The Truth About The Hallmark Channel's Jordan Bridges
If you're a Hallmark Channel fan, there's a good chance that you have seen Jordan Bridges play a love interest in one of your favorite seasonal made-for-TV romances. Bridges is just one of the Hallmark Channel's stars, but his resumé goes beyond the network's "Christmas at Holly Lodge" and "True Love Blooms." Though perhaps not a household name, the seasoned actor has garnered an impressive list of 51 acting credits, according to IMDb.
He got his start young, with his earliest role dating back to 1982 in "The Kid from Nowhere," when he was just nine years old, per BiographyPedia. In addition to his stints as a romantic interest in Hallmark movies, Bridges is known for acting in recurring roles in numerous TV shows. And his appearance in 104 episodes as Frankie Rizzoli in the TV drama "Rizzoli & Isles," cemented his successful career as a television actor, via IMDb.
Acting runs in his family
While Jordan Bridges may not be a household name, his uncle Jeff Bridges sure is, according to US Weekly. Beyond sharing a family name, "The Big Lebowski" star and his nephew also share some film credits. The duo will star in "The Old Man" mini-series, which will premiere on June 16, 2022, per Collider. But his uncle isn't the only insider in the entertainment industry who, perhaps, taught Jordan Bridges how to thrive on and off the screen.
Jordan's father, Beau Bridges, is an awarded actor, director, and producer, but he did not disperse the acting gene — the Bridges family business goes further back than him. It seems that the Bridges are a certified acting dynasty that started with Lloyd Bridges, Jordan's grandfather. Lloyd Bridges began acting in the 1930s and was active until he died in 1998. You may remember him from the '80s comedy "Airplane!," "Airplane II: The Sequel," or perhaps, the 1991 parody of "Top Gun": "Hot Shots!" and its follow-up in 1993, according to IMDb.
He was a child actor
Jordan Bridges got his first acting gig at 9 years old in the made-for-TV movie "The Kid from Nowhere" in 1982. According to IMDb, his father, Beau Bridges, directed and starred in the film, which probably calmed some of the youngster's nerves at the time. However, Jordan Bridges' role in the movie is unspecified on IMBd, but his first documented role was on the television series "Disneyland" in 1986 as Travis Tilby, per IMDb. The episode "The Thanksgiving Promise" was another Bridges family affair, with his father in the director's chair.
TV Guide notes that Jordan Bridges didn't stay in the limelight as a child actor for long, citing that he partook in other hobbies growing up, like kung fu and music. He also majored in theater at Bard College in New York and studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art, per Backstage.
He returned to acting after college
Though Jordan Bridges wasn't sure if he wanted to be an actor as a child, he returned to the craft after getting his education. In a conversation with Backstage, he explained how his path differed from others in his family. "Every child is given the opportunity to act at a young age and to learn what it's like to be in the business. But I didn't really know I wanted to act when I was a child." The actor explained that he's a multi-passionate individual who yearned to finish college and "didn't really want to have a career as an adolescent."
His father, Beau Bridges, chimed into the conversation, saying, "Your grandparents were very proud of you for graduating from college, because none of their children pulled that off." After graduating from Bard College, the actor performed in live theaters before slipping into his film roles once more.
He's credited in some fan-favorite shows and movies
While Jordan Bridges hasn't become a household name like his uncle Jeff Bridges, he has garnered an impressive list of acting credits throughout his career. In the early 2000s, Bridges guest starred in recurring roles in "Charmed" and "Dawson's Creek," according to IMDb. He continued on TV shows, working in guest starring roles and made-for-television movies. He was credited in the 2003 "Mona Lisa Smile" which featured Julia Roberts, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Kirsten Dunst, per IMDb.
In 2004, he starred as Uncle Gard in "Samantha: An American Girl Holiday" alongside a young AnnaSophia Robb, per IMDb. Bridges also guest starred in police procedurals in the early 2000s, including "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "CSI: NY," via IMBd). From 2006 to 2009, Bridges got his first major break starring in "Conviction," a spin-off of "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," as seen on IMDb.
He starred in 'Rizzoli & Isles' before becoming a Hallmark Channel regular
Jordan Bridges' most notable television role came in 2010 when, according to IMDb, he was cast as Frankie Rizzoli Jr. in the crime drama "Rizzoli & Isles." The show followed detective Jane Rizzoli, played by Angie Harmon, and Sasha Alexander as chief medical examiner Dr. Maura Isles as they solved crimes in the Boston area. The series was heralded by fans for the cast's connection and chemistry, per US Weekly.
Bridges played Jane Rizzoli's brother, a police officer, for the show's seven seasons. And while starring in TNT's hit crime drama and Hallmark Channel movies, he maintained a private personal life. He's been married to Carrie Eastman since 2002, and the pair have two children, via US Weekly. In an Instagram post of his teenage children dancing, Bridges gushed about his kids: "Best kids ever man..." he wrote.