Everyone knows who Jeff Bridges is. He’s “The Dude” in The Big Lebowski. The bald bad guy in the first Iron Man film. One of many twangy westerners in films like Taylor Sheridan’s Hell or High Water and Joel and Ethan Cohen’s True Grit remake. He’s also, per the title of FX’s recently announced straight-to-series new show, playing the lead character of The Old Man, which will mark Bridges’ return to television in a regular role for the first time in decades.
FX’s president of original programming, Nick Grad and Gina Balian, made the announcement during Thursday’s session of the Television Critics Association’s annual Summer Press Tour in Los Angeles. “Jeff Bridges is an iconic, extraordinary actor and to have him as the star of this series is an incredible moment for FX,” Grad said of the actor in a statement. “[Series co-creators] Jon Steinberg and Robert Levine have delivered an amazing pilot script and Jeff is perfect for the role of Dan Chase.”
So, who is this Dan Chase, the latest character to enter the above roster?
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Thomas Perry, The Old Man centers on “Dan Chase” (Jeff Bridges) who absconded from the CIA decades ago and has been living off the grid since. When an assassin arrives and tries to take Chase out, the old operative learns that to ensure his future he now must reconcile his past.
Since the announcement of Bridges’ involvement in Black Sails creators Steinberg and Levine’s latest offering is still fresh, FX didn’t have any information about a possible release date for The Old Man. Even so, it’s clear that seeing the veteran actor return to television, the place where he got his start in the business, is going to be a sight to behold. Also, they really should have called it The Old Man and the CIA.
