1-Hour Actors Roundtable Talk With Jeff Bridges, Dev Patel, Mahershala Ali, Andrew Garfield & More

If it’s possible to love Jeff Bridges (“Hell or High Water”) even more, then The Hollywood Reporter’s actors roundtable makes a strong case for it. This year’s roundtable featured the veteran actor along with Dev Patel (“Lion”), Andrew Garfield (“Hacksaw Ridge”, “Silence”), Casey Affleck (“Manchester by the Sea”), Mahershala Ali (“Moonlight,” “Hidden Figures”) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (“Snowden”).

Bridges, however, in his laid-back way took over the show, explaining how he got into acting, his love of the craft, and how after completing a performance in a movie he would say “I don’t know if I ever want to do that again. My pretend muscle is just exhausted.” When asked about the most overused phrase they use, Bridges answered the only way possible with “the word that pops into my mind, but I kind of like it, is ‘man.’ ” Gordon-Levitt’s response sums up my feelings, as well, by saying, “I hope you don’t stop saying that.”

Another interesting piece of advice came from Ali, when asked about how he tackled so many characters at once for “Luke Cage,” “Moonlight,” and “House of Cards,” he responded, “Basically, I made playlists specific to each character. So when I’d be traveling to that gig, I would really only listen to that character’s music.” Affleck, on the other hand, confesses, “If it feels like fun, it ends up not being any good”. While Gordon-Levitt proves some insight into his working relationship with Oliver Stone, responding, “fun might not be the best word to use. But fulfilling and challenging. Oliver, in particular, is really intense.”

It’s an interesting and illuminating conversation and The Hollywood Reporter is usually good at creating a relaxed atmosphere for these talks. Of the group, only Gordon-Levitt didn’t get an Oscar Nomination, an oversight in my opinion but I realize I’m in the minority on “Snowden.” Check out the conversation below.