Jeff Bridges Wanted Gyllenhaal For Movie

Wednesday 10th March 2010 - 09:52:01

Jeff Bridges reveals that Maggie Gyllenhaal was top of his list to play love interest in Crazy Heart.

The movie follows a faded country music musician who is forced to reassess his dysfunctional life during a doomed romance that also inspires him.

Bridges admitted that he had always been a big admirer of Gyllenhaal's work as the pair went on to bag Oscar nominations for their performances, Bridges went on to win Best Actor.

The actor tells MSN.com: I've been following her, she's a great actress, she disappears into the role and becomes that person.

"She was on the top of my list of actresses that I kind of imagined in that role."

Despite a twenty eight year gap between the pair Bridges believed it worked well for the movie.

"I thought about having a more age-appropriate relationship, but somehow the story didn't lend itself to that, it was better to be this way," he said.

"As far as how that felt, I mean, I think of myself as 25.

It was Bridges' fifth Oscar nomination while it was a maiden nod for Gyllenhaal, who lost out to Mo'Nique.