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Jeff Bridges invoked The Dude — his beloved stoner character from 1998’s The Big Lebowski — on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Tuesday night.
The 75-year-old actor was being interviewed ahead of his forthcoming appearance in the new Disney film Tron: Ares, in which he reprises his role as Kevin Flynn, founder of the Encom virtual reality firm.
“We are in such a troubled time, I think, is a good way to say it,” Kimmel said on Tuesday night’s show. “People are getting crazier every day and I wonder if you could perhaps summon The Dude to share some words of wisdom tonight.”
The late-night host then handed Bridges a cardigan reminiscent of The Dude’s in the film and a pair of sunglasses to wear.
Bridges then addressed the audience: “Hey world, The Dude here. So, uh, yeah, man. Can we just all calm the f*** down? I mean, c’mon. I’m talking about, you know, all the wars, the fighting, the canceling. I mean, let’s just chill out, man. C’mon, tone it down.
Jeff Bridges invoked The Dude on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ (ABC)
“We’re, like, at what? A nine?” he continued. “We ought to be at zero. Or zero and a half at max.
“ICE?? Let’s get ICE off our streets and into our beverages, man,” Bridges said, referring to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, drawing loud cheers from the studio audience.
“This aggression will not stand,” he said, quoting his character. “Right?”
“Right,” Kimmel said.
“So let’s just abide,” said Bridges. “Abide together. Yes, we can do this. Now, that’s just, like, my opinion, but it’s a good one, don’t you think, Jimmy?”
“That’s a pretty great opinion,” the host said.
Kimmel’s recent suspension over comments he made on his talk show about slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk caused an outcry about free speech.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump publicly celebrated Kimmel’s suspension and the impending cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s show by CBS.
After six days, ABC reinstated Jimmy Kimmel Live!, with Kimmel returning to the network on September 23. He defended free speech in his return monologue, stating: “Our government cannot be allowed to control what we do and do not say on television.”
Over in the film world, Tron: Ares is facing a different kind of backlash.
In a one-star review for The Independent, Clarisse Loughrey called the latest instalment in the franchise the “worst film of the year and a new low for Disney.”
“The music’s great, but this Jared Leto vehicle is otherwise an ethically dubious, horribly written nadir in franchise slop,” wrote Loughrey.
Tron: Ares is out in theaters October 10.