European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 19, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Hollywood s Down Home boy by Bob Thomas associated press or a fellow who was los Angeles born and raised amid the hurly and the Burly of Hollywood. Jeff Bridges has had an amazing career of playing Down Home Good of boys on the screen. It All started with his role As the Small town Texas Tough in the last picture show. That earned him a 1971 Academy nomination As Best supporting actor Ben Johnson won the Oscar Lor the same film As Well As other clod kicker roles Lolly Madonna bad company. Hearts of the West Rancho deluxe and heaven s Gate now he s once More in the heart of Texas with Tri Star s Nadine. He plays Vernon Hightower owner of a ailed bar the Bluebonnet lounge and estranged husband of the erratic beautician Nadine who is played by Kim Basinger. They get thrown Back together alter she witnesses a murder and is menaced by the bad Guys headed by rip torn. Nadine. Which was filmed in Austin and san Antonio also Marks a return to Texas Lor the Waxahachie born Robert Benton. The writer director immortalized his Home in places in the heart. Benton who had directed Bridges in bad company wrote Nadine with the actor in mind. I guess it All started with the last picture show the 37-year-old Bridges said reflecting about the Southwest direction of Hia career. Alter that the other parts started coming. The accent it came easy. During the last picture show i got a Friendship going with one of the Young locals in Wichita Falls a fellow named Lloyd Catlett who is now my stand in. He s still got his accent and he s around a lot so when i hear him it keeps me going in the right Bridges has i Boon limited in his career he has also portrayed an adventurer King Konga Pio footballer against All Odds and an extra terrestrial Star Man he received an Oscar nomination Lor Best actor Lor his portrayal of the alien in Star Man with the exception of Michael Caine he is probably Hollywood s busiest Star i be been away from my family 10 months out of the past year he said thai s not Good i be got to Ligure out some Way to take them along on location or else find pictures to make in Bridges knows what it s like to grow up in a family with a travelling lather. His Lloyd Bridges was Busy with a Lar lung career that included the to series sea Hunt when sons Beau and jell were Young. But the Good thing about our work jell said is that we can also have two or three months to devote entirely to our Wile and children " the Bridges boys seem to defy the legend that stars kids become troubled adults. Jeff gave his first performance at 6 months then retired until he appeared at 6 in his father s to series. After High school he studied acting at new York s Bergholz studios and made his feature debut in the 1969 Halls of anger. Bridges rugged Good looks and Lake charge manner have made him much sought after by filmmakers. Ill still fight for roles when i m attracted to he said funny thing most of the ones i audition for i lose i sure liked a script i read desert Bloom. Jon Voight got the part and i be heard Good things about the movie. I Don t gel too upset when i lose a part. I kind of look at the interviews As sort of an end to themselves. I go in hers and give a performance then i go on to other things. Iii get the part that s the Cherry on the cake. The interviews Are just an Opportunity to gel up there and give it a Good Jeff Bridget and Kim Basinger play a couple who tall in love on their Way to a divorce in Jim Morris an actor playing an actor playing the president by Michael Kuchwara associated press e looks befuddled As he lurches across a Small stage toward a podium decorated with the presidential Seal. He does t seem to know quite where he s going but when he opens his Mouth Ronald Reagan Speaks. I m perfectly aware of what i m the Man mumbles. It s what i mean that i have no idea Jim Morris a 30-year-old comedian who describes himself As an actor playing an actor playing the president May be the hottest presidential Impersonator since Vaughn Meader first captured the style and sound of the Kennedy Era with his first family albums More than 25 years ago. From a one shot appearance at a humor and the presidency symposium in grand rapids mich., last september to his current summer Long engagement at a trendy new York nightspot called the ballroom Morris reputation As a master Reagan mimic has grown. The Iran Contra hearings have provided him with even More material. His hour Long act is an amalgam of stand up comedy and on the Edge improvisation that captures the president s mind manner and physical movement. The improvising comes during a mock presidential news conference in which Morris answers questions from the audience. During one such performance he defends the Plo. He Calls in palestinian Light orchestra. On gun control if i took one in the Chest Why can t you on Delta airlines sure i d Fly Delta but first i d hire Back All those air traffic controllers i Laid Ordinary people Don t get a Chance to question the president says the Boyish curly haired Morris. We always see Reagan on television underneath the rotors of that helicopter saying huh i can t hear you we want answers. It s As simple As that. It s healthy Lor the people who feel they have no voice to have a say. It s very Morris who first started doing Reagan impersonations in 1980, adds i be been doing some of this stuff in my act for years and now Reagan s come along and hit the same Mark. Hell say something similar. For instance for a couple of years now As the president i be been saying people ask me in i m a lame Duck. Well i think that talk is just quackery Reagan came on to a few weeks ago and said people say that i m a lame Duck. Well that talk is for the Birds maybe Reagan s been watching my act and taking notes " to keep on top of what Reagan is doing and saying top of the charts top 10 singles 1. Who s that girl Madonna i. La Bamba lot Loboi 1. Luka Suanne Vega 4. Don t mean nothing Richard mini 1.1 want your sex from a Milf he Coll George Michael 1 i still Haven t found what i m looking for u2 7. Only in my dreams Debbie Giblon a. Rock steady Tim flu Pitra heart and soul t Plo 10.1 just can t Stop Lovino you my Jael Jackson Topiol s 1. Whitney Whitney Houlton 2. White5nake who Teinke 3 bad animals Haan 4 Bio Oer and Deffer la com j 6 the Joshua tree u2 0 in the dark grateful dead 7 girls. Curls. A lulls Motley Conj a soundtrack from la Bamba duotone Kenny 0 10 soundtrack from by Vurly Hills cop ii top 10 country singles 1. Why does it have to be wrong or right Rethia Hurt 2. Whiskey. If you were a woman Highway 101 3 born to Boogie Waimir. 4 she s too Good to be True e in 6. Make no mistake. She s mine Kenny Roger & Ronnie Mil up 6 train of memories Kathy Mattea 7. This crazy love the Oak ride Boyt b i la never be in love again Don a Iiama 9 Brilliant conversationalist t. Graham blown 10 a Long line of love Michael Martin Murphy top 10 soul singles 1 Casanova Levert 2 jump Start Satake cola 3 one heartbeat Arnokey Roth non 4 love is a House Force m d i s. Tina Cherry George a i just cant Stop Loving you Michael Jackion 7 Jam tonight Freddie Jackson a i really Dion t mean it Luther Var roti 0 love Power Dionne Warwick it Jeffrey otome 10 Holiday Kooi 1 the gang Horn Bito Oard Morris has become something of a news Groupie. No Mailer what City he is in he listens to an All news radio station. He subscribes to eight magazines and watches the network news shows the Iran Contra hearings have made the Job of keeping up with Reagan and his administration even More difficult one Side Benefit of the hearings is that i have been Able to develop impressions of new Morris says. People like Ollie North sen. Daniel Inouye and rep. Henry Hyde. It s Lough to do impressions of people that nobody for Morris who grew up in Framingham mass mimicry is something that came to him very easily. By Junior High school he was doing stand up comedy and impressions of the teachers i used to imitate the he says recalling his Days Al Framingham North High school. One time i took Over the Public address system i came on As the principal and dismissed the students Early. People still talk about Hal it was Morris had less Luck in College he attended Boston University and the University of Massachusetts but was bored. He left and in the summer of 1978 came to new York to become an actor. Ii did t work out and by the fall he was Back in Boston where he badgered his Way into a Job at a local comedy club called the comedy connection. He s been working Ever since. Alter two years in Boston he moved to san Francisco where his Reagan imitation was perfected. He even started a business called rent a Reagan he would attend parties business meetings. Conventions and other events As the chief executive in Boston and later Washington he played Reagan in Flap master Ronnie the musical revue written by Elizabeth Swados and Garry Trudeau. Creator of the comic strip doonesbury " when he first started doing Reagan imitations. Morris used a lot of makeup especially liquid Latex to build a rubber neck. Now he uses his facial Muscles to suggest the president s features. Morris is not concerned about what happens after Reagan leaves office he is brushing up on his George Bush impersonation there Are other possibilities. Morris says particularly Paul Simon Michael Dukakis and Bruce Babbitt but i Haven t figured out How to do Jesse Jackson without hurting my he says wednesday August 19, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 17
