Bridges was born on December 9th, 1941 in Los Angeles, California, the son of actors Lloyd Bridges and Dorothy Bridges. He was nicknamed Beau by his parents after Ashley Wilkes' son in Gone with the Wind. His younger brother is actor Jeff Bridges, and he has a younger sister, Lucinda. Beau has shared a close relationship with Jeff, for whom he acted as a surrogate father during childhood, when their father was busy with work. He and his siblings were raised in the Holmby Hills section of Los Angeles.
Wanting to become a basketball star, he played in his freshman year at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he joined Sigma Alpha Epsilon, he later transferred to the University of Hawaii. In 1959, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard Reserve and served for eight years.
In 1948, Bridges had an uncredited juvenile role in the iconic film noir Force of Evil, and in 1949 he played a secondary juvenile role in the film The Red Pony. In the 1962–1963 television season, Bridges, along with his younger brother, Jeff, appeared on their father's CBS anthology series, The Lloyd Bridges Show. He appeared in other television series too, including National Velvet, The Fugitive, Bonanza, Mr. Novak, and The Loner. In 1965, Bridges guest starred as Corporal Corbett in Then Came the Mighty Hunter, Season 2, Episode 3 of the military series, Twelve O’clock High. He found steady work in television and film throughout the 1970s and 1980s and appeared in such feature films during that time as The Landlord (1970), The Other Side of the Mountain (1975), Greased Lightning (1977), Norma Rae (1979), Heart Like a Wheel (1983), and The Hotel New Hampshire (1984).
In 1989, in perhaps his best-known role, he starred opposite his brother Jeff as one of The Fabulous Baker Boys. In the 1993–94 television season. Bridges appeared with his father in the 15-episode CBS comedy/western series, Harts of the West, set at a dude ranch in Nevada. In 1995, Bridges starred with his father and his son Dylan in The Sandkings, the two-part pilot episode of the Showtime science fiction series, The Outer Limits. In 1998, he starred as Judge Bob Gibbs in the one-season Maximum Bob on ABC and had a recurring role in the Showtime series Beggars and Choosers (1999–2000).
In 2001, Bridges guest starred as Daniel McFarland, the stepfather of Jack McFarland, in two episodes of the NBC sitcom Will & Grace. He played a single father and college professor in the fantasy adventure film, Voyage of the Unicorn, based on the novel by James C. Christensen.
From 2002 to 2003, he took on the role of Senator Tom Gage, newly appointed Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, in over 30 episodes of the drama series The Agency. In January 2005, he was cast as Major General Hank Landry, the new commander of Stargate Command in Stargate SG-1. He also played the character in five episodes of the spin-off series Stargate Atlantis as well as the two direct to DVD films Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum.
His role in the movie Smile with Linda Hamilton and Sean Astin, showcased his personal beliefs in helping others.
In November 2005, he guest starred as Carl Hickey, the father of the title character in the hit NBC comedy My Name Is Earl. Bridges' character became recurring. Bridges received a 2007 Emmy Award nomination for his performance.
In 2008, Bridges co-starred in the motion picture Max Payne, based on the video game character. The film also starred Mark Wahlberg and Mila Kunis. Bridges portrayed "BB" Hensley, an ex-cop who aides Wahlberg on his quest to bring down a serial killer. The film received mixed reviews, but Bridges' participation was noted for being a positive one. It was not the first motion picture with Bridges regarding the video game world; The Wizard had him in a role as a landscaping company owner that would later find, like his son Jimmy (played by actor Luke Edwards), to have a skill with NES games.
In 2009, Bridges guest starred as Eli Scruggs on the 100th episode of Desperate Housewives and received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance.
In 2010, Bridges signed with Chris Mallick in the production of the movie Columbus Circle. On March 19, 2010, it was announced that Bridges would play the role of Joseph 'Rocky' Rockford, the father of private eye Jim Rockford, on the pilot episode of a new version of The Rockford Files, scheduled for production for broadcast in fall 2010. In 2011, he also guest starred as an old boyfriend of matriarch Nora Walker in Brothers and Sisters and as an attorney, estranged from his son Jared Franklin in Franklin & Bash.
On January 3, 2012, Bridges took on the role of J.B. Biggley in the hit revival of the Broadway musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, taking over for John Larroquette. He was contracted to play the role until July 1, 2012. However, the revival closed May 20, 2012.
On October 3, 2013, Bridges became a major character on the CBS television show The Millers. He plays Tom, the father of two children: son Nathan Miller (Will Arnett) and daughter Debbie (Jayma Mays). Tom, after forty-three years of marriage, has gotten divorced and has moved back in with his daughter, driving her crazy. Bridges joined the series in early March 2013.
Bridges has had several roles in movies since then including Underdog Kids and most recently, Lawless Range in 2016. He has also had guest roles on the shows Masters of Sex and Code Black.
Bridges is a Christian. He has stated that if the script calls for his character to say God's name in vain, he will ask the director if he can change the line. Bridges is a vegan and has been since 2004. His brother Jeff and late father Lloyd were among six veterans – the others being Jerry Coleman, Bob Feller and Brian Lamb – honoured with the Lone Sailor Award by the United States Navy Memorial in 2011. The award recognises Navy, Marine and Coast Guard veterans who have distinguished themselves in their civilian careers.
Bridges married Julie Landfield in 1964 and the two divorced in 1984. They have two sons: Casey Bridges and actor Jordan Bridges. He married Wendy Treece in 1984. They have three children: Dylan Bridges, Emily Bridges and Ezekiel Jeffrey "Zeke" Bridges.
Film Career:
- 1948 Force of Evil
- 1949 The Red Pony
- 1949 Zamba
- 1961 The Explosive Generation
- 1965 Village of the Giants
- 1967 The Incident
- 1968 For Love of Ivy
- 1969 Gaily, Gaily
- 1970 Adam's Woman
- 1970 The Landlord
- 1971 The Christian Licorice Store
- 1972 Hammersmith Is Out
- 1972 Child's Play
- 1973 Your Three Minutes Are Up
- 1974 Lovin' Molly
- 1975 The Other Side of the Mountain
- 1976 One Summer Love
- 1976 Swashbuckler
- 1976 Two-Minute Warning
- 1977 Greased Lightning
- 1979 Norma Rae
- 1979 The Fifth Musketeer
- 1979 The Runner Stumbles
- 1980 Silver Dream Racer
- 1981 Honky Tonk Freeway
- 1982 Night Crossing
- 1982 Love Child
- 1983 Heart Like a Wheel
- 1984 The Hotel New Hampshire
- 1985 Alice in Wonderland
- 1987 The Killing Time
- 1987 The Wild Pair
- 1988 Seven Hours to Judgment
- 1989 The Iron Triangle
- 1989 Signs of Life
- 1989 The Fabulous Baker Boys
- 1989 The Wizard
- 1990 Daddy's Dyin': Who's Got the Will?
- 1991 Married to It
- 1992 Sidekicks
- 1996 Jerry Maguire
- 1996 Hidden in America
- 1997 RocketMan
- 1999 White River
- 2000 Common Ground
- 2000 Sordid Lives
- 2000 Meeting Daddy
- 2000 Songs in Ordinary Time
- 2001 Voyage of the Unicorn
- 2001 Boys Klub
- 2003 Out of the Ashes
- 2004 10.5
- 2004 Debating Robert Lee
- 2005 The Ballad of Jack and Rose
- 2005 Smile
- 2006 I-See-You.Com
- 2006 The Good German
- 2006 Charlotte's Web
- 2007 Americanizing Shelley
- 2007 Spinning Into Butter
- 2008 Stargate: The Ark of Truth
- 2008 Stargate: Continuum
- 2008 Max Payne
- 2010 Free Willy: Escape from Pirate's Cove
- 2010 My Girlfriend's Boyfriend
- 2011 Don't Fade Away
- 2011 The Descendants
- 2012 Columbus Circle
- 2012 Eden
- 2012 Hit & Run
- 2012 From Up on Poppy Hill
- 2013 Rushlights
- 2014 1000 to 1: The Cory Weissman Story
- 2014 The Tale of the Princess Kaguya
- 2015 Underdog Kids
- 2016 Lawless Range
- 2016 Dirty Politics
- 2017 The Mountain Between Us
- 2018 Galveston
- 2018 All About Nina
Television credits
- 1960–1963 My Three Sons
- 1960–1961 Sea Hunt
- 1961 The Real McCoys
- 1962 National Velvet
- 1962 Wagon Train
- 1962–1963 Ensign O'Toole
- 1963 Rawhide
- 1963 Ben Casey
- 1964 The Eleventh Hour
- 1964 Combat!
- 1964 My Three Sons
- 1965 Twelve O'Clock High
- 1966 Gunsmoke
- 1966 Branded
- 1966 The Loner
- 1967 Bonanza
- 1967 Cimarron Strip
- 1971 Robert Young and the Family
- 1973 The Man Without a Country
- 1974 The Stranger Who Looks Like Me
- 1978 The Four Feathers
- 1978 The President's Mistress
- 1978 Mutual Respect
- 1978 Hallmark Hall Of Fame
- 1979 The Child Stealer
- 1980 United States
- 1982 The Kid from Nowhere
- 1982 Dangerous Company
- 1982 Witness for the Prosecution
- 1984 The Red-Light Sting
- 1985 Space
- 1986 Outrage!
- 1989 Everybody's Baby: The Rescue of Jessica McClure
- 1989 Frederick Forsyth Presents: Just Another Secret
- 1991 Without Warning: The James Brady Story
- 1990 Women & Men: Stories of Seduction
- 1990 Guess Who's Coming for Christmas?
- 1991 Wildflower
- 1991 Tales from the Crypt
- 1992 Sidekicks
- 1993 Elvis and the Colonel: The Untold Story
- 1993 The Man with Three Wives
- 1993 The Positively True Adventures of the Alleged Texas Cheerleader-Murdering Mom
- 1993–1994 Harts of the West
- 1994 Secret Sins of the Father
- 1994 Million Dollar Babies
- 1995 Kissinger and Nixon
- 1995 The Outer Limits
- 1996 A Stranger to Love
- 1996 Nightjohn
- 1996 Losing Chase
- 1996 The Uninvited
- 1996 Hidden in America
- 1997 The Second Civil War
- 1998 Maximum Bob
- 1999 Inherit the Wind
- 1999 P.T. Barnum
- 2000 The Wild Thornberrys
- 2000 The Christmas Secret
- 2001–2003 The Agency
- 2002 Will & Grace
- 2002 We Were the Mulvaneys
- 2002 Sightings: Heartland Ghost
- 2004 Evel Knievel
- 2005 Into the West
- 2005–2007 Stargate SG-1
- 2005–2006 Stargate: Atlantis
- 2005–2006 American Dad!
- 2005–2008 My Name Is Earl
- 2006 10.5: Apocalypse
- 2007 Two Families
- 2009 Desperate Housewives
- 2009 The Closer
- 2011 Brothers & Sisters
- 2011 Game Time: Tackling the Past
- 2011–2012 Franklin & Bash
- 2011–2012 White Collar
- 2013 The Goodwin Games
- 2013–2016 Masters of Sex
- 2013–2015 The Millers
- 2014 Bubble Guppies
- 2015–2017 Penn Zero: Part-Time Hero
- 2015–2018 Black-ish
- 2016 Code Black
- 2016–2017 Bloodline
- 2017 Christmas in Angel Falls
- 2018 Homeland
- 2019 Goliath
- 2020 Messiah
