Dorothy Louise Bridges (September 19, 1915 - February 16, 2009) was an American actress and poet. Bridges was the matriarch of an acting family, which included her late husband, actor Lloyd Bridges, and her sons, actors Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges. Bridges was sometimes credited as Dorothy Dean. Bridges was born Dorothy Louise Simpson in Worchester, Massachusetts on September 19, 1915 . Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was two years old. Bridges made her film debut in the movie, Finders Keepers, at the age of six. She attended the University of California, Los Angeles. It was at UCLA that she met her future husband, Lloyd Bridges, while acting in a small theatrical play on campus. Lloyd Bridges, who was a UCLA upperclassman at the time, appeared in the production as her "leading man." The couple married in 1938 in New York City. Dorothy and Lloyd Bridges remained married for 60 years, until he died in 1998 at the age of 85. They had four children: Beau Vernet, Garrett Myles, Jeffrey Leon, and Lucinda Louise. His son, Garrett, died of sudden infant death syndrome on August 3, 1948. Bridges and her husband moved to New York City, where they continued to pursue their acting studies and careers. Dorothy and Lloyd Bridges both studied under the acting teacher Michael Chekhov. They returned to Hollywood in the early 1940s when Lloyd Bridges was signed to Columbia Pictures.

Dorothy Bridges died of "age-related causes" in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles on February 16, 2009, in the same home where she and her husband raised their children. She was 93 years old. Her son, Jeff Bridges, called her the "hub" of their family in an interview with the Los Angeles Times following her death. She was survived by her brother; sons, Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges; and her daughter, Lucinda. Her eleven grandchildren include actors Jordan Bridges, Casey, Dylan and Emily. She was also survived by two great-grandchildren.