Danny Clinch / Submitted photoFamed actor Jeff Bridges will play two shows with his band, The Abiders, Monday at the Tower Theatre in Bend.

It’s not just, like, your opinion, man: The Dude is really coming to Bend.

That is, Jeff Bridges, the veteran actor who brought to life that cult hero of a character from the Coen brothers’ 1998 crime comedy “The Big Lebowski” is coming to town.

While he’s not bringing his memorable bowling partners Walter or Donny, he is bringing his country band, The Abiders, for two shows Monday at the Tower Theatre (see “If you go”).

Bridges is so in touch with The Dude — El Duderino if you’re not into the whole brevity thing — that he named his band after a catchphrase from the film, and co-wrote a philosophical tome last year titled “The Dude and the Zen Master.”

If you’ve somehow never seen the movie that has spawned its own convention, Lebowski Fest, you’d still know the man’s film work, in which he’s played presidents (“The Contender”), aliens (“Starman”), cowboys (“True Grit”) and more. The younger son of Lloyd and Dorothy Bridges has starred in scores of movies, including 1971’s “The Last Picture Show,” 1989’s “The Fabulous Baker Boys” (in which he starred alongside older brother Beau Bridges), 2008’s “Iron Man” and 2009’s “Crazy Heart.”

Bridges earned his first Academy Award for Best Actor for “Crazy Heart,” another film in which actor and role seem closely aligned. In it, he portrayed Otis “Bad” Blake (rhymes with “bad break”), an aging, alcoholic country musician eking out a living on the road and trying to turn his life and ailing career around after a series of failed relationships.

In his live show, Bridges may perform songs from the film, but he has far deeper musical roots than that might suggest. As a child, he commandeered his father’s classical guitar and, later, his brother Beau’s electric. In 2000, he dropped his debut album, “Be Here Soon,” and followed it up with a self-titled album in 2011 on Blue Note Records.

He comes to Bend in support of a new album with The Abiders, “Live,” featuring songs from Bridges’ previous albums, covers and tunes by the likes of T Bone Burnett and John Goodwin.

A few weeks ago, GO! Magazine talked to Bridges about his acting career and other creative pursuits. Here’s the result of that interview, edited for content and clarity.

GO! Magazine: I was curious when you started playing guitar.

Jeff Bridges: Oh gosh. Maybe 13. Somewhere in there. Actually my dad had an old Goya classical guitar. I messed around with that, and then Beau got an electric guitar. I took that over and loved that.

GO!: Did you always play music, even throughout your acting career?

JB: Yeah, absolutely. Constantly. I got my guitar with me all the time. There are so many guys that play music on movies, you know, so there’s always someone to play with. And I’ve always had a little tape recorder, a little studio that I’d record songs that I’d written and stuff like that.

GO!: What made you want to pursue it more publicly at this point in your life?

JB: Well, I put out a few albums prior to “Crazy Heart” (the film’s soundtrack), but when “Crazy Heart” happened, that really set fire under my music, and I thought if there was a time to get on that, if I ever wanted to do that, now would be the time. So shortly after “Crazy Heart,” I put out an album with my friend T Bone Burnett, and after that I put a band together of my dear musician friends from Santa Barbara, kind of the cream of the crop of all the great musicians in Santa Barbara. And then we put this Abiders album out, the live album that’s out now.

GO!: What was it like for you winning your Oscar for “Crazy Heart”?

JB: Oh gosh. That was — it’s wonderful to be acknowledged that way, especially by folks that do what you do. That was just wonderful.

GO!: Is “Bad” Blake a role you closely identify with? Are there any others you closely identify with from throughout your career?

JB: Yeah all the roles have some kind of aspect of myself in there. I love it when I get to do music, of course, like “Crazy Heart” and “The Fabulous Baker Boys.” My brother and I and Michelle Pfeiffer got together just a few days ago to celebrate the 25th anniversary of “The Fabulous Baker Boys.”

GO!: So, Jeff, was music your first calling before acting?

JB: No, I wouldn’t say that. My father, Lloyd Bridges, was so gung-ho about show biz. He wanted all his kids to go into show biz. I think my first role was when I was 6 months old. My parents were visiting a friend on the set and they needed a baby, and they threw me in the actor’s arms, you know, that kind of thing.

GO!: Did you ever have any hesitations going into the acting business?

JB: You know, you don’t really want to do what your parents want you to do anyway. There was the whole nepotism thing. You want to do it from your own qualities and so that bugged me for a while. But I’m glad I finally listened to the old man and kind of went with it. I love acting. It’s great.

GO!: Could you see a time where you move away from acting and focus solely on music, or will you always act?

JB: Well, that’s kind of what’s going on right now with me. I’m focusing mainly on music, but hopefully the acting thing will still be around. You know, keep going. I’ve got a lot of different interests. I’m also into photography and painting and all kinds of things. I kind of look at them all as coming from the same place, basically.

GO!: Maybe you could tell me real quick about the live show. Do you interact with the crowd much?

JB: Sure. I look at it sort of like we’re in a big scene together. Kind of an improv. You never know what’s going to happen. Go up there and have a good time and entertain each other.

— Reporter: 541-383-0349, djasper@bendbulletin.com