Could it be that some movie roles are destined for Oscar glory? It’s a running joke among movie fans that playing a member of the royal family is all but guaranteed to win an actor an Academy Award (most famously, Dame Judi Dench grabbed one for her tiny, grandstanding appearance as Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare In Love).

And then there’s Rooster Cogburn. A far cry from the British royals, he’s the gruff, eye-patched anti-hero of True Grit, a no-nonsense, aging US Marshal who was originally portrayed by John Wayne in Henry Hathaway’s 1969 adaptation of Charles Portis’ novel. The Duke bagged an Oscar for his efforts.

Now, 40 years later, Jeff Bridges has strapped on the patch and cocky ‘tude to play Cogburn, and has himself earned an Oscar nod for the role. Let’s see where it all began…