Why Jeff Bridges shines in FX spy series ‘The Old Man’
amidst life-threatening battles with cancer (Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma) and COVID gives his performance an added edge.Bridges, 72, stars in the multi-layered spy drama aided by an A-list cast including Amy Brenneman, John Lithgow, Joel Grey and Alia Shawkat. It’s the first regular series role in his long acting career, which includes a 2010 Oscar (“Crazy Heart”) and dates back to the syndicated series “Sea Hunt” (1958-60), starring his late father, Lloyd Bridges (and in which Jeff appeared a handful of times).As the series opens we meet Dan Chase (Bridges), a creaky, crusty, 70something who lives alone with his two devoted Rottweilers, Dave and Carol, and putters around his house in upstate New York while dealing with the nagging, everyday effects of older age (frequent nighttime trips to the bathroom) and more serious issues — including a memory that’s not what it used to be.