to change any lines he knew the script so well it was easy for him. We spent a few months before the film over at my house with Beau (and later Michelle) doing improvs and Steve would often participate in them. Seeing his commitment to those improvs and his willingness to play gave me faith in knowing that he knew what acting was all about. He was always open to all of our ideas, but always had a strong sense of what he wanted.
Is it true you started chain smoking for the film and had a hard time kicking the habit afterwards?
Jeff Bridges: No.
Both you and Pfeiffer seem to be smoking in virtually every scene. If there was ever a film that glamourised smoking it is Baker Boys. How do you feel about that?
Jeff Bridges: I wouldn't encourage anyone to smoke, but the script called for my character and Michelle's to smoke. In regard to how I feel about that, I don't want to limit myself to playing characters with only good habits and I've done things far worse on film than smoke cigarettes.
Critic Armond White called this film ‘a white exploitation movie’, mainly due to the fact that Susie Diamond should have been cast with a black singer. How do you react to criticism like this? Is White complaining about the very things the script was trying to address?
Jeff Bridges: Yes.
What do you remember about working with the then unknown Jennifer Tilly (Monica Moran)? Her main memory of the film, by the way, is apparently how supportive you were to her in your cafe scene together.
Jeff Bridges: I enjoyed working with Jennifer very much, I think she is extremely talented and it's wonderful to see her career taking off as it has.
What was it like working with famous cinematographer Michael Ballhaus?
Jeff Bridges: He was terrific to work with. He gave Steve Kloves a lot of great input and his work is largely responsible for the success of the film.
There’s an old rule that actors should never work with kids or animals, yet you did both in this film. How did you find it working with the girl upstairs from Jack, Nina (Ellie Raab)?
Jeff Bridges: I don't mind working with kids and dogs. Ellie Raab was great to work with.
Like Jack Baker, you’re a musician yourself, you’re in showbusiness and you’re working with your brother. Did you find the similiarities between yourself and Jack a problem or an advantage during filming?
Jeff Bridges: I found it was wonderful doing the film with Beau and being brothers made it easier portraying that relationship. As far as playing music, being a musician myself also helped portraying the character. (By the way, I have a CD that should be out in fall this year - you can keep abreast of it's progress by visiting my website: http://www.jeffbridges.com)
As an actor, how do you have to distance yourself from a character like this who is, at least during filming, so similar to you in so many ways? Where do you draw the line between Jack Baker and Jeff Bridges?
Jeff Bridges: Wherever it naturally falls. I'm not one to take my parts home - at least, I don't think I do, although that's not what my wife says.
Did you prepare for the role of Jack Baker any differently from other films you’ve been in?
Jeff Bridges: Basically the same way as far as taking elements from myself and observing other people and using them as role models, but of course each role has it's own peculiarities. Jack was a piano player, so I had to brush up my playing.
It’s a very physical role as Jack Baker doesn’t talk alot. As an actor you’re having to convey alot with just body language and facial expressions. Was that a challenge for you?
Jeff Bridges: Not really, it was fun.
Did acting together with your brother change your relationship in any way?
Jeff Bridges: Not really, acting together in a movie, especially one that was as well written as Fabulous Baker Boys, was a dream come true.
There's been some speculation that the relationship between the Baker Boys mirrors that of Lennon and McCartney; For a start they're two musicians (one the 'straight man' and one 'the artist') with a successful act that eventually falls apart when a woman appears on the scene? Did you discuss any of this with Steve?
Jeff Bridges: No, this notion never occurred to any of us, I don't think. You'd have to ask Steve who these brothers were based on, I can't remember discussing it although I'm sure we did.
Despite the critical success of the movie, by Hollywood standards (ie financial) it wasn’t a huge success when released. Did this surprise you?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, I was surprised as I thought it was a wonderful story that was
executed very well, but my surprise no longer surprises me on this sort of
thing.
The original theatre trailer for the film seems to concentrate wholly on the comic and romantic aspects of the film, ignoring some of the darker, more dramatic moments. Were you happy with the film being deliberately marketed this way and do you think it affected the audience reaction?
Jeff Bridges: I don't remember seeing any of the trailers and no, it doesn't
necessarily displease me in this case - I don't think showing the darker
aspects would've made more people come to see the film.
Did you expect such a slow, dark film from such a young director?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, we expected this approach from the start as that's the way this
script was written and the film stays very close to the script. It did
surprise me that such a young writer and director could produce something so
perceptive and well seasoned.
At one point actors like Bill Murray were being considered for the film, suggesting that the studios had a vastly different view of the film than Steve Kloves had. Was there ever any pressure from anybody to lighten things up?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, I'm sure there was a lot of pressure to do all sorts of things - we
were fortunate to have a wonderful producer in Mark Rosenberg who constantly
fought for the integrity of the film and championed Steve Kloves, who was in
his mid twenties at the time, to direct the film.
One critic claimed this was a film that was ‘talked about more than seen’. Ten years on, do you get much interest coming your way about this movie?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, it's a favorite of a lot of people.
You’re on record as claiming this as perhaps your favourite film due to the fun you had working with your brother?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, working with Beau, Steve and Michelle certainly made this film a wonderful experience, but I think perhaps the main element that caused this movie to be a favorite of mine, was the terrific script that Steve wrote and the superb photography of Michael Ballhaus.
Your mother claimed this was her favourite movie. Is that true?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, I would bet that this is her favorite movie of Beau's or mine, because of the fact that we worked together.
When the film ended Susie was following a career singing advertisement jingles, Frank was going to start teaching piano to the snotty neighbourhood kids, and Jack was playing two nights a week in a jazz club. That was ten years ago; where do you think the three characters would be today?
Jeff Bridges: I've often fantasized about what these folks would be doing today. When Beau and I hang out together sometimes we call ourselves Frank and Jack and pretend we are doing a segment of the Baker Boys serial.
The film leaves the relationship between Susie and Jack quite open. Was there any pressure from anybody to try and avoid this open ending?
Jeff Bridges: I bet from some factions there was.
Do you still keep in touch with Steve Kloves?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, Steve and I talk every once in a while. Last time we talked he said he had some new projects in the works and I look forward to seeing what he's up to. He's a wonderful writer and film maker. This script was one of the best I've ever read.
Any hope for a sequel?
Jeff Bridges: Yes, I would love to get together with that team again.
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