Jeff Bridges has entered a new stage of his career, one that very few actors ever reach.

When he started in this business, he was "Lloyd Bridges' son."  After his first few roles of note, movies like "The Last Picture Show" and "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot," he became a working actor and an Oscar nominee.  With his work in recent years in films like "The Big Lebowski" and last year's "Crazy Heart," he has become a beloved screen icon, and it seems like the love for him just keeps growing.

So once you become a legend, what's left to accomplish?

How about co-starring in a movie with a 35-year-old version of yourself?

My review of "TRON: Legacy" will be here on the site on December 5th, but until then, we'll be bringing you some chats with the cast of the highly-anticipated sequel to 1982's cult film, and where better to start than with Obi-Wan Lebowski himself?

As much as any of the special effects in the film, which are certainly remarkable, it is the appeal of Bridges that seems to be drawing people to the film, and without him, it would be unthinkable.  And talking to him about the film, it's obvious that he is intrigued by the technical toys he got to play with, which is no surprise to me at this point. 

For all the resistance I hear from organizations like SAG in public to some of the motion-capture and performance-capture developments, every single performer I speak with who has actually gone through the process ends up enjoying it and feeling more connected to the pure art of acting than they have in years.  Malkovich, Hopkins, Bridges… all of them have spoken with real enthusiasm about how much fun they had, and I think we're still in early days.  We're looking at the early days of sound here, as some performers decry the technical advance because they are afraid of what will happen to their part in the process, while other performers jump in and realize that this is just one more tool they can use, and nothing to be afraid of.

Check out Mr. Bridges, and then keep checking back as we'll have interviews with Michael Sheen, Olivia Wilde, Garrett Hedlund and more here for you as we count down to the release of "TRON: Legacy" on Dec. 17th.