Jeff Bridges stopped by TODAY on Thursday to chat with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb about his upcoming movie "The Giver," but little did Hoda know, he was about to give her something special: a serenade.
The veteran actor is also a musician, and is about to go on tour with his band, Jeff Bridges and the Abiders. When he heard that it's Hoda's 50th birthday Saturday, he picked up his guitar and improvised a tune for her (with a little help from KLG).
"The Giver" is Bridges' passion project that finally came to fruition after 18 long years, and he intended for his father, Lloyd, to star in the film adaptation of Lois Lowry's classic 1993 novel. "I originally wanted to direct him in a movie that my kids could see," he told TODAY.
WATCH: Jeff Bridges talks to TODAY about playing music on the road
But a project that he thought would be "easy" to get going turned out to be anything but, and his father passed away before the movie was made.
Bridges stars alongside Academy Award winner Meryl Streep, and though this is the first time the two have worked together, he said they go way back — to the soccer field, where their kids used to play together. "Not many people know that Meryl's a soccer mom," he revealed.
"The Giver" also stars Katie Holmes, Alexander Skarsgård and Taylor Swift. It opens in theaters Aug. 15.