Jeff Bridges' dad told him it would be "ridiculous" to consider any other profession than acting

Jeff recalled to The Guardian newspaper: "I had questions about what I was going to do, and my dad would say: 'Jeff, don't be ridiculous, that's the wonderful thing about acting, it's going to call upon all of your interests.'"

The 75-year-old actor has always been "resistance" but enjoys exploring what he is pushing against and has grown to realise his emotions are "no big thing".

He said: "To do a movie, to bring me to the party, I resist, I resist. And there's such satisfaction in exploring that resistance and getting on the other side, not being afraid of it.

"I'm getting into the cold-plunging, I've been doing that for a while, and my relationship with cold has shifted a bit.

"Normally you think of cold as an enemy, but it's just a feeling. All of those different emotions that come up, they're no big thing man! Come on!

"I don't think I've changed much since I was a little kid. I feel basically the same."

The 'Big Lebowski' star doesn't think he truly knows who he is but loves being a catalyst for his art, even if it can be "frightening" at times.

He said: "I don't think we ultimately know who we really are all the time. The task for all these different things, whether it's acting, music, painting, ceramics, the main task is getting out of the way, letting the thing come through you. And it can be frightening sometimes.

"But sometimes it just has its way with you, and when that happens, man it's a gas!

"And when it happens with a bunch of other artists and you're all doing it together, it's real magic. It's the magic of trees and flowers."

Meanwhile, Jeff recalled 'Masked and Anonymous' director Larry Charles urging him to give co-star Bob Dylan some acting lessons while making the 2003 movie, and though he agreed, he didn't feel it necessary because of the folk legend's "incredible" presence.

Larry told him: "Why don't you and Bob go off and you teach Bob some acting? Go and do some improvisation or something."

Jeff reflected: "He was so great to work with. He's such an incredible actor. I mean his presence, right?"

And as a keen musician, a highlight of the 2003 shoot came when he was playing guitar and Bob appeared in the doorway.

He recalled: "He said 'Hey man, you want to jam?' "