Biography

Rugged features and a natural charm have worked for Josh Brolin, the son of actor James Brolin. He has played roles as a policeman, a hunter, and the President of the United States.

Brolin was born February 12, 1968 in Santa Monica, California, to Jane Cameron (Agee), a Texas-born wildlife activist, and James Brolin. Josh was not interested at first in the lifestyle of the entertainment business, in light of his parents' divorce, and both of them being actors. However, during junior year in high school, he took an acting class to see what it was like. He played Stanley in "A Streetcar Named Desire" and became hooked. His first major screen role was as the older brother in the film The Goonies (1985), based on a story by Steven Spielberg. He then immediately moved on to work on television, taking roles on such series as Private Eye: Pilot (1987) and The Young Riders (1989). "Private Eye" was a chance for Brolin to play a detective. "The Young Riders" was set just before the Civil War, and was co-directed by Brolin's father, James Brolin.

After The Young Riders (1989), Brolin moved back to the big screen, with mediocre success. He played a supporting role in The Road Killers (1994), but the film was not a success. He followed up with the crime film Gang in Blue (1996), the romantic film Bed of Roses (1996), the thriller film Nightwatch (1997), and appeared with his father in My Brother's War (1997). However, nothing truly stuck out, especially not the box office flop The Mod Squad (1999). The 2000s initially brought no significant change in Brolin's career. He appeared in the independent film Slow Burn (2000), the sci-if thriller Hollow Man (2000) and starred on the television series Mister Sterling (2003). In 2004, he married actress Diane Lane but later divorced in 2013.

It was not until 2007 that Brolin received much acclaim for his films. He took a supporting role in the Quentin Tarantino-written Grindhouse (2007) which was a two-part film accounting two horror stories. He also played two policemen that year: corrupt officer Nick Trupo in the crime epic American Gangster (2007), and an honest police chief in the emotional drama In the Valley of Elah (2007) which starred Tommy Lee Jones and was directed by Paul Haggis. However, it was his involvement in No Country for Old Men (2007) that truly pushed him into the limelight. The film, directed by the Coen brothers, was about a man (Brolin) who finds a satchel containing two million dollars in cash. He is pursued by an unstoppable assassin (Javier Bardem, who won an Oscar for his work) and his friend, a local sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones). The film won four Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director.

Brolin found high-profile work the next year, being cast as Supervisor Dan White in the film Milk (2008). His performance as the weak and bitter politician earned him an Oscar nomination, and Brolin received more praise for his fascinating portrayal of George W. Bush in the Oliver Stone film W. (2008). Despite the mediocre success of W. (2008), he was recognized as the best part of the film, and Milk (2008) was another triumph, critically and commercially.

Brolin then acted in the smaller comedy Women in Trouble (2009) before landing a number of large roles in 2010. The first of these was the film based on the comic book figure Jonah Hex (2010). The film was a box office flop and critically panned, but Brolin also forged a second collaboration with legendary director Oliver Stone for Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010). Brolin played a large role alongside such young stars as Carey Mulligan and Shia LaBeouf, and older thespians such as Michael Douglas, Eli Wallach, and Frank Langella. Brolin's character was Bretton James, a top banker in the film, and also the film's chief antagonist. Brolin also appeared in Woody Allen's London-based film You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) and a second collaboration with the Coen Brothers, which was a remake of True Grit (1969).

Despite his earlier mediocre success and fame, Brolin has maintained a choosiness in his films and, recently, these choices have paid off profoundly. Hopefully, he continues this streak of good fortune that his talents have finally given him.

- IMDb Mini Biography By: Bob Stage

Has frequently been cast in the role of an enforcer of the law

Low-sounding, gruffy voice

Frequently co-stars with Marley Shelton

Lived on a ranch in California with Alice Adair and their two children. He spent five years performing in and directing plays at the Reflections Festival at the GeVa Theater in Rochester, New York. Brolin said, "If I'm any kind of actor now it's because of Rochester.". [1996]

Son of actor James Brolin and Jane Cameron Agee (died 1995).

Stepson of Barbra Streisand. Ex-stepson of Jan Smithers.

Ended engagement and relationship with actress Minnie Driver. [October 2001]

Engaged to actress Diane Lane. [July 2003]

Collects the art of Malcolm Liepke and Ernst Neizvestny.

Has written various stories and poems based on his mother Jane Cameron Agee (died 1995).

He was co-executive director of Geva Theatre's "Reflections" (three American plays in rotating repertory) from 1991 to 1995 with Anthony Zerbe.

Is a huge fan of John Cassavetes, stating that he has watched A Woman Under the Influence (1974) more than 40 times.

Attended the Film Industry Workshops until the filming of The Goonies (1985), after which he went back for private coaching from Pat George and Tony Miller. His father, James Brolin, also attended the Film Industry Workshops.

In May 2006, two days after being cast in the film, No Country for Old Men (2007), he crashed his motorcycle into a vehicle on Highland Avenue in Los Angeles. Luckily, he only shattered his collarbone and two weeks later, he showed up to start filming.

Good friends with Javier Bardem.

Is one of 105 people invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in 2008.

Hosted the highest viewed Saturday Night Live (1975) in 14 years on October 18, 2008, when Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin made a guest appearance.

Brolin was concerned what reception he would have on location in San Francisco for the production of Milk (2008) playing Dan White, the murderer of the city's famous gay politician, Harvey Milk. However, Brolin found he was warmly welcomed by the gay community for his participation in a film about their political hero.

He is of English, Swiss-German, German, Scottish, and Irish descent. His father's original family surname, Bruderlin, originates in Switzerland.

He was considered to play Batman in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016), before Ben Affleck was cast.

Has a rare distinction of appearing in five different film franchises based on five different comic book publications. He plays the Marvel Comics character Thanos in the expansive Marvel Cinematic Universe (beginning with Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)), another Marvel Comics character Cable/Nathan Summers (beginning with Deadpool 2 (2018)) in X-Men franchise , a young Agent K in Men in Black 3 (2012) in the Malibu/Marvel Comics "Men in Black" franchise, the titular character in DC Comics' Jonah Hex (2010), and Dwight McCarthy in the Dark Horse comics based film Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014).

Has appeared with Benicio Del Toro in five films: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), Inherent Vice (2014), Sicario (2015), Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018).

He was considered for the role of Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers (1997).

Born on exactly the same date as Chynna Phillips (of Wilson Phillips fame).

(On Mister Sterling (2003)) I'm so glad that show didn't go, because it was more work then I ever wanna do again, and I love film.

(On landing No Country for Old Men (2007)) The Coen Brothers didn't pitch the project to me, actually. I had read the book first without knowing that there was a movie being made. My agent actually called me and said they were making "No Country" and explained the script to me and said, "No, no. I read the book". She sent me a couple of scenes and then I said, "I can't get out of work". I was working with Robert Rodriguez on Grindhouse (2007) and Robert and Quentin Tarantino helped put me on tape as an audition tape and sent that to the Coens. They were smitten with the lighting and not so much for me. So that was a no. It was only through my agent, Michael Cooper, who is my good friend and a great agent. He's an old time agent; there are few and far between that actually care about their clients. He kept telling Ethan Coen, 'Just meet him. I'm not going to tell you he's the one but I'm going to tell you to just meet him'. I met them on what I found out later was their last casting call and then I got the part.

[on portraying President George W. Bush] When [Oliver Stone] came to me, I was a little insulted. I had such a visceral reaction against it. But then I read the script and I thought it was amazing. I didn't love the story but as a character - following a guy from 21 to 58 - was an incredible challenge for an actor.

(On his movie Thrashin' (1986)) I was so terrible in it. That was one of the movie experiences - along with Hollow Man (2000), a lot of years later - that made me question whether I should be doing something else. I don't want to watch myself in something like that. It's a travesty.

(2010) I only took a high school acting class because there was no other class I wanted to take. I loved it, but I was always against acting as a profession. I didn't like the monetary fluctuations I saw.

(2010 - on doing romantic comedies) I wouldn't know how to do it. I don't like the genre, and comedies are not fun to do. Everybody on the set gets so serious trying to figure out how to make the timing and jokes right. Ryan Reynolds is one guy who I think nobody can do that better than, and he doesn't get any fucking credit for it. I went back to see him three times in The Proposal (2000). I'm so gay.

(2010) I remember saying no when a TV network wanted to give me a holding fee while it came up with another show for me. I got so much shit from my agent, everybody, including my family. Why are you turning this down? Who do you think you are? I'd just go off and hang out with my kids more or go do theater, which I liked but which didn't pay anything. I've heard "Who do you think you are?" so many times in my career for the sole reason that I just didn't want to do what somebody else thought I should do.

(On some film choices prior to No Country for Old Men (2007)) It was a whole fucking exhausting process to even get the parts I got. I had to fight to get this movie Into the Blue (2005) so Dean Cain wouldn't get it. "I'm Josh Brolin, man", but the studio was like, "Goonies was 20 years ago. We want Dean Cain". Nothing against Dean, a smart guy who knows a lot of people, but they wanted him instead of me because of what? So I get the movie, but the director didn't appreciate that I ask a lot of questions, that I want to try to tweak things, so it was, "Whatever, man, do whatever you're going to do. We should have gotten Dean Cain".

(On the armpit licking scene in Flirting with Disaster (1996)) Okay, so Patricia (Patricia Arquette) and I, we had known each other sort of loosely before. Anyway, we were doing this scene the way the scene was written: We kissed and then Ben Stiller's character walks into the room and says, "What are you doing? How are you doing this?" But we saw it and it was boring. So I said, "Well, what if my character had a foot fetish? What if he was sucking on her big toe? He could be talking about her big toe and how beautiful big toes are and how beautiful feet are". But the director, David O. Russell, was like, "Uh . . . I don't know". So then Patricia said, "What about the armpit?" And David says, "Yeah, yeah, that's great". But I was like, "I don't know, man", because I'm thinking, I've got to lick the armpit. And Patricia goes, "Yeah, you could just lick my armpit", and she lifted her arm and, I guess because that's how she saw the character, she had grown out all her underarm hair. Then I had, like, a severe reaction. I said, "No! I don't like that idea. I really like the foot idea. Or maybe we could go with the small of her back. But the underarm thing, I don't think it's proper. It seems a little disgusting to me". Anyway, they were already on it, that it was working. So we shot it and I had to lick her armpit with the hair. Anyway, we saw the footage, and it was so disgusting that David said, "We can't have the hair. Patricia has to shave the hair". So what you see in the film is the third attempt at making that scene playable.

(2009) I would fucking wrack my brain like crazy trying to figure out which films I wanted to be in. Is this going to be good? Is this the right filmmaker? What other actors are involved? Where does it shoot? I'd ask myself all these questions rather then follow my instincts. There shouldn't be so many factors. Decisions should be based on two things: great script, great director. Period.

[on his career, 2012] I like it right now, because I don't feel I've sold out. I feel good about the characters I'm playing and the movies I'm in. I've turned down a lot of 'event' films over the years. Money's neat, money's fun and when somebody's holding out their hands [full of cash], saying 'You want some? You want some?',there's a little bit of withdrawal when you say 'No'.

[on trying out for a part he didn't get] I did an audition for The Fly II (1989). I was living in New York at the time, and I went in there, and he's in a cocoon, transforming into a fly. So I walked in and started reading. You do the voice and you're like [choking sounds] you know, doing your thing. And I ended up on the floor, frothing at the mouth. I got back to my apartment and there was already a message on the machine from my agent that said, 'What the fuck did you do in there? You scared them'.

[on being directed by Jason Reitman in Labor Day (2013)] For me, with a drama like this that's so laconic in its behavior, I kind of made an ass of myself on the set. A lot of Jason's direction was, 'Please stop moving and fucking around'.

I never understand why people offer me roles, whether it's Oliver Stone or Gus Van Sant. I'm not the typical, handsome guy. I'm stout and big boned and they were like, this is the guy we've been waiting for. Who was I? It didn't matter to them what sort of value or financing I brought in, just that I was right for the role. It was cool.

I'm an anomaly, I know that. I was living in professional obscurity for a very long time - it wasn't a bad thing, I was very happy, making a living - but I am now the guy who it changed for later on in life. Kind of like Melissa Leo. I had been doing work, I didn't change anything, I just did a movie people saw. That's the difference. The point is: working with Joel and Ethan, you get to watch movies you're proud of being in.

[on filming Everest (2015)] [Going to the bathroom on a mountain is] the worst. I would rather summit than have to go to the bathroom.