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Arts & Entertainment

Jeff Bridges—1967 Uni High Grad—Rises to Head of Class

University High School alum is up for 'True Grit' acting Oscar.

Since opening in 1924, Uni has educated Judy Garland, Nancy Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor and thousands of other, not-so-famous students.

Oscar-winning actor Jeff Bridges, class of 1967, is the newest of University High School's celebrity alumni. With another Academy Award pending on Feb. 27, Bridges may become the school's most famous.

“We are so proud to have an esteemed actor such as Jeff Bridges as a part of the Uni family," school Principal Eric Davidson said last week. "We wish him all the best and will be rooting for him at this year's Academy Awards." 

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Raised in the Holmby Hills, Bridges is a son of film and television star Lloyd Bridges.

In high school Bridges participated in the school's drama program. While he did not star, Bridges was a featured actor in Uni’s 1966 fall play, Romanoff and Juliet. Bridges was also involved in the creation of Uni’s yearbook; he served on staff at The Chieftan.

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Marsha Galedary, who attended Uni at the same time as Bridges, recalls her former classmate as “a nice guy who was well liked. He was very good looking, but in a different way,” she said.

“He was never trendy, as his hair was parted and slicked, which was different because most guys in school were dressing like the Beatles.”

Galedary added that Bridges was very humble and was treated just like every other student, despite his father’s prominence in the industry.

She ran into Bridges, who now lives in Santa Barbara, a few years ago.

“Jeff is a really down-to-earth person, no matter where he goes, he'll be wonderful. He has a certain aura and essence, but if anyone sat next to him at a bar, you’d know he's just a really nice, ordinary guy. Some people can be intimidating, but Jeff is not one of those guys,” Galedary said.

Classmate Judi Astrachan Doling said of Bridges, "Of course I remember Jeff from high school and junior high. He was always so handsome and engaging, and very talented. I had taken a high school acting class with him, and he always left us awed by his talent."

After high school, Bridges served in the U.S. Coast Guard and then began acting full time. He garnered an Academy Award nomination shortly thereafter for his breakout role in 1971’s The Last Picture Show [see video.]

Since then, Bridges has starred in film smashes such as King Kong and Fearless, and cult classics Tron and The Big Lebowski.

The former Wildcat took home top honors at last year’s Academy Awards ceremony, where he won the coveted gold statue for his portrayal of a washed up, alcoholic, country star in Crazy Heart, and could very well be on his way to taking home another one this year, as he is nominated for his performance in True Grit [see video.]

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