Brolin said in a 2014 interview that during his youth, he was a member of asurfing friendship group who called themselves the "Cito Rats". In his description of the group, Brolin said, "It was Santa Barbara. It was the '80s. It waspunk rock. You either had the children of rich, neglectful parents or children of poor, so it was a mix. But we basically grew up the same way. I've never seen a group like that before or since." He admitted to stealing cars to pay for his drug use, which includedheroin, a drug that he explained he did not like: "I mean, I never got into it and I never died from it, which is a good thing. I've had 19 friends who died. Most of those guys I grew up with, they're all dead now."[13] Brolin later said: "The group of guys that I grew up with, 36 of them are dead. Twelve are in jail. Four are in jail and also dead. I keep careful count, all 36 dead guys. I'm from a tough environment, ya know?"[14]
In a 2012 New York Times interview he claimed to have been a member of Montecito hardcore bandRich Kids on LSD.[15] He later gave more detail about this in a radio interview, stating "Things have gotten confused in interviews and all that. And I said that I was a part of RKL, which is Rich Kids on LSD, which was a big punk band back then. And it was - I was part of the garage band that first started playing. And then they went to be known with other drummers and other musicians as RKL. And they actually became a fairly well-known punk rock band.".[16] On theWTF with Marc Maron he saidJason Sears was his best friend[17] and has also stated "Rich Kids on LSD was the band that I helped start."[18][19]
Brolin started his career in TV films and guest roles on TV shows before landing a more notable role as Brandon Walsh in theRichard Donner-directed filmThe Goonies (1985).[20] Brolin was considered for the role of Tom Hanson in the series21 Jump Street; Brolin andJohnny Depp were the finalists for the role, and the two became close and remained friends. The role ultimately went to Depp.[21][22] Brolin guest-starred in an episode of the show in its first season.[23]
Brolin played a small role in the 1994 movieRoadflower. He has implied that he turned away from film acting for years after the premiere of his second film,Thrashin', due to what he called his "horrendous" acting.[24] For several years, Brolin appeared in stage roles inRochester, New York, often alongside mentor and friendAnthony Zerbe. One of Brolin's more prominent roles early in his career was that ofWild Bill Hickok in theABCWestern TV seriesThe Young Riders, which lasted three seasons (1989–92).[20][full citation needed] Two other TV series in which Brolin was involved include theAaron Spelling productionWinnetka Road (1994) andMister Sterling (2003), both of which were cancelled after a few episodes.
In 2008, Brolin starred in the Oliver Stone film,W., abiopic about key events in the life ofGeorge W. Bush.[26] Stone pursued an initially hesitant Brolin for the role. He said of his decision to cast Brolin in the leading role:[27]
It always seemed to me that he was the right person. Although classically handsome, I think he would consider himself acharacter actor first and foremost, and it was in this context that I thought of him as W. Josh certainly has star appeal and could be a leading man, but I don't think he necessarily wants to be that. I think he really enjoys disappearing into a character.
Also in 2008, Brolin hostedSaturday Night Live, the same night as musical guestAdele. He hosted again in April 2012 and March 2024.[30]
In 2009, Brolin executive produced and performed inThe People Speak, a documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans, based on historianHoward Zinn'sA People's History of the United States.[31] The next year, Brolin wrote and directed the short filmX as his directorial debut. The film is about an inmate who escapes prison to reunite with his daughter and searches for her murdered mother. It was the opening film at the first annual Union City International Film Festival inUnion City, New Jersey, in December 2010.[32][33][34]
In the early 2010s, Brolin appeared in a variety of big-budget studio films. He portrayed thetitular character inJonah Hex (2010), based on theDC Comics'character with the same name.[35] Brolin later admitted that he hated the experience making the film, stating that at one point they had to "[reshoot] 66 pages in 12 days", implying that the filming schedule was hectic.[36] Brolin later blamed the film's failure on studio interference in the film's postproduction and on directorJimmy Hayward, whom he called "inexperienced" and a "bad choice (of director)."[25] Brolin also appeared in the Coen Brother filmTrue Grit (2010) and in Oliver Stone'sWall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010). In 2012, Brolin played the younger version ofTommy Lee Jones's character Kevin Brown/Agent K inMen in Black 3, which reunited both Brolin and Jones after their initial collaboration inNo Country for Old Men andIn the Valley of Elah, both in 2007.[37] Brolin later starred in the 2013 filmGangster Squad, portraying a fictionalWorld War II veteran named John O'Mara.[38] Later that year, Brolin also portrayed Joe Doucett inOldboy, a remake of the2003 South Korean film of the same name. In 2014, Brolin was announced to playThanos within theMarvel Cinematic Universe. He portrays the character throughmotion capture performance and voice acting.[39] Brolin cameoed as the character inGuardians of the Galaxy (2014) andAvengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
Brolin reprised his role as Thanos in a starring role inAvengers: Infinity War (2018) and 2019'sAvengers: Endgame, which were filmed back-to-back. His performance in the role was critically acclaimed. Writing forVariety, criticOwen Gleiberman called Brolin's motion-capture performance inInfinity War "supremely effective" and said, "Brolin infuses Thanos with his slit-eyed manipulative glower, so that the evil in this movie never feels less than personal."[40] Writing forthe Hollywood Reporter, criticTodd McCarthy similarly said, "Brolin's calm, considered reading of the character bestows this conquering beast with an unexpectedly resonant emotional dimension, making him much more than a thick stick figure of a supervillain."[41]
In 2021, Brolin voiced an alternate Thanos inWhat If...? series.[45] In October of that year,Dune premiered to generally positive reviews.[46]In April 2022, Brolin starred as Royal Abbot in theAmazon Prime Video seriesOuter Range. He also served as an executive producer.[47]
Brolin was married to actress Alice Adair from 1988 until 1994;[56] they have two children, includingEden.[57] He was engaged to actressMinnie Driver for six months.[56] Brolin married actressDiane Lane on August 15, 2004.[58] They divorced in 2013.[59]
In March 2013, Brolin began dating his former assistant and model Kathryn Boyd.[60] They became engaged in March 2015.[61] The couple married on September 24, 2016,[62] and announced on May 29, 2018, that they were expecting their first child.[63] Brolin announced throughInstagram on November 4, 2018, that Boyd had given birth to a daughter.[64] Their second daughter was born on December 25, 2020.[65]
On December 20, 2004, Brolin's wife at the time, Diane Lane, called the police after an altercation with him, and Brolin was arrested on amisdemeanor charge ofdomestic battery. Lane declined to press charges and the couple's spokesman characterized the incident as a misunderstanding.[66]
On July 12, 2008, Brolin was arrested after an altercation at the Stray Cat Bar inShreveport, Louisiana, along with actorJeffrey Wright and five other men who were crew members ofW. Brolin was released after posting a cash bond of $334.[67][68] He said to a reporter, "It was nice to be in jail knowing that I hadn't done anything wrong. And it was maddening to be in jail knowing that I hadn't done anything wrong."[27] Charges against all seven men were later dropped by Shreveport prosecutors.[69]
Brolin was arrested forpublic intoxication on New Year's Day 2013 inSanta Monica, California.[70][71] The remainder of 2013 proved very difficult for him, and Brolin later explained: "Well, it was another turning point. It made me think of a lot of things. My mom dying when I was in my 20s. All the impact that had on me that I hadn't moved past; I was always such a mama's boy. But I realized that I was on a destructive path. I knew that I had to change and mature."[13] Brolin has been sober from alcohol since 2013.[72]
Brolin startedstock trading in his mid-20s and considered quitting acting. In 2014, Brolin explained that he made a large amount of money over a three-year period: "Fear and greed, that's all that there is. And I traded very specifically. I found momentum stocks that had room to breathe and I just grab a little of the breath."[13] Brolin was also co-founder of a now-defunct stock-trading website called MarketProbability.[73]
^abcKevin West (October 2008)."Josh Brolin".W magazine. Archived fromthe original on January 19, 2012. RetrievedNovember 19, 2008.
^"The 81st Academy Awards | 2009". Oscars. Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. February 22, 2009.Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. RetrievedJanuary 14, 2015.
.jpg)
.jpg)
