Josh Brolin: Biography, Success Story, Facts

Josh Brolin’s biography unveils the remarkable success story of an accomplished American actor. From his early beginnings in The Goonies to portraying iconic characters like Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Brolin’s journey is marked by resilience and versatility.

Table of Contents

Biography Summary

Josh James Brolin, born on February 12, 1968, is an American actor and the son of actor James Brolin. He first gained attention as a young actor with his role in the adventure film The Goonies (1985). Despite experiencing a downturn in his career, Brolin made a strong comeback with his lead role in the crime film No Country for Old Men (2007). His portrayal of Dan White in the biopic Milk (2008) earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.

Brolin’s acting career continued to evolve with prominent roles in W. (2008), True Grit (2010), Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010), Men in Black 3 (2012), Oldboy (2013), Inherent Vice (2014), Everest (2015), and Hail, Caesar! (2016).

He gained further recognition for his portrayal of Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Additionally, Brolin played Cable in Deadpool 2 (2018). He has also worked with director Denis Villeneuve in the action thriller Sicario (2015) and the science fiction films Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024), taking on the role of Gurney Halleck.

Early Life

Josh Brolin was born in Santa Monica, California, on February 12, 1968. His mother, Jane Cameron, was a casting director and wildlife activist, while his father, James Brolin, is a well-known actor. Brolin spent his early years on a ranch in the Adelaida area of Paso Robles, California, where he attended elementary and middle school in Templeton. Around the age of 11, he moved to the Santa Barbara area and enrolled at Santa Barbara High School. Despite his father’s acting career, Brolin had little involvement in it during his childhood.¹ His parents divorced when he was 16, in 1984.

In a 2014 interview, Brolin shared that during his youth, he had been part of a surfing group known as the “Cito Rats.” He described the group as being from Santa Barbara in the ’80s, during the punk rock era, and said it included both children from wealthy but neglectful families and those from poorer backgrounds. Despite their different upbringings, they all essentially grew up in the same way. Brolin mentioned he had never encountered a group like that before or since. He also admitted to stealing cars to fund his drug use, which included heroin, a drug he said he never liked and fortunately never became deeply involved with. He reflected on how 19 of his friends had died, many of whom he grew up with. Later, he revealed that 37 of the boys he grew up with had died, 12 were in jail, and 4 were both in jail and dead. He kept track of these numbers, emphasizing that he came from a difficult environment.²

Brolin has been open about the challenges he faced during his youth, including his involvement in car theft to support his drug use. He mentioned trying heroin, though he admitted it was something he did not enjoy. Reflecting on that period, Brolin noted that many of his friends from that time are no longer alive due to similar struggles.

Career

1980s: Early Work and Breakthrough

Josh Brolin began his acting career with roles in TV films and guest appearances before landing a notable part as Brandon Walsh in The Goonies (1985). He was a finalist for the role of Tom Hanson in 21 Jump Street, where he formed a lasting friendship with Johnny Depp. Although the role ultimately went to Depp, Brolin made a guest appearance in the show’s first season.

1990–2006: Career Decline

In the early 1990s, Brolin took on smaller roles, including a part in Roadflower (1994) and the film Thrashin’. After facing film-acting challenges, he focused on stage performances in Rochester, New York, working alongside mentor Anthony Zerbe. Brolin also starred in the ABC western series The Young Riders from 1989 to 1992 and had roles in short-lived TV series like Winnetka Road (1994) and Mister Sterling (2003).

2006–2016: Career Resurgence and Stardom

By 2006, Josh Brolin had quit acting and worked as a full-time stock trader. However, his career took a major turn when he landed the lead role in the Coen brothers’ No Country for Old Men (2007). The film was both a critical and commercial success, marking a pivotal moment in Brolin’s career. Around the same time, he also starred in Ridley Scott’s American Gangster (2007), another successful project.

In 2008, Brolin portrayed President George W. Bush in W., directed by Oliver Stone. Although Brolin was initially hesitant, Stone was confident in his choice, stating that despite his leading-man looks, Brolin was more focused on character roles, which made him ideal for the part.

Brolin received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor as Dan White in the biopic Milk (2008). His performance earned widespread praise and won several awards, including the NYFCC and NBR Awards for Best Supporting Actor. At the Academy Awards, Brolin made headlines by wearing a White Knot, symbolizing his support for same-sex marriage.

I have to tell you, you can’t have an ego when you’re an actor. A lot of actors have them, but in reality most of those people are just sensitive artists dying for a hug and a compliment.
Josh Brolin

Also, in 2008, Brolin hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Adele and returned to host again in 2012 and 2024.

In 2009, Brolin executive produced and performed in The People Speak, a documentary based on Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, using dramatic performances of letters, diaries, and speeches from everyday Americans. The following year, he made his directorial debut with the short film X, about an inmate’s escape from prison to reunite with his daughter.

During the early 2010s, Brolin took on various roles in high-profile studio films. He starred as Jonah Hex (2010), based on the DC Comics character, but later criticized the film for its troubled production and the director’s lack of experience. Despite this setback, Brolin succeeded with roles in the Coen brothers’ True Grit (2010) and Oliver Stone’s Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps (2010).

In 2012, Brolin played the younger version of Tommy Lee Jones’s character in Men in Black 3, reuniting the two actors after their previous work in No Country for Old Men (2007). He went on to star in Gangster Squad (2013) and portrayed Joe Doucett in the American remake of Oldboy (2013).

In 2014, Brolin was cast as Thanos in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, portraying the character through motion capture and voice acting. He first appeared as Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and later in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).

2016–Present: Marvel and Dune Roles

Josh Brolin gained international fame for his portrayal of Thanos, reprising the roles in Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and Avengers: Endgame (2019), filmed back-to-back. His performance received critical acclaim. Owen Gleiberman of Variety described Brolin’s motion capture work in Infinity War as “supremely effective,” noting how Brolin gave Thanos a personal and manipulative depth.³ Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter also praised Brolin, highlighting the emotional dimension he brought to the character, making Thanos much more than a typical supervillain.⁴

Illustration of Josh Brolin portraying Thanos

In 2017, Brolin signed a four-film deal with 20th Century Fox to portray Nathan Summers/Cable in the X-Men film series. His first appearance as Cable came in Deadpool 2 (2018). He was initially set to reprise the role in the planned X-Force movie, but the project was affected by Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox.

In 2019, Brolin joined the cast of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune as Gurney Halleck, a role he would return to in Dune: Part Two (2024). The first Dune film premiered in 2021 and received positive reviews, while Dune: Part Two premiered in March 2024 to rave reviews.

In addition to his Dune role, Brolin voiced an alternate version of Thanos in the What If…? series (2021) and took on the role of Royal Abbott in Amazon Prime’s Outer Range (2022), where he also served as an executive producer. The second season of Outer Range premiered in May 2024, with Brolin reprising his role and directing an episode.

In June 2024, it was announced that Brolin had joined the cast of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, directed by Rian Johnson.

Personal Life

Marriages and Family

Josh Brolin married actress Alice Adair in 1988. The couple had two children, Trevor (born 1988) and Eden, both of whom are actors.⁵ Their marriage ended in 1994. He was later engaged to actress Minnie Driver for six months. In 2004, Brolin married actress Diane Lane, but the couple divorced in 2013.

In March 2013, Brolin began dating Kathryn Boyd, a model and his former assistant. The two became engaged in March 2015 and married on September 24, 2016. They welcomed their first daughter in November 2018 and their second daughter on December 25, 2020.

Arrests

On December 20, 2004, Brolin was arrested for a misdemeanor charge of domestic battery following an altercation with his then-wife, Diane Lane. Lane did not press charges, describing the incident as a misunderstanding.⁶

In July 2008, Brolin was arrested after an altercation in a Shreveport, Louisiana, bar, along with actor Jeffrey Wright and several crew members of W. The charges were later dropped.⁷

On New Year’s Day 2013, Brolin was arrested for public intoxication in Santa Monica, California.⁸ Reflecting on that year, Brolin described it as a difficult time and noted that it was a turning point in his life. He has been sober since 2013.

Business Interests

Brolin developed an interest in stock trading in his mid-20s and even considered leaving acting for a time. He made substantial profits over three years, focusing on momentum stocks. Additionally, Brolin co-founded a stock trading website called MarketProbability, which is now defunct.

Awards

2008: No Country for Old Men, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
2008: No Country for Old Men, National Board of Review Awards, Best Cast
2008: W., Hollywood Film Awards, Best Actor
2009: Milk, Critics’ Choice Movie Awards, Best Acting Ensemble
2009: Milk, National Board of Review Awards, Best Supporting Actor
2009: Milk, New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Best Supporting Actor
2011: True Grit, Western Heritage Awards, Theatrical Motion Picture
2015: Inherent Vice, Independent Spirit Awards, Robert Altman Award
2018: Avengers: Infinity War, Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards, Best Motion Capture Performance
2019: Avengers: Infinity War, Austin Film Critics Association Awards, Best Motion Capture/Special Effects Performance
2019: Avengers: Infinity War, Saturn Awards, Best Supporting Actor
2019: Avengers: Endgame, Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards, Best Motion Capture Performance
2019: Avengers: Endgame, Austin Film Critics Association Awards, Best Motion Capture/Special Effects Performance
2019: Avengers: Endgame, MTV Movie & TV Awards, Best Villain
2019: Avengers: Endgame, Teen Choice Awards, Choice Villain

Final Reflections

Josh Brolin’s biography highlights a compelling success story and life story of overcoming personal challenges to achieve acclaim in the film industry. From his early roles alongside stars like Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Chris Evans to his significant performances in blockbuster franchises, Brolin has established himself as a respected and versatile actor.

Reference List for Josh Brolin’s Biography

“Josh Brolin Comes Into His Own.” CBS News, 29 Nov. 2007. ↩︎
Brooks, Xan. “Josh Brolin: ‘I Tried Heroin. Most of the Guys I Grew Up with Are Dead Now’.” The Guardian, 13 Mar. 2014. ↩︎
Gleiberman, Owen. “Film Review: ‘Avengers: Infinity War’.” Variety, 24 Apr. 2018. ↩︎
McCarthy, Todd. “‘Avengers: Endgame’: Film Review.” The Hollywood Reporter, 23 Apr. 2019. ↩︎
Bastidas, Jose. “‘Yellowstone’ Casts Eden Brolin, ‘Beyond’ Star and Josh Brolin’s Daughter, as Promising New Season 3 Character.” PopCulture, 6 Sept. 2019. ↩︎
Brodesser-Akner, Taffy. “Josh Brolin Fears the Summer of Josh Brolin.” The New York Times, 20 June 2018. ↩︎
“Actor Brolin Arrested After Fight.” BBC News, 14 July 2008. ↩︎
“Josh Brolin Arrested for Public Intoxication – Entertainment & Showbiz.” CTV News, 5 Jan. 2013, ctvnews.ca. ↩︎