The Real Guy Behind The Big Lebowski's 'Dude' Is Leaving Fans At A Loss For Words

The Big Lewbowski introduced one of comedy's all-time classic heroes: "The Dude." Jeff Bridges' laid-back slacker didn't make a huge hit at the box office right away, but his saga has since become a cult classic film. The movie has been honored by the U.S. government and has spun off into a yearly festival, yet not many people know the character's ultimate secret: he's based on a real person. And he has a rather unusual relationship with his fictional alter-ego.

Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski

Does a guy like this sound too good to be true? The Coen Brothers' The Big Lebowski revolved around Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski, a Los Angeles slacker who becomes mistaken for a millionaire with the same name. He's assaulted, but the real insult to injury comes when his prized rug is ruined. "The Dude" attempts to get compensated, after which the crime caper only becomes more convoluted. At first, it seemed like people just didn't get this character.

Off and Rrunning

After 1996's Fargo earned a mountain of awards, directors Joel and Ethan Coen set off to work on their next project. They planned to make it a very different kind of crime film than Fargo, but both films would intersect with real-life events in rather creative ways.

Different take

Fargo opened with the disclaimer, "Based on a true story." Of course, the Coen Brothers only used it to capture the audience's attention. The true events were few and far between. But that tactic worked well, so the Coens seemed inclined to use it again in a different context. The Big Lebowski was going to introduce a main character based off an actual man they highly regarded. But a heavy dose of fiction was still needed.

Brainstorm

For any good film, it all begins with the screenplay. The Coen Brothers mixed in elements of stories by Raymond Chandler, a 1930s mystery noir author, and scripted a protagonist who would be a fish-out-of-water in the criminal scenario. Would the genre mashing work? One man got it — the real-life "Dude."

Cult status

It took some time for The Big Lebowski to stick in the cultural consciousness, but it became a cult classic. It landed a spot in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Themed-festivals popped up. Even toys and other memorabilia were made. And much of the credit went to Jeff Dowd, the key inspiration for "The Dude" and a close friend to the Coen Brothers. He was a strong supporter of them in their early film career.

Friend and ally

Dowd was not just any schlub, but rather a film producer and a founding member to the Sundance Film Festival. They met way back when the Coen Brothers made their first film, Blood Simple. It proved to be the start of a long-lasting relationship. With Dowd's outsized personality, it was only time before he became an iconic character in the Coen Brothers' filmography. But there were plenty of liberties the filmmakers took.

Mark it zero

Unlike "The Dude's" affiliation to bowling in the film, Jeff Dowd was no avid bowler. According to NBC News, Dowd concocted an unusual idea to promote the Coen brother's debut, Blood Simple. Dowd planned an enormous party at a bowling alley, which inspired "The Dude's" connection to the sport. What about the iconic cocktail from the film?

Simply tasty

Anyone and everyone can make a White Russian. It's a decadent drink made from vodka, cream, and coffee liqueur, served over ice. Its simple recipe is ideal for the laid-back character of "The Dude," though Dowd started sipping them to amuse his fans, rather than loving it himself. As for "The Dude's" nickname, the Coen Brothers didn't have to get too creative in the brainstorming process.

Nicknames

Jeff Dowd's real last name was Duda, an Irish-Gaelic surname. Back when Dowd was in sixth grade, some friends of his made up a nickname for him, as a nod to his last name. He became "The Dude," and it stuck ever since. Telling the Coens more childhood stories, Dowd mentioned an interior design element that further fleshed out the character.

Room decor

In the film, "The Dude" had a special connection to his rug. It was the carpet that "really tied the room together" and was based off a real conversation the filmmaking duo had with Dowd. From the documentary, The Achievers: The Story of the Lebowski Fans, Dowd made the comment during a barbecue with the siblings. That wasn't the only tidbit of information that made it into the movie either.

Six others

In the film, "The Dude" reveals that he belonged to the Seattle Seven, who were notable members from the anti-Vietnam War movement, the Seattle Liberation Front. Those seven were charged with "conspiracy to incite a riot" when a protest at a courthouse turned violent, with rocks and paint bombs being thrown. In real life, Jeff Dowd really did belong to the Seattle Seven, who along with his fellow activists, made a spectacle of their trial.

Court drama

From Jeff Feuerzeig's short documentary, The Dude, some additional facts about the court case came to light. Dowd and his fellow Seattle Seven members took it upon themselves to secure a Nazi flag over the judge's bench. They recognized the judge was acting, "like a good German." They were swiftly reprimanded with short-term prison sentences. But how has the film's continued success affected someone like Jeff "The Dude" Dowd?

Appearances

In a very "Dude" way, Dowd has comfortably leaned into his iconic status, while not taking it too seriously. He has drunk a few White Russians to keep up appearances at conventions and public events, as he understood it meant something to the fans there. Need proof of the lengths to which fans have loved the film? Go visit the Lebowski Fest.

Achievers land

Right on their website, Lebowski Fest makes clear that it "is not affiliated with the creators of The Big Lebowski. We are just, on a personal level, really enormous fans." Since 2002, the fan organized event has taken place annually in Kentucky, along with a few other pop-up locations, and Dowd has made a few appearances. But in 2019, Dowd made a desperate plea to his fans.

Close call

On March 4th of that year, Jeff Dowd's easygoing lifestyle was derailed by a health scare. Due to an infection that occurred while he was healing from hernia surgery, he was hospitalized and his condition didn't get any better. For a week, he was in the ICU, where he had almost deteriorated to the point of death.

Uphill battle

While Dowd's health improved, and he was transferred out of the ICU, the road to recovery proved to be a long one. During his early days of rehab, Dowd was slow in regaining his usual walking pace. With progress expected to take up to a month, the real-life "Dude" faced another hurdle.

In recovery

Dowd's hospital and rehab stay forced the film producer to drain his bank account. To meet his expenses, Dowd and his friends turned to a GoFundMe account. That was his only means of paying off his bills. At a certain point, the GoFundMe account closed without any updates on his recovery.

The Dude abides

The GoFundMe did raise a little over $15,000, but no official word was released for some time. Finally, his presence on social media soon returned. Even in recovery, Dowd continued his political activism on issues ranging from police brutality to gun legislation. A health scare couldn't keep "The Dude" down.

His Dudeness

Though social media posts, Jeff shared that he returned home after his long recovery from surgery. Not only has he continued to his activism; Dowd even returned to his joy of smoking, keeping up his status among his fans as "The Dude." That isn't all.

Dudeism conquers all

Unconfirmed dates have been set for future editions of Lebowski Fest, recently sidetracked due to COVID-19, and many fans anticipate Dowd making a grand return. Coen fanatics do love him, though Dowd wasn't the only person who went into "The Dude." Jeff Bridges also made some key contributions.

Personal wardrobe

Believe it or not, most of The Dude's clothing in the film actually came from Jeff Bridges' own wardrobe. He even wore The Dude's Japanese baseball shirt seven years earlier in 1991's The Fisher King.

High status actor

Before his scenes, Jeff Bridges would often ask the Coen brothers if The Dude had gotten high. If yes, Bridges would drag his knuckles across his eyes to make himself look stoned.

Never seen bowling

Despite the film's many bowling-related scenes featuring The Dude, he never actually bowls on camera. Even in the "Gutterballs" dream sequence it's Maude that throws the ball down the lane.

On radio

The film's entire soundtrack is actually played on the radio: The Man in Me is heard on The Dude's Walkman after he wakes from the first dream sequence, Hotel California plays on the bowling alley's stereo, and Tumblin' Tumbleweeds appears as muzak in the supermarket.

Dudeism

The Big Lebowski actually inspired a religion called "Dudeism." Followers of "Dudeism" adhere to the philosophy and lifestyle of The Dude, and the religion has more than 130,000 ordained "Dudeist Priests."

Nametag Easter egg

Despite wearing several different monogramed shirts throughout the film, Steve Buscemi's character never wears one that says "Donny." Some of the names that appear on his shirts include "Austin" and "Ray."

Rug talk

Throughout the movie, The Dude's rug being peed on is mentioned a total of 17 times. It's also mentioned that the rug "really tied the room together" five times.

Presidential poster

The large poster of a professional bowler in The Dude's apartment actually depicts former president Richard Nixon. An avid bowler, the photo was taken in the alley beneath the White House during his time in office.

Strike after strike

Every time Donny is seen bowling in the film, he bowls a strike. The only exception comes with his last bowl, which occurs shortly before his death.

Nine drinks

Over the course of the film, The Dude drinks nine white Russians. This includes the one he dropped at Jackie Treehorn's mansion after being drugged.

The Big Sleep

The Big Lebowski is loosely based on the 1946 mystery classic The Big Sleep, as the Coen brothers wanted to create a film with a complex plot that ultimately unravels into nothing.

Lots of Dudes

The word "dude" appears 161 times in The Big Lebowski — it's spoken 160 times by the cast and is written once in the credits of the "Gutterballs" dream sequence.

Dude with the cube

In the film's first draft, The Dude was written as the heir to the Rubik's Cube fortune. Joel Coen eventually scrapped the idea in favor of leaving the The Dude's source of income a mystery.

Fargo reference

John Goodman's repetition of "Shut the f*** up, Donny" is actually a reference to another Coen brothers' classic: Fargo. The repeated insult is an inside joke, as Steve Buscemi's character in the film never shuts up.

Cursing galore

The F-word — and its many variations — is uttered a total of 292 times during The Big Lebowski, putting it ahead of Scarface as one of the most vulgar films of all time.

Buscemi dies again

Donny's death in The Big Lebowski completes a three-movie-long Coen brothers joke where Steve Buscemi's character get smaller in death: he appears as a dead body in Miller's Crossing and then as a severed leg in Fargo.

A real diner

The diner where The Dude and Walter discuss the severed toe is actually a non-functioning filming location in Los Angeles called Johnie's Coffee Shop. It was also featured in American History X and Volcano.

Tight squeeze

In the original script, The Dude drove a Chrysler LeBaron — the same car that the character's real-life inspiration Jeff Dowd drove. Unfortunately, John Goodman couldn't fit in the vehicle, so they ended up switching to a 1973 Ford Gran Torino instead.