Behind the Dude: John Goodman on "The Big Lebowski"

Do you recall the first time the Coen Brothers told you about this movie?
I remember hearing the title, which I figured they were going to change.

And how did they explain it to you?
It's like film noire with a usual gang of morons. I remember the word "noire" and "Lebowski." So, uh, yeah, I figured it was gonna be like Harvey Kurtzman style or something like that.

Do you remember the first time that you read the script?
I remember getting pieces of it over the years. I remember that, and just thinking it was gangbusters. I had so many people ask me if it was improvised. I'm not that smart. [Laughs] I'm not that good, but we got lucky and rehearsed for a couple of weeks before we started shooting. That's why that looks so good, like we're improvising.

Did they tell you about the real people that inspired the character of Walter?
Not as much as I've read over the years. It really didn't matter, because what they had on the page was so fully realized that it didn't matter who these guys were, it didn't matter if they existed. All that mattered was what was spelled out on the page, and it was so vivid in my mind. Everything was spelled out for you. It's almost idiot-proof. Almost, I say.

Do you think much at all about the back story of your character, about why he's friends with the Dude in the first place? They seem so different.
Obviously he's not a full human being. He's got this desperate need to please this nice old lady. It's just pathetic. The more you think about it, the more pathetic he is, so why go down that road?

The Coens seem to love bad haircuts.
Yeah man, I tell you, when I did Raising Arizona they said they wanted an "unusual look." So I grew a beard, and when I got down there, they cut my sideburns, and then they put this pomade in my hair that I couldn't get out unless I had Dawn dishwashing liquid, and even then it wouldn't come out. I was still single then, I'd go to the bars with it and try to strike up conversations with people, and it did look like I'd just gotten out of a correctional facility So I didn't float too much romance down in Arizona.